---
title: "Ukrainians are mass-searching for private houses: LUN records abnormal demand and price growth of up to 36% in a year"
description: "LUN records abnormally high demand for private houses in Ukraine: the peak fell in January–February 2026, while prices in some oblasts rose by 36%. Experts link the trend to the demand for autonomy against the backdrop of winter outage risks."
date: 2026-09-12T07:14:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukrainians-massively-search-for-private-houses-demand-and-prices-2026
tags: [ukraine, real-estate, private-houses, housing-market, energy-security, lun-platform]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Ukrainians are mass-searching for private houses: LUN records abnormal demand and price growth of up to 36% in a year

![A hand holding a set of keys over a model house symbolizes the surge in Ukrainian demand for private homes and rising property prices](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/12/ukrainytsy-massovo-iskut-chastnye-doma-spros-i-ceny-2026/ukrainytsy-massovo-iskut-chastnye-doma-spros-i-ceny-2026-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Demand for private houses in Ukraine began to grow in early 2026 and remains high; the peak fell in January–February instead of the traditional August
- House prices rose by 36% in Rivne Oblast and by 35% in Chernivtsi and Odesa Oblasts over the year
- The median cost of a house in Chernihiv is about 28,800 dollars, while in Kyiv and Lviv it is about 220,000 dollars
- Suburban housing in a number of oblasts is rising in price faster than houses in the cities themselves
- The key motive for purchase is the demand for privacy and energy autonomy against the backdrop of winter outage risks

Against the backdrop of preparations for winter and the ongoing risk of power outages, Ukrainians are increasingly turning their attention to private housing. According to data from the LUN platform, interest in houses began to grow as early as the beginning of 2026 and has remained at a high level by autumn. Alena Babko, Head of External Communications and Partnerships at LUN, confirmed that requests to search for private housing "started growing back in early 2026 and have remained at a fairly high level to this day." According to her, the key motive has been the desire for greater privacy and autonomy — in conditions where centralized energy supply remains vulnerable.

### Abnormal seasonality: the peak came in winter, not in summer

A feature of 2026 has been an atypical demand dynamic. Traditionally, the peak of interest in buying houses falls in August, when buyers plan a move for the summer or for vacation. However, this year, according to LUN data, the highest house-search indicators were already recorded in January and February. "This year the picture is somewhat atypical: traditionally the peak of interest in houses falls in August, but in 2026 we recorded the highest indicators already in January and February," Babko explains. Experts link this shift to the fact that the winter factor — the threat of electricity and heating outages — has become the dominant argument in favor of autonomous housing.

### Prices: where houses have risen the most

Over the past year, the cost of private houses has grown across virtually the entire territory of Ukraine. The leader in terms of price growth has been Rivne Oblast, where prices increased by 36%. Chernivtsi and Odesa Oblasts showed growth of 35%. At the same time, absolute price levels vary significantly depending on the region. Among the regional centers, some of the lowest prices per square meter are recorded in Mykolaiv ($425), Zaporizhzhia ($440) and Chernihiv ($455). The median cost of a whole private house in Chernihiv at the end of April 2026 was about 28,800 dollars. For comparison: in Kyiv and Lviv this figure reached approximately 220,000 dollars — a difference of more than seven times that underscores the regional polarization of the market.

### Suburban housing is rising in price faster than urban houses

Houses outside the regional centers remain cheaper than urban real estate in most regions. However, as Babko notes, "prices there often grow faster than in the cities themselves." The most pronounced trend is observed in Odesa, Lviv, Zaporizhzhia, Vinnytsia and Dnipropetrovsk Oblasts. The cost of a specific property is influenced not only by geographic location, but also by the condition of the house, its area, the distance from the city and the level of development of the settlement's infrastructure. LUN does not yet have separate statistics on old rural houses, so it is not correct to speak of a mass shift specifically to this segment — the platform records a broader trend of growing interest in private housing in general.

### Context: winter and energy security

The growth in demand for autonomous housing is taking place against the backdrop of official warnings about a difficult winter. Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal previously stated that "winter will not be easy," since Russia continues a war of attrition. At the same time, according to him, the protection of energy facilities is already being strengthened, and the necessary equipment is being accumulated for the regions. It is precisely the combination of these factors — the state's acknowledgment of the risks and the inability to fully rule out local outages — that is forming a sustained demand among part of the population for housing with its own energy generation and independent heating.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Demand for private houses has grown: where they have risen the most in price and what prices look like in 2026](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ukrayintsi-shukayut-zhitlo-mistom-de-naybilshe-1788964718.html) - Первичный источник: данные ЛУН, цитаты Алены Бабко, региональная статистика цен. Все цифры и факты статьи взяты из этого материала.
- [Demand for private houses in Ukraine is growing: how prices and buyer requirements are changing](https://delo.ua/ru/realty/spros-na-castnye-doma-v-ukraine-rastet-kak-izmenyayutsya-ceny-i-trebovaniya-pokupatelei-470992/) - Подтверждает общий тренд роста спроса и изменения ценовой динамики на рынке частных домов.
- [Prices at the level of London and Paris: Kyiv suburbs have the most expensive private houses](https://delo.ua/ru/news/ceny-na-urovne-londona-i-pariza-prigorody-kieva-s-samymi-dorogimi-castnymi-domami-464784/) - Подтверждает общий тренд роста спроса и изменения ценовой динамики на рынке частных домов.
- [House prices in Ukraine have soared several times over: which oblasts are the most expensive](https://www.unian.net/economics/other/kupit-dom-v-ukraine-ceny-na-chastnye-doma-vzleteli-v-neskolko-raz-13156458.html) - Совпадает с данными о значительном росте цен в отдельных регионах.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Why is demand for private houses in 2026 peaking specifically in January–February?
**A:** According to LUN data, in 2026 the highest activity in searching for houses fell in January and February, not in the traditional August. Experts link this to the fact that the winter factor — the threat of electricity and heating outages — has become the main argument in favor of a shift to autonomous housing.

### Q: In which oblasts have prices for private houses risen the most?
**A:** Over the past year, real estate has risen the most noticeably in Rivne Oblast — by 36%. Chernivtsi and Odesa Oblasts showed growth of 35%. At the same time, absolute prices vary greatly: in Chernihiv the median cost of a house is about 28,800 dollars, while in Kyiv and Lviv it is about 220,000 dollars.

### Q: Are houses in villages and in the countryside cheaper?
**A:** Yes, in most regions houses outside the regional centers remain cheaper than urban ones. However, in Odesa, Lviv, Zaporizhzhia, Vinnytsia and Dnipropetrovsk Oblasts, prices for suburban housing are rising faster than for houses in the cities themselves.

### Q: Do the data speak of a mass shift of Ukrainians specifically to old rural houses?
**A:** No. According to Alena Babko from LUN, the platform does not yet have separate statistics on old rural houses. The data point to a broader trend — growing interest in private housing in general and in its advantages in the form of autonomy and privacy.