StartSpeedReading.com

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The information available to us increases every day. And we consume more of it every day. How many e-mails do you receive? Many people get 100 or more mails in a single day. How many newspapers do you read? Many people follow 3 or 4 daily newspapers although they read the same news from them. What about journals? How many web pages and blogs you follow? How many RSS feeds do you have? And do you have time to read any books? Isn’t that all too much? And the amount of information available to us will grow everyday.

What could be the solution to that kind of information flood? Many people dream of being able to read faster. They think:”If I could only read faster then I could handle my information flows”. But is it all that simple?

Learning to speed read will allow you to consume information faster. It means that you will be able to read more text per time unit. For example, most people are able to double their reading speed by learning speed reading techniques. So after learning new reading methods the can read twice as many blog posts, e-mails or journal articles in an hour. If they could read 25 pages in one hour in the beginning then they will end up with read in 50 pages per hour.

Will it help you to cope with the information flood? Without any doubt if you can read faster then you will spend less time on reading a given amount of text. The question is that if it will be enough. If the information you want to consume doubles then doubling your reading speed will put you in to the same situation where you were before. But soon the amount of information will double again. Well, if you train yourself really hard then it is possible to increase your reading speed 4 times faster than it was initially, but soon the amount of information will double again. You cannot increase your reading speed without any limits. It is not possible to read 3 pages in one second, but if you still will not be able to read all the texts in the world even if you read at that high speed.

Being a super fast reader is not enough for dealing with the information flood. The question is how to select what to read. You have to admit that you cannot read everything. You have to be selective with reading. Read wiser, not only faster.

Actually speed reading is not only about mechanically increasing your reading speed. Although all speed reading courses focus on increasing your reading speed for completing a given text, many of them will teach you how to select your reading material. There are many techniques how to preview texts, how to set goals for reading and decide quickly what to read and what to skip. Even if you make a decision to read a text then you do not have to read it from the beginning to the end always. Actually there are not so many texts, which are worth reading completely.

It may seem to us that there is so much to read out there, especially if we think about web pages or blogs. But in fact, many of them do not contain so valuable information. Reading more does not make you automatically wiser. Think how people were living 100 years ago. They consumed much less information, but were they so much less educated then? I do not think so, they just consumed smaller amounts, but more valuable information. Nowadays there is too much fluff out there, especially on the web.

kristjan Speed Reading blogs, information flood, reading speed, speed reading techniques, texts, web pages

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I bet everyone gets called by salespeople, who offer life insurance, health magazine or real estate. These calls often happen when we are busy, so they really disturb us a lot. The worst thing is that in most cases we have absolutely no interest in these products we are being offered, but at the same time we just cannot end these calls.

If you will ask me how I personally handle these situations, then I will say that there is always a possibility to hang up the phone. When you are using a cellular phone, then you have to just press one button and you will stop wasting your time. For being sure that I do not miss an offer that is useful for me (actually I have never had any salesperson calling me and offering anything I am interested in), I would ask right away, what service or product you are offering to me. If there is no straight answer I will firmly ask him to tell me and if I do not get it in a few seconds I would say:”No, thanks. I am not interested in your offer. Good Bye!” and hang up immediately. If I get the answer then there is 99.99% probability that I will end that call in the same way.

Still, most people do not want to handle these situations in a similar way. They will think that it is impolite to do it so. And so it happens that they get into long conversation with the salesperson. Some people even like talking to them, but isn’t there any better uses for our time. Still, the time flies and at some point we want to end the call, but it may seem to be difficult.

There is always a possibility to firmly refuse and hang up (or even hang up without saying anything). But if you do not want to use it, then I will offer you some strategies that will work:

• Say that you have already purchased that product. It will work for the most cases, except if the salesperson starts offering you another product, which usually does not happen.
• Tell repetitively that you are not going to buy the product. Do not give any arguments. If the salesman asks for them, just repeat that you are not going to buy. If you have told him that you are not going to buy five times in a row then there is a high probability that he will give up.
• Anticipate the salesman. If a salesman talks to you endless about how good his products are then interrupt his monologue by saying that you are not interested in his offer. If you could anticipate the point the salesman is driving and tell it to him before he reaches to it in his monologue, then many salesmen feel defeated and end the call.
• Do not ask questions. If you start asking questions about the offer, then you give the salesperson the possibility to answer them and you will get deep into the conversation.
• Pretend that you have to answer an other call. At least it will allow you to end the conversation for that time although it may happen that you are called again by the same sales person.

And still, there is always a possibility to simply hang up the phone. Salesmen get that kind of an experience regularly and they do not take it as insulting. In fact, if you are not going to buy anyway and you finish the call quickly, then you do a favor to that salesman as it helps to save his time too and he can use it for calling to the next prospect.

kristjan time management phone call, sales

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In most cases stress will do more harm than good to people. Most of the stress has negative influence on individuals. The positive effects of stress usually occur only in the short-run. If there are short high positive stress periods, then it may do good for us as it stimulates to induce effort. Unfortunately, stress tends to be continuous for many people. The long-run stress effects can be devastating. If there is always pressure and it will not go away no matter what you do then people tend to give up. If you are constantly in stress condition then it will lower your quality of life and it may lead to health problems.

What causes stress? There are many different types of factors, which create it. They are called stressors. First, stress can be caused by the physical environment. If you have to spend your time in disturbing physical conditions then it creates stress. The most common examples are:

• Insufficient space. If you have to work in an overcrowded office, then you are likely to get disturbed frequently. There may not be enough room for you to place and access your tools or papers. Similarly, if you live in a too small space, then conflicts are easy to rise. In order to be creative and productive in your work you need space. Otherwise you cannot develop bright ideas. For example, I am much more creative if I am alone in the room and if there is enough open space.
• Noise. Background noise can be very irritating. It will not allow you to concentrate. Other people chatting, making phone calls, or noise from different machines may create stress.
• Poor illumination. You should have as much as possible day light in order to reduce your stress level. If you have to work in a room with no windows and if the room is not properly lit, then it will create stress. On the other hand, sunlight makes people happy.
• Poor ventilation. You need to have fresh air in order to work comfortably and calmly.
• Inadequate temperature. If you feel too cold or too hot then it will disturb you-

Next, stress can be created by your working tasks. This is called work stress and it occurs when the nature of the work, the expected results or compensation received for effort is in conflict with our expectations. The main sources for work-related stress are:

• Unclear expectations. If you do not know exactly what you have to do then it is difficult to do it well. You get some instructions from the boss, but if they are not precise enough then you do not know how you should execute them. In the worst case you may get conflicting orders. For example, once you are told to work out changes in the marketing plan and then you are told not to change it. It is confusing and will cause you to do unnecessary work. Similarly, if you have given too difficult or impossible task to perform then you will know in the forehand that you will fail, which again creates stress.
• Unpleasant tasks. If you have to spend much of the time on thing you do not enjoy doing, then work will not be pleasure for you. Of course there are some tasks that you may not like for every job, but if there are too much of them, then it can be stressful. It may be caused by the fact that you are assigned tasks that are not suitable for you. Or the job itself can be something you do not like. Sadly, many people are employed on jobs that do not suit them well, but still people do not switch jobs.
• Changes in work. Different people have different capabilities of adapting to the changes. Some people feel highly stressed if the content of the work changes, they are assigned new tasks, they are transferred to a new position or when they switch jobs. Similarly, personnel changes may be a stressor, for example if you get new colleagues or team members or a new boss.
• Poor performance. If you cannot meet your expectations, then you may feel guilty for that. If you constantly underperform then you may start fearing your bad results and so working can become stressful for you.

Third, stress is often caused by human relationships. Various types of conflicts or misunderstanding or being not able to express one’s feeling may generate stress. The most common stressors in this group are:

• Marital separation or divorce. If your long-term relationship is going to end or has ended recently then it creates huge changes to lives of both partners. Furthermore, there have probably been problems for a while, and split-ups are often not so calm and controlled events. Usually there are lots of emotions and conflicts. Divorce may lead to complex financial troubles, so it can create continuous stress.
• Death of a family member or a close friend. If it comes unexpectedly then it can be a huge blow, it is going to change your life for ever and it may create high level of stress.
• Conflicts with spouse or friends. If these conflicts remain unsolved and if the repeat over and over again then they can cause much harm.
• Problems with children. Problems at school, bad behavior, trouble with police or not being able to solve conflicts with them to just make them to listen to you can cause stress.

Finally, there are many other sources for stress.

• Financial problems. It is said that money makes you calm, actually it does not make you. Money creates money problems, which cause stress. Financial stability and avoiding troubles with money makes you calm. Many people cannot handle financial issues well.
• Uncertainty about future. If there are going to be changes in your life, but you are not sure about them then it can create stress. For example, you do not know if you are going to get into university of if you will be able to find a job when you are unemployed.
• Lack of time. If there are too many tasks for you to do and you just do not have time to deal with them then you will not be able to complete all of them on time. You may feel guilty that you have so much to do, but you cannot do it and you say to yourself that you have to do more things, and you find that you are a lousy person because you have not managed it.
• Health problems. If you do not feel yourself well and if you cannot do anything to get better (or it takes time to heal) then it is unpleasant and stressful. If you do not have good health then you activities may not succeed so well, which again generates stress.
• Changing your residence. If you migrate to a foreign country then it will make huge changes to your life. You will have new job, new colleagues, and new friends. You will be in an environment where other people speak foreign language.

kristjan time management environment, health problems, job, relationships, stress, stressors

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Most people like to drink sometimes. Having a drink or two on Saturday night may seem to be a good idea and some people drink more than that. Getting drunk on parties is a regular practice for some people. But what kind of impact will it have on your performance?

To be honest, I will say at once the drinking alcohol will not help you to increase your productivity. To some extent, drinking will help you to lower stress, but there are many better ways for relaxation. If we compare playing tennis, talking a walk in the nature or going fishing with boozing then drinking is the least beneficial option for resting. Damage from moderate consumption is not so big, but if you consume it in big amounts then the effects on your performance will be devastating.

While I would not say that you have to totally quit drinking I will still recommend that you do not have a drink during your work day. Having a beer during your lunch may sound good, but it will not help you to work faster. Have two and it will make you much slower and less productive for the second half of your work day. So if you want to drink then you should wait till the evening with it.

If you drink too much then it will affect your performance in the next morning. How much is too much? It is individual, but I would say that too much is when you feel in the morning that you have been drinking in the previous evening. If you get a hangover then you will not be able to be fast and creative in the beginning of your day. But the first hours in the morning are critical for getting a good start to your day and often they can be the most productive ones. You will just throw away your best time by heavy drinking in the previous night. Even if you do not have a bad headache, but if you feel only just a bit tired then you still will be 5 or 10% less productive than you would have been without drinking.

As getting drunk is an easy way of relaxing and having fun then it may demotivate you in the long run. It is very easy to have a drink and feel good. Why bother with hard work and pursuing with your goals? Even if you do not succeed in your life then you can always drink and forget your problem. Well, it is everyone’s choice what do you want to do with your life.

I have many friends who drink almost every weekend. Every week the wait for the Friday night to arrive. Some of them think more on partying than there career progress, and they are making no big progress with their careers. They are not earning promotions, there income has not increased much over the years, and their life standard has not improved. They drive old cars, cannot have overseas vacations and they even do not drink expensive drinks. But they really do not care about it.

In the long run heavy drinking will destroy your health. Alcohol damages all your organs. Excessive drinking will ruin our and it will also reduce our brain size, our reactions become much slower and our memory starts to go. Alcoholics cannot be productive workers.

I personally was relatively heavy drinker when I was younger. During my university days it was natural for me to get drunk on weekends and this habit continued when I started my academic career. I think that one reason for that was that I was bored in my life and I did not have clear goals. Then it was easy entertainment and an escape form the dull everyday life.

Thing started to change when I started dealing with speed reading. It did not mix well with alcohol. If you want to read fast then you have to keep your mind fresh. Getting drunk and having hangover will just hold you back. And if you want to make progress then you take it into account and do not drink so often.

Now I drink much less. Although I will allow myself to party from time to time and to get relatively drunk, there are many other activities for me now. I simply do not have so much time to drink. Furthermore, there is no need to drink for forgetting the everyday troubles. Now I like facing the challenges and not running away from them.

kristjan time management alcohol, drinking, motivation, productivity

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Every day we read different types of texts. If you are an office worker then many of your work tasks are related to reading. For example, you may have to read reports, manuals, e-mails, invoices, product documentation, memos and so on. When you study at collage then you have to read books, scientific articles and lecture notes. During our leisure time we spend time on reading newspapers, books and blog posts.

What is the objective of reading? While in some cases we may read purely for fun then in the most cases we are looking for some kind of  information. We want to get to know something. We read news about the stock market for getting overview of the situation and making investment choices. We read meeting notes, for knowing what was decided there and which actions we are supposed to take. We read e-mails for getting information about next week’s work schedule or new price lists.

In case of work related reading we search for the information for practical matters. We use that information for making some kind of decisions. It is actually not so important how we get that information but that we get it and that it is correct.

When we have to read a book or an article then many people have developed an attitude: “I will sit down and read it from beginning to the end. After I have finished it I will know more about on this subject”. We spend much time on reading texts in that kind of manner. A typical office worker spends at least 2 hours on reading.

But when we are looking for information for putting it into use in practice then it is not necessary that we read text in a linear way from beginning to the end. In many cases not all parts of the text contain useful information for us. Spending time on reading those parts is a waste of time.

If we read texts selectively and more actively then we can acquire information faster and spend less time on reading. Whenever you face a text then you should not start reading it immediately. Instead of that use should look through the material and see what it is about. Which parts of it contain useful information? We can decrease our reading load by not reading parts of the texts, which do not give us valuable information.

It is not a sin to read only some parts of the text. It is totally ok if you read only two and a half chapters from a book, which has ten chapters. It is ok if you read only the one third of a newspaper article. It is important that you will read the right parts of the text.

There have been developed many techniques for selective reading. When you learn speed reading then you will learn how to use them. They all have in common that before reading the text you will make a preview of it. That means that you will look the text quickly through before actually reading it. The point is that you have to get to know what it is about in short time. It will help you to not to waste time on reading texts which you will not benefit from.

So feel free to handle your texts freely. Keep in mind that you are search for information (think beforehand what kind of information you need) and be selective. If you find that a text or part of it is not useful for you, then do not waste time on reading it.

kristjan Speed Reading information, office worker, preview, selective reading

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A common argument against speed reading is that it is not possible to remember the content of the text when you are reading too fast. It comes from the experience of many people who have noticed that if they read too fast then they will not remember much of what they have read. Therefore they think that there is no point in increasing your reading speed. It just cannot be that you can comprehend well at fast reading speed.

It leads to an argument that the slower you read the text the better you will understand it. So if you want to remember the text then you have to be slow and careful when reading. Many people were also taught at school that if you need to understand the content very well then you should not rush when reading.

However, in the most cases poor comprehension is not caused by too fast reading speed but low concentration. In order to obtain information from the text you have to keep your mind focused to it. If you let your thoughts wander away from the text then your brain has difficulties in memorizing that information.

It may sound unbelievable but reading faster will help you to focus better. If you make a conscious decision to read at fast pace then it keeps your thoughts concentrated to the text. If you want to read fast and at the same time still be able to follow the text then you just do not have time for thinking on other issues except the content of the text.

You are more likely to get bored when reading at slow pace. Reading faster will create excitement and make you happier. In addition, if you are reading too slowly then it is more difficult to keep a stable reading pace.

Can we improve our comprehension if we decrease our reading speed? It is difficult to do although our reading speed should depend on the difficulty of the text. If you read deliberately slowly then it is more difficult to focus to the text. You thoughts will tend to drift away.

It is natural that for more difficult text your reading speed will be somewhat slower. For example, it is ok, if you read newspaper articles at 300 words per minute and in case of scientific text you decrease your reading speed to 200 words per minute. But you are not likely to comprehend better if you decrease your reading speed to 100 words per minute.

If you want to remember the text well then it is more useful to read the text repetitively than to read if very slowly. In the previous example you will remember the text better if you read it twice at 200 words per minute in comparison to reading it at 100 words per minute only once. In many cases you will only need to read the text partially for the second time as you will only look over the most important parts of it.

For improving comprehension you will also benefit from knowledge activation. When you are reading the text twice then ask yourself questions about the text or write down keywords between to readings.

kristjan Speed Reading comprehension, concentration, reading speed, speed reading

Dr. Frey with Micro Fa micro chip, which protects against radiation from mobile phones

Every day I am getting more and more involved in business activities. Besides this blog and speed reading course, I run two companies. One of them Dream Capital Ltd. is an investment and insurance broker company and MICRIM  is selling health products.

In a previous post I have discussed how speed reading has helped me to defend my PhD thesis. Today I am going to share my thoughts about how does it help me to do business better.

First of all I would point out that if I had not taken up speed reading then I would probably had not got involved in business. I was a 100% academic and working at the university provided a nice and stable career with decent income. Learning to speed read somehow opened my eyes and showed me that there is more inside me. While I was quite a bright student in high school then at the university I was really not giving my best. I studied economics, but I did not aim at the business career. I wanted to be a politician instead. But soon I realized that I did not like politics and after I graduated MA studies I was out of ideas what to do with my life. Then I was offered a position at the university and at the same time I entered a PhD program. From that on I saw my life as a scientist and I did not believe that I was capable of having a business career.

But after I learned to speed read I started seeing the academic life slow and unproductive. Suddenly I wanted to do something more practical, efficient and I wanted to make more money too. Then I started teaching speed reading classes as self-employed in addition to holding a position at the university. From that point on I was doing business and afterwards I started my other projects.

Besides giving me the attitude of being fast and efficient speed reading itself allows me to save a lot of time on reading. In business you have less time for making decisions than in academic career and you need to find and work through right information fast. The number of emails I receive every day must have at least tripled in last 2 years. I need to read more reports, internal documents than before. If I were a slow reader then it would be very difficult to handle this.

I use a lot more internet resources due to my business activities. I browse more websites, read more blogs and company resources. For doing business you have to know what is going around at the market and what are you competitors doing.

Being an entrepreneur means that you have to continuously educate yourself. The world is changing fast and you just have to keep up with it. Therefore you have to read a lot. It is especially important for me as a beginner entrepreneur as I have to gain knowledge in management and marketing. In my academic career I was oriented towards economic theory and therefore I did not have much interest in management or marketing. But for being a practical businessman you have to be familiar with these subjects So I think I have to read even more than an ordinary businessman as I have to work more on my weaknesses.

While I have to read a lot for business, reading texts alone will earn no money. There are many other activities which take up my time. If I were a slow reader I would end up with working for 12 or 14 hours a day. It would generate lots of stress and I would burn out sooner or later. I definitely do not want that. So I just have to read faster to save time. Speed reading gives me a possibility to have time for resting and leisure activities.

kristjan Business, Speed Reading academic career, academic life, blogs, Business, business career, doing business, speed reading, speed reading course

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In today’s world most people are living fast lives. We all tend to be in a constant hurry. We want to do more things but tend to run out of time. Alternatively we may feel that our energy levels are too low to keep going and we start procrastinating. Nevertheless most of us want to achieve more with less time.

And that is the point where time management will help us. We learn how to set goals, prioritize tasks, make weekly and daily schedules, how to communicate and act fast. It is all about getting more things done. If you ask someone to describe an excellent time manger, then most people will point out that he/she is very rational, always busy and has excellent career progress.

Still, not all people prefer to live a fast life. In contrast to the business of the present world there has been created so called slow moment, which promotes living slow life. It is s a cultural shift toward slowing down life’s pace. It started as a protest against opening a McDonald’s restaurant in 1999 in Rome. In the beginning the aim of the movement was to resist eating fast-food, but soon it spread into the other areas of life such as travelling, reading, parenting, etc.

The followers of slow movement promote downshifting. Downshifting is simplifying your life and accepting to earn less income for working less hours and having more leisure time. At the same time they seek for non traditional leisure activities as they find that much of the leisure time of ordinary people is spent on obligations for purpose such as keeping you fit, community work, building social networks etc.

It has gained popularity all over the world. Some of my colleagues at the university are participating in the local groups. These people tend to see themselves as opponents to me, who teachers people to be efficient and manage their time.

But is there really a contradiction between managing your time and slow life style. Basically everyone is managing their time regardless he/she recognizes it or what kind of priorities he/she has. Although most people do not get it, time management is about spending your time in the way you like it the most. It is about finding time to achieve your goals. And it is really about YOUR GOALS. You are the one who decides what you want to do with your life. And from that point onwards it is about finding the best ways of doing it and allocating your time.

Time management does not mean that you have to live a fast life. The reason people who consciously manage their time live the life at fast speed is because the want to achieve career success and to do it fast. They want to earn more money, buy a better car and home, and travel to foreign countries, play golf and so on. It is their choice. We may argue that it is the matter of our culture and role models in our society. Rich people are heroes for many of us and so people want to follow them. But it is their choice.

At the same time you can apply time management for working fewer hours, having more time together with your friends and so on. Time management actually makes you to think about your aims and what is the purpose of your life. Time management does not mean that you should aim at earning more money, becoming a member of parliament or developing a perfect body. It does not mean that you should drive a car instead of a bicycle, that you should eat-fast food instead of cooking a meal yourself or even that you should buy food from the shop instead of growing it by yourself. Actually many people, who participate in my time management courses are seeking more for getting more leisure time than earning more money.

It is all the question of preferences. What do you want to do with your life? People are different and so are their preferences. It is your choice if you want to earn lots of money to drive a Ferrari or you want to work less and ride a bicycle.

kristjan time management Business, goals, slow life, time management

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From time to time we run out of energy. Sometimes it may happen that we have time but do not have enough energy. We feel tired and sleepy and cannot work productively. What can you do then? How can you regain your energy?

In order to increase your energy levels you will benefits from eating certain types of foods. Eat these energy boosters, when you feel tired or you have to deal with the most demanding tasks. Still, you cannot substitute having decent amount of rest with eating energy boosters.

The foods that help you to restore your energy levels are:

• Chocolate. It will increase your brain activity for couple of hours. At the same time consuming too much sugar, may make you sleepy. Therefore you should eat dark chocolate, which contains less sugar. Alternatively you may have a low-sugar cocoa drink.
• Bananas. They contain load of potassium, which helps to maintain normal nerve and muscle function. You lose potassium from your body when you are performing intense tasks or when you are nervous, eating bananas puts it back to your body.
• Sardines. They contain tyrosine which promotes the manufacture of norepinephrine and dopamine. These stimulants act on your brain to improve your mental focus and performance.
• Yogurt. It is rich in magnesium. Magnesium is also vital to energy, it is especially important if you have to perform task, which call for physical power.
• Beef or chicken. You will get iron from them.
• Water. You have to keep your body hydrated in order to prevent fatigue.

kristjan time management energy, food, time management

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The ongoing global economic crises started from the real estate crises. During the last year too much real estate was developed in many countries all over the world. That real estate has dropped sharply in its value by now. During the real estate boom many houses were built on purpose for earning a short-term profit as the real estate prices increased rapidly. Now the situation has changed and the question is what will be the value of real estate in the future. Although it is difficult to predict future real estate prices, some general trends which will have an impact on the real estate prices in somewhat longer perspective (5-10 year), can be outlines. Next I will present the most important developments, which will affect the demand and prices of residential property during the next decade.

Our time will become more and more valuable. First, it is caused by the fact that our earnings increase in the long-run and it means that we can earn more and more money with our time. Second, as the income increases, individuals have more possibilities for leisure activities, which is require time for doing that. It is not likely that people will be happy to spend their valuable leisure moments on household tasks. Therefore people will prefer more and more that kind of housing, which does not require too much time for housekeeping activities. The heating system is also important. If the it is not based on an automated solution, which requires active human participation in the heating process, for example, oven heating, then it will not match the life style of a time valuing person.

The location of the real estate is also related the increasing value of time. If your home is far from your job, schools, kindergartens, shopping centres, sporting facilities etc., then a reasonable amount of time is spent on commuting. The more people value their time, the less they are willing to waste time on travelling from one place to another. So it can be argued, that the location of real estate will become even more essential in the future. As people are travelling more and more to foreign countries both for work and leisure, then the international connections of the location are becoming important. How far is it from the airports, how many direct flights departures from the nearest airport? How good is the railway connection with foreign countries?

Holiday in foreign countries will become more affordable and popular. Our jobs will also become more time and location flexible and it is possible that short time stays in foreign countries will become regular for many of us. For example a web designer or accountant can live for a month or two to a warm and sunny place like Hawaii or Thailand during the winter months and he can do this work over the distance using information and telecommunication technology.. This leads to a fact that people will spend in their homes less time. This can create two trends. First, using their homes less means that people are willing to pay less money for that, which can lead to a change in preferences toward cheaper housing. As at the same time the location of the property will become more important, it could lead to increased demand for small apartments in good location. Secondly, it people stay away from home for longer periods, it makes profitable for them to rent out their home when they are away. So if the house or apartment well suited for renting it could increase its value.

Family relationships will become more unstable and they will have shorter duration. The new generation will value more freedom and variety. The starting age of long-term cohabitation will increase, the greater share of young people will attend foreign universities, work in foreign countries and the youth will travel more to foreign countries. If the present economic crises will become too long, then it could decrease the birth rate. If the number of kids in families is smaller then the demand for large houses will be lower.

Among demographical processes the aging of the population will have also an impact on real estate demand. If the share of elderly population increases, then their preferences will affect the real estate more and more. What kind of real estate is demanded by old-aged people? Usually they need less living space than the younger ones, well functioning public transport system and peaceful environment have great importance for them. They do not care so much about the modern design, so they are reluctant to live in older houses, especially if it is cheaper.

Besides aging population and low birth rates the European countries have a problem of high and continuously increasing labour costs, which create a demand for using cheaper foreign labour. The cross-boarder labour mobility will increase in the future. As labour mobility means more changes of residence, then it will foster the development of rental real estate market as more and more people will benefit more from renting instead of buying real estate.

In conclusion, it can be argued that in the future there will be increased demand for more flexible real estate solutions, which correspond well to continuously changing lifestyles and preferences. People will change their homes more than before during their lifetime. Therefore real estate, which can be easily sold or rented, will gain more value in the future.

kristjan Business earnings, household tasks