What generation you belong to is the kind of house you can buy

What generation do you determine what kind of worker you are?

Should I buy a house now or is it better to wait?

How much and how to save on a first home?

A 30 square meter attic

Center of the city.

No parking.

No elevator.

Except in certain cases, the owner or occupant of such housing is a Millennial generation (born between 1981 and 1994). With 30 to 40 year olds, they have stable jobs but minimum wage jobs. And they don't have kids.

If you're renting with multiple roommates, you're probably Generation Z or centennials, you're under 26, still in the early stages of your career and need your parents' financial support to make ends meet.

If you live in a country house or an apartment with two or more rooms, it's probably not your first home, you've saved enough to afford a large mortgage, and your salary is more stable compared to the early years of your professional career. And then you belong to Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980) or the baby boom generation (born between 1946 and 1964).

The older you are, the better the housing. Housing is becoming less and less affordable. It's not just speculation. According to the Bank of Spain, only 36% of young people under the age of 35 have their own home. The same research report from ten years ago, in 2011, showed that the percentage of young adults with a mortgage was 70%. This shows that housing is becoming less affordable and the new generations are the hardest hit.

The Generation Z or centennials born between 1997 and 2010 have in many cases not had the opportunity to become independent. At least that's what another study says. The age of emancipation of young people in Spain averages 30.3 years, according to Eurostat data. Spain ranks fourth in the European Union in terms of young people leaving their parents' home later than other countries. This means that independence for Generation Z is a feat. And those who do, do it with a gimmick. Monse, she is 23 years old, until recently worked as a newsroom intern and lives in a shared apartment with her two roommates. She needs her parents' help. "Getting €360 and paying €420 rent doesn't balance the finances.

Rent or buy, that is the question. According to our real estate expert Beatriz Toribio, deputy director of Masteos, young people increasingly prefer renting. Not only because of the difficulty of acquisition, but also because of the change in mentality. "There used to be easy access to funding, but now only sustainable profiles, with more age. This explains that according to the National Institute of Statistics, 16% of Spain's population rents. That's a 20% increase from a decade ago. I think this percentage will grow because new generations have a different relationship with property than we do. The same thing is happening with the car, now many people don't want to buy a car, preferring renting or carsharing. It's a sociological process. You also need financial and cultural literacy to buy, and now we live in a world dominated by experiences, enjoying the present, and this reduces the ability to save. Young people have other priorities," explains Beatriz.

Age matters. Begona, she is 43 years old, an agronomist-engineer and lives on the outskirts of Madrid in a new building with a garden. From the center to the periphery. From a younger life to a more adult life, with a partner and a child. "I wanted to live in a house with a garden and this was a big step forward. But it also required a significant savings effort," she emphasizes.

In the baby boom generation, there is a very rare phenomenon compared to previous generations. Some people have already paid off 100% of their mortgages! They are old enough, they have been mortgaged for half their lives and are starting to get rid of that burden. Others are still paying or buying secondary properties on the coast or in the mountains.

Four different generations, but all share common aspirations. Enjoy decent housing, whether rented or owned, and not spend your entire paycheck on it.