Homebuyers trade up with a careful eye on value

If you have accumulated some cash and feel rich after the value of your small, starter home has appreciated by four or five times in less than a decade, would you consider moving up the housing ladder to own a larger and nicer home?

In Beijing, small homes with a size of less than 90 square meters account for 50 to 70 percent of those sold since 2006, when the government imposed a home-building ratio in favor of low-income families.

Now, many such families want to upgrade as they have outgrown their first homes since their children have grown up and their financial positions have improved.