Possibility of doing everything on foot values ​​properties in different regions

Technology manager José Grossi Neto, 37, has lived in the Pinheiros district since 2017, in the west zone of São Paulo. He started going to the region in his youth, attracted by the diversity of bars, restaurants and concert halls. But, when looking for a property, it was the easy access to services on foot that motivated him to stay there.

“When I was looking for a property, I was careful to focus on streets close enough to walk to shops, squares and the subway, but also far enough away not to be impacted by noise or movement.”

Neto looked at what specialists call “walkability”, or ‘walkability’ in Portuguese. The variety of things that can be done on foot, nearby, is a relevant factor in the valuation of real estate — in general, more than the presence of a specific attraction, such as bars, restaurants or parks.

“The service, market and health sub-centers are what we call price anchors. People prefer, on average, to live close to these places”, explains Rodger Campos, data manager at Loft real estate.

The location, for Neto, makes up for the downside of the trendy lifestyle in the Pinheiros region, the district with the largest number of bars and restaurants in the city of São Paulo. According to a survey by Loft, there are 382 establishments in the region, surpassing Jardim Paulista (334), República (177) and Consolação (169).

“Eventually, this proximity causes some minor inconveniences, but it makes up for the fact that it is possible to do a lot within a radius of one kilometer without needing a car or public transport”, says the technology manager.

He claims that, eventually, some bars have live music and intense movement in the streets and sidewalks, but that the supervision of Psiu (Program of Urban Silence of the City of São Paulo) has helped in this matter.

In addition, the construction noise during the day stands out, with frequent renovations or construction.

Proximity to bars and restaurants is ideal for renting

The proximity to bars and restaurants can be uncomfortable for residents, but the scenario is different for tourists.

“When it comes to leisure tourism, people prefer the Vila Madalena region, which has a subway, bars, is close to Paulista and very central”, says Alex Frachetta, executive director of the real estate launch platform Apto.

He indicates that these are differentials that facilitate short-term rentals through platforms such as Airbnb. In addition, being close to restaurants and conveniences on foot is common in these regions, as is access to public transportation.

Proximity to parks values ​​property?

It depends. A study by Loft Dados shows that being close to some parks adds value to the property, as is the case of Victor Civita, Parque do Povo and Ibirapuera, in São Paulo. But the opposite effect is observed when it is close to badly maintained places, without infrastructure or security.

According to the survey, for each kilometer that a property moves away from Parque do Povo, in Pinheiros (west zone), the value of a square meter drops by R$ 1,485. Parque Nabuco, in Jabaquara (south zone), has the opposite effect: for every kilometer a property moves away, the price per square meter increases by R$980.

“Some parks, due to issues such as the lack of caretakers, are starting to be a problem for those who are close to them”, says Campos. “Other parks generate what we expect from a green area: a convivial zone, a safe environment for people to run and walk.”

Proximity to services and public transport are attractive

On the Yuca housing platform, the Pinheiros neighborhood was the most searched in 2022. Vila Mariana, Bela Vista, Vila Madalena and Itaim Bibi also received a relevant volume of searches. For the company’s co-founder and executive director, Paulo Bichucher, the explanation lies in the proximity to services and public transport.

“It is even a preference of young people not to have a car anymore, only 5% of our base rents a space”, says the director. He also highlights the relevance of “walkability” in these neighborhoods. “Being able to leave the house, turn the corner and go to a pharmacy, bakery, supermarket, helps a lot in this search.”

This was the main point noted by account manager Rodrigo Dau, 30, who moved from Rio to Bela Vista, in the central region of São Paulo, in May 2021.

In addition to walking to work, Dau walks to the gym, market, mall and bars. The downside is the lack of security at certain times. “I’ve already been tried to rob me twice, for example. Luckily, nothing came of it.”

Areas that are a hybrid between housing and commerce may have advantages in terms of security, says Campos. He sees the return of active facades as beneficial, a common type of construction in the 1960s, in which the first floor of a building is occupied by retailers.

“When you do a mix of the two things, you generate surveillance in that place, which fights crime. This leads to greater proximity to the city.”

But the same negative effects observed by José Grossi Neto in Pinheiros are pointed out by Paulo Bichucher. “If you stop to think, where there’s a restaurant, there’s delivery, and where there’s delivery, there’s a motorcycle, and where there’s a motorcycle, there’s a motorcycle riding at midnight.”

The appreciation of the region itself can also be detrimental to older residents, whose rent tends to increase to keep up with market movement. Noise pollution also becomes a problem. “More people are building, which generates more noise and dirt,” says Bichuche.

New subway lines indicate appreciation potential

Attention to new subway lines, shopping malls or other relevant constructions is an important tip for anyone looking to invest in real estate with appreciation potential.

Frachetta cites Moema (south zone) as an example, a neighborhood close to Congonhas airport and Ibirapuera park. “Moema had many launches last year because it inaugurated the subway.

“People could have bought properties in Moema three or four years ago, but we always think that the price will never go up more, and we are surprised when it does.”

Today, he recommends looking at the Pompeia and Perdizes neighborhoods, which are being affected by the construction of the orange metro line. “Perdizes is already an overvalued neighborhood in São Paulo, but it still has that perspective.”

For more lucrative opportunities, Campos recommends attention to the São Paulo Master Plan. “That’s how you start to understand what the dynamics of the city are and where it’s going, the transport infrastructure and the path to the job market.”