After many months of traveling to buy a suitable house, Mr. Tran Van Kien (36 years old, renting a house in Tu Liem ward, Hanoi) has not yet found a satisfactory house.
Mr. Kien shared that a week ago, he was taken by a broker to see a house in an alley in Phung Khoang street with an area of 81m2, built with 3 floors. However, he was surprised by the price offered by the homeowner of more than 15.7 billion VND, equivalent to more than 193 million VND/m2.
"The price of houses in alleys in the central area is getting more and more expensive, pushed up too high. Many homeowners who come to see us only negotiate a discount of about 200 million VND, making it very difficult for buyers with real needs to access" - Mr. Kien said.
Mr. Kien is just one of many cases that have to "shake their heads" when going to see a house in an alley but the price is too high and they do not achieve the desired plan. According to Lao Dong reporters, many houses in alleys in central wards of Hanoi are being advertised for sale at prices ranging from 150-250 million VND/m2.
For example, a house in an alley on Hoang Cau street with an area of 120m2 is being advertised for sale at a price of more than 27 billion VND, equivalent to nearly 225 million VND/m2. The house is introduced to have 4 floors, located in the central area and has a full red book, is not in dispute, and can be transacted immediately.
A private house in an alley on Me Tri Thuong street (Tu Liem ward) with an area of 62m2 is being advertised for sale at 11.5 billion VND, equivalent to over 177 million VND/m2.
Or an individual house in Lang ward (Hanoi) with an area of 55m2, including a balcony, is being advertised for sale by its owner for 10.3 billion VND, equivalent to 188 million VND/m2...
According to Mr. Tran Hoang (owner of a real estate transaction office in Hanoi), since the beginning of 2025, the price of houses in alleys has increased sharply. Mr. Hoang said that when the apartment segment is increasing, recently, many people have shifted to buying a house in a small alley with a price range of 5-15 billion VND, depending on location and amenities.
Talking with Lao Dong, Mr. Nguyen The Diep - Vice President of Hanoi Real Estate Club - analyzed that home buyers in alleys should proactively survey and compare house prices in the same area and segment to buy at a reasonable price, avoiding the situation of too high a difference.
Experts say that it is not uncommon for brokers to use the "surfing" trick to profit by only depositing with the homeowner or landowner and then reselling. When there are buyers, they sell them immediately to make a profit, home buyers need to be alert to the tricks of brokers.
"The alley house segment is a small segment, suitable for those working in the inner city, with diverse prices for many financial possibilities. In fact, in recent times, houses in alleys are still the segment that attracts attention" - Mr. Diep added.
