Economy, comfort, business, and there is also premium andelite — the Russian housing market is “overloaded” with names. Even an experienced realtor cannot always tell one from the other. What should a consumer do? We tried to find out what we are actually being offered There is still no official classification of housing in Russia. The market method for assessing the level, which was developed in 2013 by the Russian Guild of Realtors for new residential buildings, is purely advisory in nature. At that time, four types of housing were identified on the primary market: economy class, comfort, business class and elite.
In practice, this division is so arbitrary thatresembles a successful marketing ploy rather than an attempt to help the consumer. Many offers that developers classify as comfort, and sometimes business class, do not always reach economy class according to objective criteria. Nevertheless, it is necessary to know the formal criteria at least in order to adequately talk to developers who set the appropriate price for each class.
Economy
Such apartments are located far from the center,may overlook busy highways or railways, do not imply any special social infrastructure within a radius of less than a kilometer. The house is of a typical series and standard layout, without finishing or with a typical rough finish. No requirements for safety, parking spaces, utilities, etc.
Our opinion:— Realtors and developers proceed from the fact that economy class in Moscow is bought as temporary housing, housing for students or a long-term investment. And although according to statistics this is not at all the case — more than a third of Muscovites live in apartments in the “most economical economy” category permanently, such housing is being built. The areas do not exceed 50-70 square meters in three-room apartments.
Comfort
Comfort class is the most vague, but at the same timethe best-selling category today. In Moscow, the name appeared as an advertising ploy during the 2008 crisis and has stuck since then. The first experience was very successful. One of the capital's companies offered buyers an improved version of panel standard houses. The apartments there were comparable in size to business class, and the price was more like economy. The idea turned out to be a breakthrough. And the market revived.
Unfortunately, having become widespread, the marketing ployoften turns into a convenient tool for increasing sales of unscrupulous developers. It is sometimes impossible to distinguish comfort from economy. Everything depends on the specific offer. It is usually assumed that comfort class is located in houses of improved or successful "series", with imported glazing, an area slightly larger than in the economy segment, and mandatory landscaping of the territory. There may be a parking lot or an intercom with a concierge.
Otherwise, everything is the same, minimal.compliance with the most modest requirements of the law. But there is scope for the creativity of the marketer. Each improved point usually falls under the "comfort+" category and requires additional expenses. Comfort often includes apartments near which a metro station or a new highway may appear in the future, the construction of social facilities is planned, etc.
Our opinion: - There are also advantages.During the crisis, sales in the real estate market fell sharply, and the idea of "comfort+" housing was again in demand. It began to be offered to those who were forced by life to look at cheaper housing, but whose ideas about quality were still quite high. There are cases when the price for comfort-class housing is even lower than in the economy segment. The crisis forces developers specializing in cheap housing to use this tool in the competitive struggle.
Business Class
Such housing is built in prestigious areas.Moscow and Moscow region, with good infrastructure within walking distance. Preferably - in a pleasant environment of parks, ponds, theaters and museums. The house project as a whole should be individual, and the apartment - at least improved or open layout with wide possibilities for transformation.
Parking, concierge, intercom, minimumSecurity is a must. Ceiling height is not less than 2.98 m. Improved engineering systems. Turnkey finishing can be offered separately. Glazing - thick profiles and high-quality double-glazed windows of a high price category.
Luxury accommodation
Apartments with exclusive layout and designer designproject and finishing in houses created by an architectural bureau with a good reputation. The area of apartments should start from 60 meters. The layout of the space is limited only by the external walls. On the windows - wooden or elite plastic profiles of the upper price category with .
Engineering support - state-of-the-artequipment". Climate control, air humidifiers, air conditioning. At the entrance - the obligatory polite reception. Own security and maintenance service, convenient parking, individual laundry services, etc., etc. Elite housing is always located in ecologically clean areas, with beautiful views from the window, excellent infrastructure, accessibility of cultural monuments, not to mention schools, fitness centers and restaurants.
Calculation of comfort
If everything is OK with the classification of housing in Moscowmore or less clear, it is difficult to classify apartments in the Moscow region into any of the listed categories. Everything depends on the specific city: its environmental situation, infrastructure, transport accessibility. What passes for business class in one place cannot be passed off as comfort in another.
Our opinion:— To make an accurate, informed choice, in most cases it is necessary to discard the usual “class” labels. Market experts recommend looking first of all at the developer’s reputation, checking the cleanliness of the documents and not signing a contract without consulting a lawyer.
What exactly can the recommended one help with?classification — in the primary definition of the developer's honesty. It is not worth continuing relations with people who classify a panel high-rise building, stuffed with small and without parking space, as comfort class. Experts agree on one thing: the market needs to improve the quality of projects.
One of the freshest and smartest trends isreal estate, divided not into classes, but into the needs of the target audience. This allows you to offer the buyer the set of options he needs, but at the same time keep an acceptable price. For example, a house can be built using comfort-class technology or even business-class, and apartments can combine the capabilities of both segments. It all depends on what exactly you are willing to pay for: free planning, turnkey finishing, additional engineering solutions, an extra parking space, etc.
Another case is the choice within one projectbetween a regular apartment, a townhouse or a separate cottage. It turns out to be something like a four-star hotel on the territory of a five-star complex in tourism: often a very practical solution. The "address" approach is best followed by the buyer himself. And choose real estate not so much by category, but by a set of necessary characteristics, family circumstances and lifestyle: convenient and profitable.
