The average price for a summer house near Kazan has exceeded 2 million: Zoomers have inherited the dream of six hundred square meters and are increasing demand.

      Dachas in Kazan's gardening associations have increased in price by 12% over the year

      Almost 70 percent of Russians would like to buy a dacha or a house in the countryside

      Interest among Russians in country living continues to grow: today, about 70 percent of city dwellers would like to have their own dacha or private house. This is reported by the Analytical Center of VCIOM based on the results of a monitoring study. Compared to 2019, the share of those wishing (in this case, it is more accurate to say "dreaming") has increased by about 20 percentage points, which is the highest value recorded during the entire observation period. The growth in interest is accompanied by an increase in the attractiveness index of country life, which has more than tripled in recent years. The dacha is increasingly perceived not only as a property asset but also as an element of quality of life associated with comfort, relaxation, and a more autonomous living environment. "The special connection to the land remains a kind of constant in Russian culture. It has successfully survived the era of urbanization and has harmoniously integrated into the lives of city dwellers in the form of owning country real estate, which, according to available data, has long been perceived more as a supplement to an apartment rather than as an alternative," the study notes. The highest interest in dachas is recorded among young people – Gen Z and millennials. In this group, the country living format is largely built on the "romanticization of a leisurely pace, harmony with nature, coziness, and comfort." At the same time, in addition to relaxation, the dacha retains its utilitarian significance. "Also, the main purpose of the dacha in Russia remains self-sufficiency in products for family consumption, which is largely due to the Soviet past. In conditions of commodity shortages, modest 'six hundredths' served as a good support for millions of families. Nowadays, growing food is much less dictated by acute necessity and is perceived more as a conscious choice and an opportunity to maintain food autonomy," the study states.

      Dachas are becoming more expensive, land is becoming more accessible

      The high interest in dacha life also drives the "biting" prices for the corresponding real estate. For example, in the Kazan agglomeration, the average cost of a house in a gardening association reached almost 2.2 million rubles in May 2026. A year earlier, this figure was 12% lower – 1.9 million rubles, reported the chief analyst of "Cian," Alexey Popov. A similar picture is observed in the broader segment. The median price per square meter in a private capital house in the capital of Tatarstan as of April was 94.2 thousand rubles. This is 1.9% higher than last year's level, calculated Yandex Real Estate. The median total cost of such a property reached 12.7 million rubles, increasing by 2.1% over the year.

      At the same time, the price of land plots has turned in the opposite direction. A hundred square meters in Kazan has decreased to 262 thousand rubles, a drop of 9.9% over the year. Meanwhile, the number of plots put up for sale increased by 1.6% in a month. The Tatarstan Rosreestr also noted a mixed dynamic. In the first quarter of 2026, 39.3 thousand rights to land plots were registered in the republic, down from 45.6 thousand a year earlier. The number of registrations for garden houses has collapsed from 425 to 146.

      It is worth noting that, firstly, the statistics include not only sales transactions but also other actions: inheritance and gifting arrangements, as well as the registration of previously built houses and plots, and secondly, the figures for the first quarter in this market are traditionally not very indicative – real demand is recorded a little later.

      The market revives by the end of April

      Therefore, market participants do not dramatize the situation. Ruslan Sadreev, vice president of the Tatarstan Realtors Guild, links the decline in statistics in January – March primarily to seasonal calm rather than a drop in real demand. "In winter, it is difficult to fully inspect a dacha: everything is covered in snow, making it impossible to assess either the plot or the house. Sometimes access to the plots is even complicated due to the large amount of snow. In spring, however, the full picture opens up: you can see the object itself, the condition of the plantings, access roads, assess whether the plot is flooded, what the groundwater level is, and other important characteristics. All this can only be realistically assessed in the warm season. That is, the main demand starts around the end of April – beginning of May," Sadreev noted.

      According to his observations, for a typical panel house of about 50 square meters with basic amenities, the average asking price today is 1.3–1.8 million rubles. The plot in such cases most often consists of the standard 4-6 hundredths for gardening associations, and the finishing usually does not involve expensive materials.

      When choosing a location, Kazan residents traditionally orient themselves towards their residential area in the city. For example, for the Soviet district, the high-altitude direction remains attractive, while residents of the Privolzhsky district, according to the vice president of the Tatarstan Realtors Guild, most often look towards Laishevo. "Residents of the Moskovsky and Kirovsky districts typically choose other locations – for example, the Zelenodolsky district. There are many lakes, forests, and the Volga nearby. From this perspective, they are, you could say, luckier: it is more convenient to exit via the Gorky highway, which is now largely free of serious traffic jams," the expert explained.

      Overall, he summarized, a dacha in a gardening association remains a more accessible and practical country option than a cottage: it can be used in summer and then closed for the "off-season" without incurring constant costs.

      Dacha rentals have become a separate trend

      At the same time, another trend is gaining momentum in the market – many city dwellers prefer to rent ready-made houses, Ruslan Sadreev pointed out. "Many owners rent out dacha houses, and the demand for rentals is indeed growing. People increasingly prefer not to invest one and a half to two million rubles in purchase and arrangement but instead rent ready-made houses – conditionally for 50-100 thousand rubles per month. They spend the summer season there and then return the keys and leave," the interviewee noted.

      A small house in a gardening association also remains a good option, especially if it has basic amenities. "Overall, I do not expect a decrease in demand because a country house is not needed by everyone, and that is normal. A full-fledged house requires significant costs not only for purchase but also for maintenance, including year-round care and utility expenses. In this sense, a dacha in a gardening association remains a more accessible and practical option," Sadreev concluded.

      Photo: © Mikhail Zakharov / "Tatar-inform"