The government's announcements on Monday could have a positive impact on the construction industry as a whole, especially on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises – believes Attila Juhász, president of Újház Zrt. and the ÉVOSZ Building Materials Trade Section. According to him, the preferential loan structures could not only stimulate the second-hand housing market, but also give new impetus to the construction of new homes, which could indirectly bring orders to smaller construction teams and material traders.

Juhász highlighted that the preferential first home purchase loan alone could be enough to kick-start demand in the housing market. The purchase of used homes often involves renovation, which means new work for the construction industry. In the new home market, the preferential loan could also have an incentive effect on investors. “Many developers are expected to dust off their plans in their drawers and launch new projects,” he said.

The expert also drew attention to the fact that the current measures do not appear independently, but are implemented together with several other, already running supports – such as the rural and energy home renovation programs, and the Energy Efficiency Obligation System. From September, a new preferential renovation scheme will also be launched, which could further expand the market.

“An old professional proposal is now being implemented: we have been asking for a long time for the introduction of subsidized loans with interest rates below 5 percent,” Juhász emphasized. He said that despite the fact that real wages are increasing, the current mortgage interest rates of 7–8 percent are limiting housing investments. Although the volume of borrowing is nominally high, in real terms it is still well below post-pandemic levels.

According to him, the current steps are necessary, as only 13,000 new apartments were delivered in 2024, and there are fears that this number will be even smaller next year - which is not enough to maintain the housing stock. At the same time, the supply of building materials and construction capacities are stable for the time being, so there is no need to expect shortages or sudden price increases.