How not to get confused in the variety of new types of suburban housing

Recommendation points

• Houses are conquering the Russian market
• Features and differences of different types of houses offered
• Townhouses
• Lanehouses
• Quad houses
• Duplexes
• Twin houses
• Britishhouses and Willets
• Prospects for this segment of suburban real estate in the domestic market

Over the past few years, a huge number of new types of houses previously unknown to the Russian man in the street have appeared on the suburban real estate market near Moscow. More and more often, developers offer clients not traditional cottages, but overseas “houses”. As a result, it is very difficult for an ordinary person to decide and choose a suitable house among the many “town”, “twin”, “quad” and “lanehouses”.

In this article we will try to tell you: where did these new types of houses come from and how do they differ from each other.

Houses are conquering the Russian market

The expansion of “houses” on the domestic market of suburban real estate began after the 2008 crisis. The fact is that it was then that the sales of country cottages dropped sharply, and developers had to look for other options to attract buyers. As a result, instead of expensive luxury cottages in the Moscow region, new “townhouses” for our market began to grow like mushrooms, which turned out to be more affordable.

Today, the main reason for the rapid growth in the construction of new types of suburban real estate in the Moscow Region has become tough competition in the segment of elite supply and business class houses. According to experts, the last few years, the demand for housing of a new format has been growing at a rapid pace – 10-15% per year. The volume of their construction is also increasing – at present, “townhouses” and their various varieties account for about 19% of the total supply on the suburban real estate market near Moscow.

A distinctive feature of such settlements is that in terms of their infrastructure and remoteness from the Moscow Ring Road, they practically do not yield to offers of a more expensive price category. This is what attracts most buyers who want to have a small, cozy country house with a small plot of land..

As a rule, young families with children prefer to live in such villages, who want to escape from the big city and settle in a comfortable country house..

Developers, taking into account the growing demand for housing of this format, have actively taken up the implementation of new projects, constantly offering potential buyers new exotic options, trying to stand out from competitors. Analysts note that every year in the Moscow region, up to a dozen new “townhouse” villages and their counterparts enter the market. How do they differ from each other?

Features and differences of different types of houses offered

If we consider all forms of suburban real estate that have appeared on the Russian market over the past 5 years, then, one way or another, they all come from townhouses, but they have some peculiarities and differences. We will talk further about what types of country houses can be found now in the Moscow region market, and how they differ..

Townhouses

Townhouses first appeared on the domestic market in the first half of the 2000s. What is it?

Translated from English “townhouse” – a house in the city. In the classic version, this is a small cottage or a group of cottages, which are made in the same style and are interconnected by common walls. Moreover, each section (apartment) in a townhouse has its own entrance and a small plot of land from 2 to 4 ares.

The first townhouses appeared in Great Britain around the 19th century. Then it was the city residence of the aristocracy. Houses were built very close to each other and created a single ensemble.

In connection with the growing demand for suburban real estate, domestic developers at the beginning of the XXI century decided to introduce this type of housing on the domestic market. Currently, the townhouses offered in the Moscow region have an area of ​​up to 100-200 square meters. You can, of course, find objects with an area of ​​about 500 square meters, but this is more the exception than the rule..

The most common and popular are two-story townhouses. As for the features of the layout, in such houses it is usually vertical – on the ground floor there is a living room, a kitchen, utility and technical rooms; on the second – living rooms (bedroom, nursery) and a study. Moreover, each floor has its own bathroom..

Such houses are combined into a single ensemble of several buildings (sometimes up to a dozen), which have common side walls and a single architectural idea. From such linear ensembles, the whole village is then formed.

Townhouses are a unique type of suburban real estate, which is created on the principle of maximum savings in everything. These villages are reminiscent of urban dormitory areas with a linear arrangement of houses – “wall to wall”. Their main advantage is affordable prices. It is due to the relatively low price, in comparison with cottages, that townhouses have become popular among Muscovites and residents of the Moscow region.

Lanehouses

From English “lanehouse” is translated as “house in the alley”. Lanehouse is also a type of townhouse. This type of dwelling is represented by houses interconnected in a single row. The only difference is that each house in the combined group always has an individual facade design. With this in mind, the lanehouse is much closer to urban housing than to country cottages..

In fact, a lanehouse is houses built close to each other, made in different architectural styles and having different internal layouts.

It should be noted that the first such interlocked buildings first appeared in France at the beginning of the 17th century, and a little later they gained popularity in England.

Landhouses offered in the Moscow Region market usually have from 2 to 3 floors and an area of ​​about 250 square meters. The buyer is given the opportunity to personally choose and change the internal layout of the house, taking into account all his wishes.

The growing popularity of lanehouses, in addition to affordable prices, is also due to the fact that such a village is similar to European cities. As a rule, such houses have an original architectural solution in the style of Western Europe, Old England or the Baltic states. However, in our country, lanehouses have become a kind of suburban real estate, since domestic developers offer only small low-rise buildings. While in Europe it is a kind of exclusively urban development.

Quad houses

Quad House is a 1-2-storey residential building, consisting of 4 separate individual sections, each of which has a separate entrance and a land plot.

Unlike a classic townhouse, when a complex can include up to several dozen houses, a quad house is always a 4-family house. The area of ​​one section in such a house, as a rule, is 150 – 250 square meters. In addition, each family is allocated a small piece of land – about 1.5 – 2 ares.

As for the interior furnishings, all apartments in the quad house have the same typical layout – living rooms, kitchen, bathroom, basement and garage. This is a budget housing, so there is no need to talk about any delights.

It should be noted that today, this type of housing in our market is less common than others. However, experts are confident that in the near future it will be able to compete with other forms of budget suburban real estate.

Duplexes

Duplex is a small country house, which consists of two combined apartments. However, this is not just a house that has been split in half between two residents. Experts distinguish it as a separate type of suburban housing, calling the duplex an intermediate link between the cottage and the apartment. In fact, these are two separate houses that have a common dividing wall..

The first duplexes appeared in England in the 19th century, when it was popular to add a new mansion to the old house and settle the families of grown children there. Later, this type of housing became popular in many Western countries..

Like quad houses, duplex is an option for cheap suburban housing. Houses in such villages usually have a common style and typical layout..

Such a house is distinguished by good sound insulation and thick walls, so that the neighbors will not interfere. On the domestic market, houses are offered with an area of ​​300 – 400 square meters (150-200) for each section with a land plot of up to 6-8 acres.

Duplexes are quite popular, especially among large families, when several generations want to live nearby, but in their own home. However, such houses are also bought by completely unfamiliar people. The duplex perfectly combines the advantages of a country cottage and a city apartment, which, given the quite affordable price, makes them very promising for the suburban real estate market.

Twin houses

Twinhouse – very similar to a duplex (they are very often confused). It is also a 2-3-storey brick or stone two-family country house. In this case, two completely autonomous twin sections are located under the roof of one house, which are separated by only one common wall. At the same time, a separate entrance is equipped for each family and there is a separate garden plot with an area of ​​2-3 acres, as well as a garage.

In fact, a twin house is a classic townhouse, consisting of two sections. It can also be called the closest relative of the duplex. However, unlike them, the twinhouse belongs to the more expensive type of housing..

Modern twin houses primarily have a larger area than duplexes and townhouses – about 300-400 square meters per section. Each owner is also provided with a land plot with an area of ​​4-5 acres.

Nevertheless, despite the differences, even developers themselves often confuse duplexes and twin houses. The main difference between them is that in the first case, these are two houses combined into one structure, and in the second, one house, divided into two identical sections.

In addition, a twin house is always a business class housing, therefore, in addition to a larger area, such a house should have a more expensive finish, a well-groomed lawn (perhaps even decorated by landscape designers), as well as a separate spacious garage..

Britishhouses and Willets

British houses are a new format of country houses, invented exclusively by domestic construction companies. In fact, the British houses offered in the Moscow Region are classic townhouses, only named differently. Their name emphasizes the fact that they are made in the traditional English style..

British houses stand out from other townhouses with their unique terracotta brick finish. Such villages are distinguished by the harmony and unity of the architectural style, reminiscent of quiet London streets. The British house settlements now offered in the Moscow region have a well-developed infrastructure, which is practically not inferior to the urban one, and creates the conditions necessary for a comfortable life. They are also distinguished by increased safety measures and the use of modern environmentally friendly technologies in construction..

Villeta is also a classic townhouse with a classic Italian facade style. In this version, the overall architectural composition of the house is complemented by fanciful arched structures, terraces and attics.

As you can see, these two forms of suburban “houses” differ exclusively in their external design style. Otherwise, this is a standard townhouse with a small plot of land.

Prospects for this segment of suburban real estate in the domestic market

During the few years during which “townhouses” and their analogues in various variations entered the market near Moscow, it became obvious that this segment is in demand among the population. Houses of this type have firmly occupied their niche in the suburban real estate market..

And there are several reasons for this:

• affordability (such houses are 2-3 times cheaper than a full-fledged cottage);
• an acceptable level of building quality (houses are being built from modern durable materials, all the necessary communications are connected to them);
• proximity to Moscow (the main offer of houses of this type is now located at a distance of 20-30 km from the Moscow Ring Road, however, it is possible to buy a townhouse within 10 km);
• availability of the necessary infrastructure in new settlements.

This is not only a profitable home to buy, but also very convenient for developers.

Developers are actively developing this segment because the construction of semi-detached country houses is cheaper for them than the construction of cottages. The main savings occur at the stage of summing up communications. If for a cottage community builders need to supply pipes to each house separately, then when building two, four or more sectional houses, just one input of communications is enough.

Russian developers are currently offering different options for “houses” both in terms of exterior design and layout, and materials used in construction. On the market, you can find houses made of expensive high-quality materials and simpler projects made of easily assembled structures, which allows construction companies to implement flexible pricing policies and offer houses in several price categories at once..

Despite the fact that in the domestic market townhouses and their cousins ​​are mostly economy-class housing, the quality of construction, according to experts, is high. Many experts are sure that new-format houses offered by Russian developers can compete in quality with their Western counterparts. And this is also a very important and powerful argument in favor of houses of this class..

It should be noted that the greatest development prospects for townhouses and their various varieties are noted precisely in the sector of cheap economy-class housing. According to analysts, the affordable price comes first among potential buyers. For reference: the first townhouses near Moscow were sold at one time at a price of 8-10 million rubles, but now the cost of a similar house starts from 2-3 million.Of course, there are more expensive offers on the market, but in general there is a clear tendency towards a decrease in prices … This factor attracts buyers who want to live near Moscow, in the countryside in a private house with all the amenities inherent in a city apartment..

Making elite housing out of townhouses is unpromising, since a wealthy person who has enough money to buy a country house will, in any case, prefer his own cottage with a plot of land, rather than a “house” with neighbors.

So, developers working in this segment should primarily focus on the construction of precisely affordable housing that is affordable to the general public..

As for the further development of this segment of suburban real estate in the medium term, then almost all experts agree that the new formats will actively expand their presence on the market. This is due to the fact that in recent years the demand for houses of this class has increased significantly. And since sales are going well, the supply will continue to gain momentum..