For young people returning from the fast-paced megacities to the tranquil towns in search of a different lifestyle, “cost-effectiveness” is becoming the driving force behind their villa purchases, marking a shift in life attitude.
Not long ago, 28-year-old Da Xiu returned to her hometown in Guangxi, a small county on the 18th tier, and bought a 320 square meter three-story villa for 570,000 yuan. After leaving the megacity, she and her husband never imagined that with the savings earned from working hard outside, they could own their villa with a 200,000 yuan down payment and a small monthly installment of 1,800 yuan.
In Xiangzhou County of Laibin City, Guangxi, where the price per square meter is between 2K and 3K, a luxury villa is priced at merely 630,000 yuan. Da Xiu completed the purchasing process in just 10 days, finding the deal incredibly cost-effective. Compared to cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, where the same amount of money might only cover a parking space, the villa not only allows her to “lie flat” peacefully in the county town but also becomes a retirement home for the elderly, gathering many relatives during festivals to enjoy the happiness of reunion. It also provides a vegetable garden and a flower garden for her parents. This means she no longer has to struggle her whole life for a place to live.
Similar to Da Xiu, many young people choose to leave the megacities and return to their hometowns to develop, with “cost-effectiveness” as the main consideration for buying residential property. For example, Tang Yutao, born in 1993, purchased a 240 square meter large flat in a county town of Nanning in January 2024. Initially priced at 1.1 million yuan, the property was acquired for just 800,000 yuan, including two parking spaces and a small garden. The market adjustment resulted in a 300,000 yuan drop in the house price, whereas previously buying a 100 square meter property in the center of Nanning would have cost 1.1 million yuan. He used up his public housing fund for the down payment, reducing the monthly payment to 2,600 yuan, which he considers a gain.
Ran Ran, born in 1997, chose a high-end villa in a county town of Ningxia that was originally built for Arab merchants. Against the backdrop of housing market adjustments, the prices of these high-end villas aimed only at VIPs were significantly reduced from 7K per square meter to 3K. For Ran Ran, buying a house was not only a significant consumption decision but also embodied her parent’s hopes for a good life for her. Hence, she quickly sold her original property, used her parent’s savings, completed renovations within three months, and moved into a 344 square meter, three-story house with a full payment of 1.2 million yuan.
While the national real estate market is on the decline, housing prices in the first-tier cities remain high. Owning a home in megacities seems elusive, from the previous hot topic of “buying a house in Hegang for 50,000 yuan” to the now cost-effective villas in county towns, the property market has revealed a new landscape. Young people returning home are not only buying residential properties in county towns but are even willing to spend all their savings to purchase villas, just to live the life they aspire to in the county town.
After returning to her small hometown in Guangxi, even with adequate mental preparation, Da Xiu inevitably faced the frustration of not being able to find a suitable job. After much effort, it took her two months to finally secure an appropriate position. In such a small town where job opportunities are scarce, finding a job that ensures social security and pension benefits, as well as weekends off, is particularly rare. Adapting to the new pace of life brought about the need to readjust to the content of the work, and Da Xiu’s first job in the small county town ended after just over ten days. Fortunately, after several job changes, she found a job as a real estate appraisal assistant.
Speaking of her job, Daxiu is very satisfied: “A monthly salary of five thousand, not much work pressure, nine-to-five in a small county town, plus weekends and public holidays off.” For the family, after the child was born, the in-laws moving into the marital home made the already cramped space even more constricted, causing a complete loss of privacy in the home. Therefore, Daxiu is eager to use her savings to exchange for a more spacious residence. Unlike the scarce and expensive villas in the city, the housing prices in the small county town where Daxiu lives are relatively low, with an average price per square meter of only two to three thousand.
Since Daxiu moved back to live with her family, saving on the expensive rent, she found that she not only saved a lot of money, but also gained the confidence to exchange for a bigger house. In Daxiu’s view, even for a detached “heaven and earth building” in the south, she needn’t worry about purchasing a big house. In September 2022, Daxiu saw an advertisement for a 630,000 yuan villa on her social network, which piqued her interest. With a sufficient down payment, the villa, located in the center of the county town with convenient facilities like restaurants, fruit shops, and supermarkets right at the entrance of the residential area and with no property management, was particularly attractive. In the end, in less than ten days, Daxiu finalized the purchase of the villa for 570,000 yuan.
Nowadays, young people are willing to give up the hustle and bustle of big cities and choose to return to the tranquility of county towns. The once unattainable ideal residence seems within reach in a small county town, as they come to terms with reality. As early as 2017, Arin, who took over her family business after college graduation, bought a villa in her local county town. She had grown accustomed to the self-built villas commonly seen in her county, thinking that working for anyone is essentially working a job? Therefore, she prefers to pursue a comfortable lifestyle. With family sponsorship, Arin easily bought a stacked villa, which included a basement and two small gardens, for over two million yuan. Moreover, the additional costs of buying a villa in the county town are much lower than in first-tier cities.
After young people return to their hometowns, their aspirations for a living environment gradually become evident. A villa of their own is not just a place to live, but also a symbol of status and standing. The peaceful life, without the problem of parking or the hustle of crowded elevators, surrounded by carefully selected neighbors, and having one’s own garden and small estate, makes owning a villa a much-coveted goal for many people.
The Ran family’s residential dream has undergone several changes. Starting in 2018, Ran and her parents spontaneously thought of buying a villa in Yinchuan county town. Over the past few years, they changed residences three times: moving into a 100 square meter Western-style house in 2019, and finally settling into their dream villa in January 2024. Initially, the completed villas in the county town were few, and the prices were more expensive compared to ordinary commercial houses, which was difficult for the Ran family to afford. However, with the downturn in the real estate market, the unit price of the previously coveted high-priced villas dropped to about half of the original.
Compared to the inconvenience of city villas, those in county towns are much more attractive. In the Ningxia county town, Ran’s home is just a stone’s throw away from supermarkets and shopping malls, and a 20-minute drive can reach the center of Yinchuan city. Therefore, in 2023, Ran’s parents sold their original residence, and with their life savings, paid in full for their dream villa of 344 square meters.
To move in as soon as possible, Ran Ran hurriedly finished the villa’s decoration within a mere three months, becoming the first family to move into the neighborhood. Spending the New Year in her new home, Ran Ran remarked: “We are truly satisfied with buying such property for 1.2 million, it’s an incredibly great value choice.”
The journey home from work is now filled with warmth and comfort. Parking the car and entering the house, the sight of a small garden blooming with flowers greets you, with bougainvillea gently swaying under the warm yellow light. The entrance, living room, and dining room are grand and bright. The study and bedrooms are designed to ensure privacy, and also offer the perfect space for small gatherings among friends and family on weekends. Through the window, there’s one’s own private garden, adding a touch of tranquility and elegance.
Daxiu also aspired to own a villa, and from the moment she received the keys, she meticulously planned every detail of her future life. Due to a limited budget, Daxiu opted for an economical approach to decorating, supervising the work, procuring materials herself, and completing the project quickly. The design, simple and practical, eschewed luxury; the tiles chosen were cost-effective 800*800, and wardrobes were custom-fitted only in three rooms. The guest room and the stair handrails reflected a commitment to savings and simplicity.
After careful preparation and frugal budgeting, Daxiu spent only 170,000 yuan decorating her new home. Yet, personal DIY has its mishaps. The dream kitchen Daxiu looked forward to the most before the renovation didn’t turn out as anticipated due to insufficient preparations. The black cabinet doors and vents she chose did not achieve the desired effect; instead, it made the kitchen’s color scheme messy and somewhat too plain, leaving her hoping to redecorate when finances allow in the future.
For Ran Ran, who frequently moved, purchasing the villa after selling her original home drained her savings. Though she had accumulated some experience in renovating, budget constraints meant she had to simplify the modifications. Her original plan was for each floor of the three-story villa to have its design: the first floor was to include the living room, kitchen, and a small bedroom; the second floor would have bedrooms and a study; and the third floor ideally would be an entertainment space for movies and karaoke. But due to financial limitations, Ran Ran regretfully transformed the third floor into a laundry room.
Tang Yutao’s upgrade from a cramped apartment to a spacious villa also put pressure on his finances. As a professional architecture teacher, he had the ability to design himself, but the cost of the villa’s decoration still exceeded his expectations. The challenge of the high ceilings was a significant cost factor since the taller walls required more plastering and leveling work. In particular, when Nanning’s humid and moldy weather hit just after he finished applying the plaster, he was forced to pause work and witness water seepage from the roof, which was quite bothersome. His original budget of 350,000 yuan was already spent by 35,000 on electrical and plumbing renovations, with an additional 17,000 on expenses such as the entrance door air duct machine, shower, and bathroom heater. Moreover, his desire for a French-style glass roof throughout the house compelled him to order custom-made glass locally, despite this, the high quantity greatly increased his budget. So far, for just the second and third floor balconies and the roof glass, he has already spent 30,000 yuan. The tiling of the stairs is another significant expense, and to date, Tang Yutao has spent over 300,000 yuan, with the risk of exceeding the 350,000 budget at any time.
However, for young people returning to the county town, living in a villa still brought an ineffable sense of satisfaction. This Spring Festival, Dashow’s new house became the preferred gathering place for relatives, be it family dinners or joint activities like making rice dumplings. During the festivities, Dashow’s villa was always filled with laughter and joy. Relatives returning from other places greatly admired Dashow’s villa, purchased for 570,000 yuan, and this inspired them to consider buying properties in their hometown as well. Additionally, Dashow unexpectedly became an internet celebrity in the home living space through her Xiaohongshu account @ Dashow’s Broken Villa, where she shared her experience of buying a villa in the county town with 570,000 yuan. Her followers increased steadily, securing 2-3 collaboration ads monthly, and her side income reached 2000 to 3000 yuan per month. With the rise in followers, Dashow not only shared budget renovation experiences but also actively responded to every fan’s comment. After experiencing life in the big city, buying a villa in the tranquil small county town made Dashow realize that the most comfortable life is hidden in the simplicity of a small county town. In her view, city life often means relentless striving just for a property, while in the county town, happiness and peace are the true essence of life.
For Dashow, buying a villa meant entering retirement life ahead of time. With only 1800 yuan monthly mortgage payment and a five-minute commute, she enjoyed barbecuing in her own yard, appreciating the moonlight on the terrace during the full moon, and a garage that solved the problem of parking, increasing her happiness in life by 99%.
Having just moved into their villa for a month, the Ran family of four had already felt the joy of living in a detached house. As one of the first families in the community to complete the renovation and move in, even though the large residential area made housekeeping more frequent and strenuous, they still enjoyed the peace and quiet. Not having to live with the in-laws, not worrying about outside scrutiny, and not being affected by the noise of neighborhood children, they could completely relax in their own home.
Owning a villa brought Arin’s life dream within reach. Dreaming of courtyard life, she now has two charming gardens of 30 square meters each. On winter afternoons, she can invite a few friends to boil tea around a stove in the garden; in summer, she enjoys outdoor beer and barbecue. Arin also transformed the 70-square-meter basement into a leisure and entertainment area, equipped not only with a 120-inch screen home theater but also with a wooden tone, Japanese-style study, and a mini bar, making it an excellent place to relax.
Similarly, Ran and her family have grander plans for their villa. Dashow plans to set up a leisure area on the master bedroom’s terrace, plant some flowers and greenery, and add a small table to enjoy the breezes and tea on an ordinary day. For Ran’s parents, simply the purchase of the villa was enough to thrill them. As spring approaches, they have started planning to plant vegetables and fruit trees in the front and back yards and to raise flowers.
For those returning to the county town, it is not impossible to reframe life expectations, and they can also find contentment and ease in the peaceful life of the county town. Giving up a job in the big city and choosing to return to the county is a tough decision, but it is more about personal choices. Through the stories of people like Dashow, young people in the city see another possible way of life.
