It is often the case that a homeowner always purchases a larger and more expensive house when replacing the former one. But, in Hangzhou, some homeowners do the opposite. They replace large houses with small ones, or change houses in urban areas into ones in suburbs.

A supervisor of real estate marketing in Hangzhou stated, "'Reverse replacement' is not surprising. When the house is just a consumer product, its practical value and good value for money would be valued more.”

There are two main reasons. First, people pursue a more comfortable and suitable living experience, to avoid space wasting and excessive maintenance burden. Second, based on economic consideration, by adjusting real estate allocation, people can achieve the purpose of asset optimization and flexible use of funds.