22% of those looking for a home postponed the purchase after the announcement of the VAT increase | Analysis History
22% of those looking for a home postponed the purchase after the announcement of the VAT increase | Photo source – storia.ro
The tax changes announced for August influenced the decisions of those who were in the search and purchase process. Thus, 22% of those looking for an apartment chose to postpone the purchase, while 17% declared that they rushed to complete the transaction in order to benefit – depending on the value of the home and the legal conditions – from one of the two VAT rates (9% or 19%). The most recent survey carried out by real estate platform Storia, in October 2025, was aimed at people looking for a new home or those who were still undecided about the type of home they were looking for and who had started the search process before July 2025. Asked if with the entry into force of the new VAT rate they had made changes in the way they looked for a home, most of the respondents mentioned that they had not made any changes (46%). However, 35% declared that they were looking for more affordable areas, 14% are looking for homes with smaller areas and 12% are no longer looking for new apartments, but old ones.
Most of those who were looking for a home to purchase were interested in old apartments (37%), 29% were looking for new apartments, and 27% were still undecided on the type of property. Only 7% stated that they were looking for a house. Next, the questionnaire targeted users looking for a new home, as well as those undecided about the type of property.
The majority of survey participants (38%) stated that the VAT change announced for August 1, 2025 did not influence their purchase decision. For 22% of respondents it caused the decision to be postponed, while 17% rushed to buy a new apartment. Another 12% reoriented to old homes, and 11% decided to completely abandon the purchase. Of those who rushed to buy in July, 18% managed to complete the purchase by the end of the month, benefiting from a VAT rate of 9% or 19%. The remaining 82% of respondents said they were unable to complete the transaction in a timely manner. The main reasons cited were too high prices (33%), lack of a suitable offer (17%) and difficulty in obtaining the necessary financing (7%).
“Through this survey, we aimed to understand to what extent the increase in the VAT rate influenced the purchase decisions of those looking for a home before July. The results show that, although some respondents adjusted some search criteria, most (46%) did not significantly change their behavior. However, a cautious trend is observed: some of those who adjusted their searches are oriented towards more affordable areas, homes with larger areas small or choose to turn to old apartments, maintaining the same purchase budget. At the same time, we see a real opportunity to support people looking for a home, both by guiding them in choosing a property that suits their needs, and by supporting them in the documentation process in order to obtain a loan,” said Monica Dudău, Head of Marketing Real Estate Europe, OLX Group (History and OLX Real Estate in RO).
Of those who chose to delay or give up buying, 49% said they preferred to wait for market price developments, 17% feared developers would raise prices, while 13% chose to move towards renting. A further 10% were unsure how the new VAT rate applied and 8% were unable to complete access to a credit or the necessary documentation.
The budget for the purchase of a home remained unchanged for the majority of respondents (59%). At the same time, 21% reduced their budget, considering that they can no longer afford the same type of property, and 20% decided to increase it, accepting the additional costs brought by the new level of VAT.
Asked if, with the entry into force of the new VAT rate, they made changes in the way they look for housing, most of the respondents did not make any changes (46%). However, 35% declared that they were looking for more affordable areas, 14% are looking for homes with smaller areas and another 12% are no longer looking for new apartments, but old ones.
The survey was conducted in October 2025, on a sample of 995 respondents.
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About History
Storia is the most visited real estate platform in Romania and also the platform with the most sales and rental ads in the country, which aims to bring more clarity to the real estate market. It's the place where thousands of owners, real estate agents and developers present their offers. Storia aims to support those looking for the right home by providing tools and valuable information about the real estate market to help them make informed decisions. In 2022, Storia launched a tool that analyzes the quality of life in Romanian neighborhoods. The Storia Index (originally TRAI) provides a score from 0 to 100 for each neighborhood, based on 17 important criteria for Romanians. This includes both objective data – such as traffic, air quality or house prices – as well as subjective perceptions, collected through an ongoing survey of over 100,000 respondents. Among the aspects evaluated are safety, cleanliness, quietness or access to cycle paths. The goal is for people to have a clearer picture of the neighborhoods they live in or are considering moving to.
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