A good environment is the main factor for people when buying a property in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province, according to a recent survey.

 

More than 82 percent of local residents polled said green areas surrounding real estate projects were their No 1 priority.

 

Advanced transport facilities, the locality of schools, and the credibility of developers were also rated high on the list.

 

The survey revealed that few people were interested in apartments built in a poor environment with little forestation space, said Xu Gang, from Guangdong Provincial Condition Survey and Research Centre, which conducted the survey.

 

More than 2,200 families in the province were questioned from March.

 

"With the improvement in living standards, Guangdong residents are now paying more and more attention to their living environment," Xu said

 

Many interviewees also expressed their dissatisfaction to noisy surroundings and poor air quality.

 

Xu said most of the properties in Guangzhou that were struggling to sell were located in areas in a poor environment.

 

Liu Shaoqin, who works at a foreign-funded company in Guangzhou, said she would give preference to a property built in a forested area, with wildlife nearby.

 

The 38-year-old, who was born in a remote county in the western part of Guangdong Province, said she had fond memories of growing up in the countryside.

 

"But with rapid economic growth and the acceleration of urbanization, the green areas in Guangzhou and other big cities are becoming less and less." Liu said.

 

(China Daily April 28, 2006)