'A home for life or for every moment? No comment.'

From youth to old age, the variable is a constant. But at every stage of life, there is one common element: home. In it we study or work, enjoy alone or with family, and relax after an easy or hard day. In it we can nurture dreams of building and growing a family, but also grow old and find ourselves back in an empty nest. Whatever the moment, home accompanies the cycle of life. And while a house for life used to be the rule, today new contexts demand alternatives, according to the experts idealista/news spoke to.

People are changing cities (or even countries) to study or work; going to the countryside for a quieter life; or, on the contrary, seeking to establish themselves in urban centers to be closer to everything''(trade and services). And there are also those who are forced to move to other neighborhoods because of high housing prices. In one form or the other, the truth is that at all these stages, with different motivations, a home helps (or hinders) life decisions. And in a period of lifestyle change, does it make sense to think about housing from a "macro" perspective? Is there really a "perfect" home? Does it still make sense to have a home for life...?

Being a student or going to work in another city often involves a change of residence, often involving sharing rooms. This is usually followed by renting apartments on one's own. However, historically Portugal is a country where there are more owners than renters, and many people want to own their''space and decide to channel their efforts and savings into buying their own homes, especially resorting to a mortgage loan. And that's when the first house is bought. Meanwhile, the family grows and the need for space increases. But then the children move out of the house and it is left empty again. The rooms are already redundant and old age demands other accommodations. That's life... When we are young, even though nothing is static and we are constantly evolving, at some point we expect to have a home for life. Why? "The idea of safety, predictability, shelter and belonging are central ideas for humans, and home gives us some of those feelings. We need to know where to go back to, to have that sense of security so we can engage with others''projects with more stability and predictability', explains psychologist Katharina Lucas. According to the expert, when we are younger, "we have a tendency to be less demanding because, above all, we want independence and space that we can organize in our own way. But over time we become more demanding, the family grows, we spend more time at home and the needs change.

In old age we want, above all, spaces that are accessible and easy to maintain." A home for life? Trends are changing.For her part, Mariana Morgado Pedroso, CEO and architect of Architect Your Home (AYH), believes that not all people are looking for a home for life. She says that this ambition or dream can arise at "a very specific moment in life, such as a''opinion, there are many homes that are flexible enough to adapt to transitions in family life. In fact, one of two things happens: either we adapt the family/life to the house, or the house to the life. And this is extremely valuable, and the better the houses are designed and thought out, the better they will adapt to different lifestyles", states Mariana Morgado Pedroso.Massimo Forte, a consultant, trainer and coach specializing in real estate, shares this view. "The idea of a home for life is less and less used. Even though we buy thinking that the house will be for life, the truth is that life takes many twists and turns. In Portugal, in the average market, decision-making and rotation takes place on average over seven to eight years," he says, adding,''that this frequency can vary significantly depending on various factors, including culture, location, age, marital status, work and personal preferences or needs. "In Portugal, we have grown up in a culture of a home for life, as a house has always been a major family asset," emphasizes Alfredo Allen Valente, CEO of iad Portugal. "Practically, by paying the mortgage for 30 years, we are simultaneously building an asset that we would otherwise probably not have at retirement", explains the intermediary.According to Patricia Baran, head of Residental JLL, she agrees with this idea. According to the expert, "it is impossible to draw general conclusions and say that all Portuguese want a home for life, because housing preferences can strongly''differ from person to person. In recent decades, there has been a trend in Portugal to buy real estate instead of renting, because owning your own home allows you to live with a better quality of life and provides long-term stability and security, and many people see this as an important goal. On the other hand, since rental prices are too high, buying is more profitable because the monthly payment is lower than the current rent," adds Joao Sousa, CEO of JPS Group.Lack of supply and high prices: a barrier to the dream of owning a homePortugal is currently experiencing a serious housing crisis, and the difficulties are becoming greater for both those who already own a home and those who are looking for one, whether buying''or rent. To mitigate the impact of rising interest rates and inflation on families' budgets, the government decided to launch the "More Housing" package, which is already in force, but still the biggest problem that has been affecting the market for several years has not been solved: the lack of supply, which is not enough to meet demand, and this postpones the dream of buying a first home or the need to replace it.According to Alfredo Valente, CEO of iad Portugal, currently the most difficult to find are new homes. 'Since the crisis that hit Portugal last decade, we have never recovered the necessary level of new construction to meet demand, which has put pressure on existing homes and led to price rises.''Demand for new homes is very high and this is clearly the main bottleneck in the market,' he says.Adding to the equation is the level of house prices, which have been rising in recent years, unaccompanied by a real increase in available incomes (which, incidentally, are falling due to rising inflation). According to the mediator, "The problem is the relationship between price levels and wages. And this, above all, applies to the purchase of a first home, where the issue is particularly acute." "The rise in house prices in recent years makes replacing a home, in most cases, a non-issue, as there is, in principle, a significant increase in value from the sale of the current home to reinvest in a new home. But when buying a first home, yes," he argues.A view shared by Patricia Baran. Expert''believes that "high prices can make it more difficult to buy your own home, especially for young people and families at the start of life."' 'This could make people choose to rent instead of buying. The real estate market in Portugal has increased significantly in price in recent years and wages have not accompanied this growth, which could make it more difficult to access housing,' she emphasizes. "Families have lost purchasing power and access to credit has become more expensive and difficult. For those who want to enter the market, especially young people, the fact is that it is a difficult moment, both in terms of economic conditions and the lack of supply to buy or rent", adds Joao Sousa.

Housing strategy 'macro' - yes or no?

Market''faces great challenges, including structural challenges that have continued to haunt us for several decades. Apart from the fact that houses are not designed for different life transitions, as the AYH architect argues, there is no macro-housing strategy designed to take into account the life cycle of houses and their occupants.According to João Sousa, the development of a macro-housing strategy in Portugal that covers the different stages of