Have you ever wondered why people call a house a “home”?
Numbers may show rental yields or appreciation rates, but for most buyers, especially those living abroad, property means far more than percentages. It is about identity, security, and memory. This is why the emotional value of real estate often outweighs the financial. Homes carry legacy, create belonging, and build connections that last through generations.
At One Homes, every project is designed with this in mind: offering investors not just strong returns, but places where families can thrive, return, and feel anchored.
The Intangible Returns of Real Estate
When property is discussed, the focus often falls on capital appreciation, rental yields, or market forecasts. While these factors matter, they don’t capture the whole picture. Homes also carry intangible returns that shape lives in lasting ways.- Belonging: Owning a home offers stability and a sense of place. It gives individuals and families the reassurance of permanence.
- Identity: A home reflects personal and cultural values. For overseas Pakistanis, investing back home becomes a way to stay connected to their heritage.
- Security: Beyond financial safety, there is emotional security in knowing there is always a place to return to.
These non-financial benefits are rarely included in market reports, yet they influence decisions just as strongly as interest rates or mortgage terms.
Homes as Legacy and Belonging
Across cultures, property is one of the most enduring forms of inheritance. Families often measure success not only in wealth but in the homes they can pass down.
According to recent studies, around US$68 trillion in wealth is expected to move from older to younger generations this decade. For overseas Pakistanis, investing in property back home anchors that inheritance, ensuring future generations remain tied to their roots and always have a place to return to.
At the same time, migration can create distance from one’s origins. Real estate bridges that gap, giving families a physical foundation for holidays, milestones, and reunions. Emotional value plays a decisive role in these choices.
Overseas buyers often weigh sentimental ties alongside price and location, seeing a home as a thread that connects yesterday with tomorrow.
Beyond Market Metrics: Emotional ROI
In traditional finance, ROI is measured in percentages. But with real estate, there’s also emotional ROI: the comfort of knowing a home will always be there, the pride of ownership, and the satisfaction of shaping a space that reflects one’s identity.Research-Backed Benefits of Homeownership
- A U.S. public health study found that renters are about 29% more likely than homeowners to report having experienced depression. Homeownership was linked to fewer days of poor mental health and better overall psychological well-being.
- In Korea, life satisfaction rises in the year before purchasing a home, peaks around the time of ownership, and stays elevated for at least three years after the purchase, especially when housing costs aren’t overly burdensome.
- Research from Togo shows significant gains in both subjective well-being (happiness, life satisfaction) and economic well-being for households after becoming homeowners. These improvements hold even when considering gender or whether people live in urban or rural areas.
What That Means for Overseas Buyers
For overseas Pakistanis, emotional ROI might look like:
- Knowing family always has roots in the homeland.
- Having a stable place to return to that feels like “home.”
- Building future wealth that carries identity and legacy, not just market value.
Why Emotional Value Matters
In a world of economic uncertainty, emotional value is increasingly important. Markets rise and fall, but the sense of belonging tied to property endures. Studies on place attachment show that historic environments meet emotional needs for stability and security.Developers who design authentic, connected communities create places with meaning, showing how emotions influence demand.
Building Homes, Building Meaning
Return on investment will always be a key consideration, but it is only part of the equation. Homes are vessels of memory, continuity, and belonging. They shape identity and provide emotional security that no market forecast can quantify.
At One Homes, we have always recognised this truth. We create homes that balance strong returns with lasting emotional value, for overseas buyers who see property not only as an investment but as a legacy and belonging.
