The attraction of the earth: mortgages on country houses have doubled
Russians are actively switching to buying ready-made country houses: over the year mortgages were issued, they more than doubled, and the average loan amount approached 5 million rubles. At the same time, the structure of demand is changing: buyers are increasingly choosing such facilities for permanent residence rather than seasonal cottages. The market is also influenced by family mortgages, which allow you to take out large loans at a discounted rate. How profitable is the purchase of a country house and what happens to prices in this market — in the material of Izvestia.
How much is the demand for country houses growing
In December 2025, 13,5 thousand mortgage loans were issued to Russians for the purchase of ready-made houses. This is about 2.4 times more than in the same month of the previous year, when 5.7 thousand such loans were issued, follows from the data of the Bank of Russia, which was studied by Izvestia. The volume of disbursements grew even faster: over the same period, it increased almost 3.7 times and reached 66.7 billion rubles.
The average loan size has also increased significantly. By the end of December, it reached 4.95 million rubles, whereas a year ago it was about 3.2 million. In fact, the average check has increased by about one and a half times.
At the same time, the indicator is even higher for individual market players — in Dom Bank.The Russian Federation" this figure amounted to 6.5 million rubles, the press service of the organization reported.
At the same time, the loan term has also increased. Over the year, the average mortgage duration for the purchase of finished houses increased by 16% and reached about 26 years, according to the Central Bank. This suggests that borrowers are stretching out payments in order to maintain a reasonable monthly payment.
The demand for such loans jumped sharply at the end of 2025. In the last month of the year alone, the issue has almost doubled compared to November. At the same time, the mortgage construction segment shows the opposite trend. The number of loans for the construction of private housing decreased by about 38%. Despite this, the volume of disbursements increased due to the fact that the average check jumped more than twice and reached 5.2 million rubles.
In general, statistics indicate structural changes in the individual housing construction market. If at the beginning of 2025, ready-made buildings accounted for about 46% of mortgage loans in the residential housing segment, then by the beginning of 2026, their share had increased to about 70%.
At the same time, the price increase in the country turned out to be relatively moderate. The average cost per square meter of such housing in 2025 increased by about 3.7%, and the finished house cost about 7.5 million rubles, said Anna Zemlyanova, chief analyst at Sovcombank.
However, the average statistics do not reflect the whole picture of the market. The calculation includes old and low-value houses, the prices of which could even decrease. At the same time, new ready—made housing has risen in price significantly more - by more than 20% over the year, explained Laura Kuznetsova, managing expert of the Economic and industry analysis department of the PSB.
According to her, prices are affected by the rising cost of construction. During the year, the construction of turnkey houses has risen in price by almost a third. Prices for building materials increased by 8-13%, and in certain categories important for individual construction, the increase reached 30%. We are talking about thermal insulation, plumbing, electrics and concrete mixes.
Why is the demand for country houses growing?
Buyers are increasingly choosing more expensive homes for permanent residence. We are no longer talking about cottages for seasonal holidays, but about full-fledged housing outside the city, said economist Andrei Barkhota.
Cheaper country houses are gradually becoming less in demand on the market, confirmed Valery Lukinov, founder of the Country Development expert club. According to him, dachas that used to be bought for several million rubles are now less and less considered for permanent residence. Buyers try to choose better housing, even if it costs more.
At the same time, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a full-fledged house with all communications for 5-7 million rubles, Valery Lukinov added. The budget for comfortable housing starts from about 10-15 million, depending on the region.
An additional factor in the growth in demand has become a family mortgage, which can also be issued for a country house. In recent years, the share of loans in metropolitan regions has increased, where the loan limit under this program is 12 million rubles. The share of loans for residential housing in the capital regions increased from 24% in early 2025 to about 30% in 2026. This means that more and more borrowers are using the maximum limits of preferential programs to purchase suburban housing.
The interest in such facilities is largely due to the lower cost per square meter, said Evgeny Shavnev, CEO of the Flip real estate investment company. A house with three or four rooms is often comparable in price to a two-room apartment, but at the same time the buyer gets his own plot of land.
According to him, in most cases such real estate is considered by couples with one or two children. For them, a country house becomes a more comfortable option for permanent residence.
Another reason for the growth in demand is the sharp rise in price of urban apartments, explained Natalia Milchakova, a leading analyst at Freedom Finance Global. As a result, buying a house in rural areas or in a satellite city of a megacity is often much more affordable. According to her, banks are more willing to approve mortgages for smaller amounts.
The Far Eastern and Arctic programs also allow you to take out a loan not only for an apartment, but also for a finished house. The rates on such loans are noticeably lower than market rates, which stimulates demand.
The market is also affected by the change in the format of work. Residents of large cities are increasingly working remotely or on a hybrid schedule. Therefore, the need to travel to the office every day disappears, and the distance from home to the city ceases to play a decisive role, said Evgeny Shavnev.
All these factors will remain important in the future, Andrey Barkhota concluded. Housing prices in large cities will continue to rise faster than the cost of suburban real estate, which is why demand for it will continue, although the pace of mortgages for residential housing may slow down.
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