As the cost of living continues to rise, making affordable housing unattainable, young Hungarians are choosing to live in alternative dwellings such as yurts.
Hungarians Turn To Yurts For A Low-Cost Housing Solution
1
Mihaly Pogany, 28, who works as an insurance agent, picks weeds from his pumpkin field on his farm near Kecskemet. Pogany is one of an increasing number of Hungarians who have chosen to build a yurt as their home.
Unlike their Central Asian precursors, modern versions of yurts can have energy-efficient features, such as solar panels, rain collection facilities, and electric floor heating, as well as double-glazed insulated windows and doors.
Unlike their Central Asian precursors, modern versions of yurts can have energy-efficient features, such as solar panels, rain collection facilities, and electric floor heating, as well as double-glazed insulated windows and doors.
2
Pogany says the world has changed and people must adjust to a lower level of comfort. "It's a big luxury to heat flats to 26 degrees Celsius," he said.
3
Petra and Mihaly Pogany-Bago also own a yurt. The young couple, who are expecting their first child, moved into their home three months ago.
4
Unlike their former farmhouse, where they could only heat one room with a wood stove, their yurt has electric floor heating, and the stove can warm the entire structure.
5
As they expect their first child, keeping warm is more important than ever. "For me it is a huge relief ... I have no fear that we would be cold as I know the stove will keep us warm," said Petra Pogany-Bago.
6
To supplement their income, the Pogany-Bago family raises sheep and grows pumpkins for sale. They plan to live in the yurt for several years while saving money to rebuild their old farmhouse.
7
Another yurt home owner is David Zih, a filmmaker, who built an 80-square meter yurt for approximately $25,000 -- a quarter of the price of an average small house in Hungary. "By the time the yurt is ready, it will be half the cost of what a lightweight house would have been." Zih said. "I got a quote for a house like that in the spring and by the autumn costs rose by another 30 percent."
8
For people who are unable to purchase a home due to rising construction and energy costs, creating a modern-day yurt may be an affordable option.
9
Construction of the biggest yurt takes about three days. In Hungary, there are roughly a dozen yurt builders, and the majority of them reported receiving numerous new inquiries and orders.
10
Yurt builder Gabor Adorjan said that demand for the largest-size yurts that are generally used as residences has soared and he is currently fully booked through next summer.
11
According to Adorjan, there are about 1,000 yurts in Hungary, and more and more of them are being used as residences. Before, they were used only for tourists or people living remotely off-grid.
12
Yurts are also cheaper and easier to keep warm, as the air circulates in a single round space which keeps heat in for longer, while the walls are insulated, Adorjan said. "Even a small stove can heat up a yurt within a short time," Adorjan said.
