Photo: freepik.comDue to the increase in the number of citizens who have two or more cars each, as well as the intensive construction of residential and business buildings, there has been a great demand for parking spaces and garages in Belgrade. This increased the purchase of garages as well as their leasing, which over time became an increasingly profitable business.
"It's a business for which you don't need a huge amount of money to invest at the start, like for an apartment. If you a garage costs "x" money and is rented out for some money, you cannot pay that much for the apartment and rent it out," explains Ivan Košutić from the Tvoja garaža portal, as reported by espreso.co.rs.
According to the data of the Republic Geodetic Authority, almost 8,500 garages or garage spaces were sold in the first half of this year, which is 22 percent more compared to the same period last year, while the financial turnover increased by almost 60 percent. Also, according to RGA statistics, three years ago, one garage was sold for every five apartments in Serbia, while based on data for the first six months of this year, every third apartment was bought with a garage.
"We, as a country and as cities, decide to have a minimum number of parking spaces that is prescribed for certain facilities. In the world and in Europe, the transition is mainly to determining the maximum number of parking spaces, but it is sometimes an impossible mission in terms of the number of vehicles that are determined. A family, even an average family, not only the socially wealthier families, has two, and sometimes even three cars, "says Dr. Uroš Radosavljević, head of the master's study Integral Urbanism at the Faculty of Architecture.
In the capital, a garage space can be bought for 10,000 euros, but depending on the location, the prices change. According to RGZ data, 90% of garage spaces in the municipality of Savski Venac were sold for between 20,000 and 26,000 euros, while a garage in the municipality of Stari Grad was sold for 37,000 euros.
"If we take into account that the average price of renting a garage in the capital is 160 euros, in the most attractive city locations, such as Vračar or the city center, in Voždovac 85 euros, in New Belgrade from 100 to 120 euros, and for example, in Banovo Brdo and Savski venac, it is almost impossible to find a garage and a garage space to rent, then we can state that it is a profitable business," points out Jelena Davidović from the Nekretnine portal.
According to experts, the problem with parking in larger cities can be solved in several ways: by improving public city transport, the metro, changing the habits of the population, and in some countries, it is common practice to limit the number of cars a household can own.
"There are residential areas where residents practically give up the use of their own cars. In Germany and some other European cities, this is the practice, so by purchasing a residential property, you practically sign a contract that you will not become the owner of the vehicle. If you acquire a vehicle and register it in your name, the contract ceases to be valid and you have to move out of that location," explains Dr. Uroš Radosavljević.
The interlocutors conclude that there are a number of solutions, but they need to be implemented, especially in cities like Belgrade, where 80 percent of the total number of garages traded in Serbia in the previous six months were sold in the capital. It is estimated that renting out garages or garage spaces will develop even more as a profitable business.
Source: espreso.co.rs
