Townhouses in Russia: history, features and prospects

Recommendation points

• Features of Russian townhouses
• Existing offers
• Perspectives

Most often, the area of ​​a standard “house in the city” is no more than 100-120 square meters, that is, it refers to real estate not elite, namely the middle class, which allows a small family of 4-5 people to comfortably accommodate.

However, all of the above features of “city houses” refer specifically to European townhouses, Russian reality has made its own adjustments to this category of residential real estate.

Features of Russian townhouses

On the territory of Russia, townhouses were first built only in 1995. It happened near Troitsk, about the same time there were “city houses” and near Novogorsk, as well as in the village of Novye Rzhavki, in the Moscow region.

Throughout their existence in our country, such buildings were not in demand among buyers of residential real estate, since in Russia townhouses acquired a slightly different status than in other countries.

First of all, it is worth noting that if in Europe and the United States townhouses are more likely housing for the middle class and are often positioned as one of the most affordable types of residential real estate, in our country these unusual houses combined with neighboring buildings most often belong to the category luxury real estate.

Townhouses in Russia are often not “city houses” at all, but suburban housing located too far from the center of the metropolis.

Firstly, Russian developers most often build townhouses with a much larger area than is customary in Europe – usually about 200-300 square meters, which already makes such rather large buildings inaccessible to ordinary citizens, and also reduces the demand for them among young families. looking for small, affordable housing.

Secondly, building plots in the capital itself are so expensive that construction companies prefer to build apartment buildings on them in order to earn the highest possible profit. So townhouses in Russia are most often not “city houses” at all, but rather suburban housing located too far from the center of the metropolis.

Alexey Vladimirovich Snezhinsky. Cottages. 2004

Thirdly, if in the USA and Europe, the architecture of townhouses is most often a vivid example of minimalism, then in Russia such buildings often have a magnificent façade, pretentious architecture and, by their appearance, emphasize belonging to elite real estate. This approach to the design of buildings cannot but affect the cost of Russian townhouses, therefore their price is still too high to increase the popularity of this category of residential real estate.

Existing offers

Of course, you can find “blocked houses” in Moscow itself, for example, a low-rise residential complex located on Ostozhenka. The cost of 1 square meter here is equal to the cost of elite apartments in the center of the capital, and the presence of a local area and a garage is not provided at all due to the lack of land for building.

Home buyers who want to make a choice in favor of a townhouse should also pay attention to low-rise residential complexes, which are located in Mitino, Kurkino, Butovo, in particular in the village “Potapovo”(South Butovo). The average cost of 1 square meter in townhouses located here is about 80-85 thousand rubles, and the transport interchange is quite convenient.

Also, the attention of potential buyers of townhouses is offered the village “Silver Place”, which is located in the area of ​​Serebryany Bor. The cost of 1 square meter of housing in local “city houses” is an order of magnitude higher than in Butovo and averages from 105 thousand rubles. However, the presence of a local area is provided, and the location itself is somewhat more advantageous and more attractive.

It is also currently possible to buy townhouses in the village “Saltykovka”, located on the banks of the Serebryanka River, just 4 kilometers from the Moscow border. By the way, this townhouse village belongs not to the elite, but to the business class, so the cost of housing here is much lower – from 60 thousand rubles per square meter.

In addition, relatively inexpensive townhouses can be found in the village “Pokrovsky”, located along the Novorizhskoe highway, just 23 kilometers from the Moscow Ring Road. The cost per square meter in the “blocked houses” located here – from 65 thousand rubles.

Elite townhouses are offered to buyers by a cottage village “Starville”, located between the Pirogov and Khimki reservoirs. The ART DECO style in the design of facades, excellent ecology, privacy and the availability of the necessary infrastructure – all the signs of an elite settlement are certainly present here. The price of 1 square meter in local “city houses” reaches 100 thousand rubles, in addition, the townhouses of this village are large in size – about 400 square meters.

As you can see, the choice of townhouses in Moscow and the region, of course, exists, and it will not be difficult to find housing in this particular segment of real estate. And yet, the demand for townhouses is not yet as great as for ordinary country houses or city apartments..

Perspectives

If in the United States townhouses have long firmly occupied the niche of housing that perfectly combines the functions of a city apartment and a country house, and in Europe the peak of demand for such buildings has long passed, then in Russia the construction of “blocked houses” is just beginning to develop.

In our country, townhouses have not yet been able to occupy their niche, since they are mainly suburban, rather expensive real estate objects and are not in great demand among buyers.

Those who would like to become the owner of a country house more often make a choice in favor of ordinary cottages, and for ordinary Russians, townhouses still remain inaccessible housing, too high a price category.

According to experts, Russian developers should pay more attention to the construction of “block houses” of a small area from 60 to 100 square meters, belonging to the category of economy class housing and located on the outskirts of the metropolis. It is these townhouses that will ultimately be able to become the segment of the real estate market that they are in Western countries – inexpensive, democratic housing for those who would like to live in a practically separate, their own house, while not leaving the city limits.