The two-room apartment is no longer popular . At least in the cities and after the pandemic. Small and very small houses, up to 50 square metres, slip to the bottom of the regional approval ranking. Question of space and liveability.
All written in the 2023 report on the residential market in Sardinia . Forty pages of data and tables developed by the Revenue Agency and which bring with them an initial certainty: the change in preferences on sizes, which began to emerge in the midst of the Covid emergency, has now become real estate demand. As for prices, the Oristano area is the least expensive province on the island; in Gallura, however, the highest prices.
In 2022 , the most requested homes on the island were those between 85 and 115 square metres. In Cagliari , 27.97 percent of sales involved precisely this size. In absolute numbers, 550 transactions closed out of 1,966 for the year. Same trend in Nuoro , where for the same square footage there were 67 transactions (29%) compared to the 231 total. The same goes for Sassari which totaled 376 purchase deeds (26.9%), compared to the 1,397 recorded in 2022.
Only in Oristano-city were negotiations prevailing on properties ranging from 50 to 85 square metres , in any case larger in size than the classic two-room apartment. In detail in the report, this market segment reached 112 sales (30.5%) compared to 367 in the whole of 2022. Again in Oristano, the second most requested size was between 115 and 145 square meters with 84 transactions (22.88%). The demand for two-room apartments finished in fifth and last place: 19 transactions, equal to 5.17 percent. Homes over 145 square meters were the third most requested: 77 deeds registered in 2022 (20.9%). In fourth place are homes between 85 and 115 square meters (76 sales, 20.7%).
In Cagliari the second most popular type concerned the size between 50 and 85 square metres : 519 sales, equal to 26.39 percent. This is followed by houses between 115 and 145 square meters (452 registered deeds, 22.99%) and those over 145 square meters (320 transactions, 16.27%). Two-room apartments closed the ranking with 125 transactions (6.35%).
The picture of Nuoro differs little compared to the trend of the Sardinian capital: after homes between 85 and 115 square metres, the most requested homes were those between 115 and 145 square meters (55 transactions, 23.8%). Therefore the size exceeds 145 square meters (50 sales, 21.64%). Two-room apartments still last with 14 purchase transactions (6.06%).
In Sassari , as mentioned, sales for houses between 85 and 115 square meters prevailed: immediately behind the 342 transactions on houses between 50 and 85 square meters (24.48%) and then the 332 deeds for the size between 115 and 145 square meters (23.76%). Fourth place for houses over 145 square meters (226 sales, 16.17%). Even in Sassari, two-room apartments have become the bottom of the list in 2022 with 121 real estate transactions (8.66%).
Moving the lens on a provincial basis, the typology between 50 and 85 square meters has become popular in three quarters of Sardinia, again with the sole exception of Oristano. In the vast area of Cagliari plus Medio Campidano and Sulcis, this square footage accounted for 2,041 transactions in 2022, equal to 30.33 percent. The same figure in the province of Sassari was worth 2,534 real estate transactions (35.26%) and included the always lively market for sales in tourist locations, with Gallura in the lead. Again: the size between 50 and 85 square meters was the most requested also in the Nuoro area: 775 deeds registered out of the 2,203 total (35.17%): In Oristano province, however, the houses over 145 square meters exceeded all the other types adding up 390 sales (33.85%), compared to the 1,152 that were counted last year.
In the tables published by the Revenue Agency, the two-room column is the one that also shows the greatest negative variations, with a substantial drop in demand compared to 2021: in Cagliari the figure stood at -3.9%; in Nuoro on -7.3%; in Oristano it reached -25.4%. Only in Sassari-city the sales of two-room apartments recorded a positive value with an increase on an annual basis of 6.8 percent. Regional average: 1.7%.
The two-room apartment type has only held up on a provincial scale, dragged by sales in tourist locations, where the Covid effect has not had any impact because during the holidays you spend little or nothing at home. In fact: with the sole exception of the Oristano area which recorded -27.3% of transactions, here is the +10.1% of Southern Sardinia, the +19.6% of the Nuoro area and the +14.1% of the Sassari area (Gallura included). Regional average: 11.2%.
In terms of prices, the Oristano area is the least expensive area in Sardinia. Overall, the lowest prices are recorded in the South of the Province, including the municipalities at the foot of Monte Arci. So Ales, Baradili, Baressa, Gonnoscodina, Gonnosnò, Gonnostramatza, Marrubiu, Masullas, Mogoro, Morgongiori, Palmas Arborea, Pau, Pompu, Santa Giusta, Simala, Sini, Siris, Uras, Usellus, Villa Verde. Here the average cost per square meter is 362 euros.
The second geographical area where prices are lower still falls in the Oristano area , but in the North-East, between Barigadu and Grighine . The municipalities included in the list by the Revenue Agency are Villanova Truschedu, Ollastra, Siapiccia, Siamanna, Villaurbana, Fordongianus, Allai, Ruinas, Mogorella, Villa Sant'Antonio, Asunis, Samugheo, Busachi, Ula Tirso, Neoneli, Ardauli, Nughedu Santa Vittoria, Boroneddu, Tadasuni, Soddi, Bidonì, Sedilo, Sorradile and Aidomaggiore. Here the cost per square meter is equal to 377 euros.
La Marmilla , in Southern Sardinia, completes the trio of territories with the least expensive real estate prices . The average cost per square meter is 487 euros. The data was calculated between the municipalities of Collinas, Villanovaforru, Siddi, Tuili, Barumini and Gesturi.
The coastal centers of Gallura record the highest prices on the island , even higher than Cagliari, where the average value per square meter has been estimated at 1,835 euros. Instead: from La Maddalena to Porto San Paolo, passing through Palau, Olbia, Arzachena, Golfo Aranci, Aglientu and Trinità d'Agultu-Vignola, it reaches 2,769 euros.