The mentality of different peoples is revealed not only in traditions and culture, but also in everyday life. For example, in Russia, it’s common to pass on apartments and houses to children and grandchildren, but this is not the case in Europe. Below, we explain why Europeans and Americans don’t have such a traditional property transfer.
Sometimes there’s simply nothing to leave.
One reason for this trend is the fact that in Europe, few people own homes. Most people rent, rather than buy. In Germany, for example, less than half of residents own their own home, while in Russia, the figure reaches 80%. So, elders in Europe sometimes simply have nothing to leave their children.
In Russia, it’s common to leave apartments and houses as inheritances.
However, this doesn’t bother Europeans too much. In Russia, we’re accustomed to viewing a personal apartment as a guarantee of something stable and unchangeable in life. Owning a home is also a symbol of wealth for Russians, which is why many are eager to leave behind square footage.
Another common argument among Russians is that no one will evict you from your own apartment. However, Europeans know that no one can simply kick out a tenant from a rented apartment either.
As such, these relationships are strictly regulated by legal documents. Interestingly, in the US, leaving money, let alone housing, is not mandatory, although many still strive to pay for their children’s education.
In Europe, few people own homes.
Individualism and Independence
Europeans do have a chance of inheriting a small estate or cottage, but it’s extremely slim. Most people tend to leave behind either jewelry or money. In the US, you can’t even hope for that, because our mentalities are so different.
In the US and Europe, young people are eager to buy their own homes.
Europeans and Americans welcome independence, and most families support their children in their individual development. Abroad, it is believed that by the time a child reaches adulthood,
their child has become a separate, independent unit of society, capable of finding a job, getting an education, and securing housing.
In the US, young people often leave their parents’ homes between the ages of 17 and 20, moving to other states or even across the country. Naturally, few will return to their home country to settle there. Moreover, parents are not obligated to transfer housing to their offspring, and it often happens that children themselves buy their parents’ homes.
