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Huge price increases around Lake Balaton

napi.hu 29. June 2018 – At present, holiday properties in County Veszprém are the most expensive, while County Zala shows the steepest price hikes and County Somogy boasts the most construction projects on the shores of Lake Balaton. Prices increases are exceptionally high in all three counties because new developments have been rearranging the market. Residential property prices around the lake have also been increasing continually. Back in spring 2015 average prices were approximately HUF 223,000 while in the second quarter of 2018 they were around HUF 335,000.

Property developers have been turning their attention to the region in the past few months. This is one of the reasons why County Veszprém and Somogy left County Zala behind: the latter has only started to draw developers recently. Prices in Somogy and Veszprém were more or less in synch up until the second quarter of 2016, but in County Veszprém there was a big bang in the second half of 2016, owing to new residential and other development projects. By 2018 the difference diminished because some large scale development projects had started in County Somogy, too (most notably in Siófok, Zamárdi, Balatonlelle, Fonyód and Balatonszemes).

Apartment boom at Lake Balaton

napi.hu, 24.05.2017 – Many new apartments are being built at Lake Balaton and prices at Lake Velencei are also increasing. According to figures published by KSH, the National Statistical Office of Hungary, holiday home construction is also on the upswing. At Lake Balaton apartment development projects are also intensifying. Judged by the number of planning approvals and properties in the blueprint phase the number of completed apartments will peak in the next few years. Buyers increasingly prefer newly built condominium properties with a panoramic view directly at the lakeshore. These command significantly higher prices, not only on account of their better features but also because the number of building plots with direct connection to the water is diminishing.

Even though prices at Lake Velencei are lower compared to those of Lake Balaton, some factors put an upward pressure on prices there, too. First, the effects of the bourgeoning apartment market of neighbouring Székesfehérvár can also be felt in the surrounding area. Second, some settlements around Lake Velencei are comparatively close to Budapest, which means they can offer a viable alternative for buyers from the capital.

Experts expect a boom in apartment construction

napi.hu, 03.04.2017 – According to experts the number of apartments constructed this year may rise significantly, but a change in VAT legislation and the lack of skilled workers may have an unwelcome effect on the construction industry. A recent survey showed that the number of condominium apartments completed this year will reach 2010 highs, but even last year’s 10 thousand was a four-year record. Experts base their estimate on the number of planning applications mainly in the periphery of Budapest, in larger Hungarian towns and in the vicinity of Lake Balaton, mainly as a result of the 5 per cent VAT. This VAT rate will probably be in force until 2019 only, so – due to the time requirement of planning permission procedures – developers have only one year left to start new projects.