One of the biggest advantages of owning a home is the sense of security and knowing that you are investing in your family’s future. Unlike renting, a mortgage on your own home allows you to gradually build personal capital. Each payment becomes an investment in the property’s value, which over the long term protects savings from inflation. However, depending on the type of housing, not only the price varies but also the burden of daily responsibilities.
After raising children, they seek freedom from household chores
A house, regardless of its location, requires constant attention and time resources from the owner. Yard maintenance, mowing the lawn, snow removal, roof or engineering system maintenance, and gutter cleaning become daily tasks that quickly consume weekends. Meanwhile, residents of modern apartment buildings delegate these concerns to the community or building administrators and spend the saved time on their own and their family’s leisure.
“We notice that clients often make the decision to buy a house emotionally, looking for the largest possible space. However, after a few years, they face logistical challenges and a lack of time. Interestingly, we also see a new trend: after raising children and ‘biting off’ constant yard work, older people move back to apartments in the city. They seek peace and want to spend their free time on themselves, traveling, and relaxing, rather than on house maintenance. Living in a new apartment building provides exactly this ‘lock and leave’ freedom,” says Agata Smyk-Čepinskienė, sales manager at “Citus.”
A solution for large families
Nevertheless, a detached house remains the undisputed favorite among families raising two or more children. For such households, it is especially important to have enough space so that each family member has a separate room. In big cities, the supply of four- or five-room apartments is very limited, and their prices usually exceed the average buyer’s budget. In such cases, owning a house becomes a financially viable solution for those wanting more spacious housing.
Moreover, when raising several children, a private yard gains a completely different value and becomes not a burden but a salvation. A safe, fenced outdoor area allows children to spend time outdoors right on the property, while parents gain much-needed peace and privacy, which is hard to find on an apartment terrace or shared yard.
The hardest part is when priorities differ in a couple
Looking for a compromise between price and space, buyers often choose plots or houses farther from the city and in garden communities. At first glance, the attractive price often hides a fundamental drawback – the lack of developed infrastructure.
In such areas, there is often a shortage not only of paved roads, sidewalks, or lighting but also of public transport. Even if there is a bus stop nearby, routes run infrequently. The result is that a child’s trip to school by public transport can take an hour or more. Then parents have to take on the role of driver: taking children to lessons in the morning and picking them up in the evening.
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Long hours in traffic jams outweigh the benefits of living surrounded by nature for some. Meanwhile, living in the city allows access to developed infrastructure, where schools, kindergartens, and services are within walking distance. However, there are people who would never trade their own house and privacy for an apartment, even if it takes an hour or more to get to the city center.
“There is no right answer here. The worst situation is when one partner values the forest and peace, while the other wants to live close to restaurants and events, when one enjoys working in the greenhouse, and the other wants to quietly read books on the balcony. No matter what you choose – a house, townhouse, or apartment – it is important that the choice matches the family’s lifestyle and expectations,” says the sales manager at “Citus.”
Financial liquidity and sense of security
According to real estate experts, apartments remain significantly more liquid assets in major Lithuanian cities. The amounts needed to move into a finished apartment are usually lower, and if you need to change your place of residence, renting or selling an apartment in the city is much faster than an individual house in the suburbs.
Moreover, when buying or building a house, expenses include not only interior finishing but also outdoor work: fencing, landscaping. Larger finances are also needed to ensure the security of a private house: installing cameras, setting up an alarm system, ordering home insurance.
The final decision always depends on the individual life stage. If privacy, a large plot, and willingness to sacrifice time for logistics and maintenance are priorities, a house in the suburbs is the right choice. However, for those seeking a balance between time-saving, security, city pace, and financial mobility, a modern apartment remains the most practical alternative without much hassle.
