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The name “studio apartment” comes from the West, where the absence of any layout is the most common option for planning a living space. In this article we will answer in detail the question: studio apartment - what is it and how does it differ from other apartments.
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Studio apartment – what is it?
A studio apartment is one of the new types of housing on the domestic real estate market. Its distinctive feature is its low cost, which allows low-income categories of the population to make a purchase. It is generally accepted that a studio apartment is a room with a small area. Often this characteristic is justified. But this definition is erroneous.
The studio apartment primarily received this name due to the layout features. Characteristic features of this type of housing include:
- the absence of interior partitions, forming a single living space;
- the presence of doors and walls only for technical rooms (bathroom, toilet, pantry);
- The kitchen is connected to the common living space.
In most cases, studio apartments are smaller in size than residential premises, including one, two, or more rooms. But some studio apartments belong to the class of luxury housing, and their area is 60 square meters or more.
The basic version of a studio apartment has one window that does not have access to a balcony or loggia. Separate areas have been created in the room, used as a kitchen, living room, and bedroom. Partitions between zones are installed individually in design projects.
The difficulty in defining a studio apartment lies in the fact that Russian standards and building codes do not include a term describing this type of housing.
The layout of studio apartments was developed in the United States in the 20s of the last century. In America and Europe, this type of housing has gained wide popularity among people, regardless of their social status and financial capabilities. The domestic construction market adopted the arrangement of studio apartments 50 years later. Their price is on average 25% lower than standard apartments presented in the same segment.
It won't work for children
On the Internet you can find many photos with studio design options, as well as videos describing various works on their design.
In the most common case of studio layout, the cooking and eating area is combined with the living room (the so-called European layout), but if the footage allows, more zones can be created.
Sometimes it’s possible to highlight a dining room, an office, and even a library. The only “room” that is unlikely to fit into a studio is the children’s room. For families with children, such apartments are suitable only as a temporary option - if only because of the complete impossibility for parents to have privacy.
What is the difference between a studio and an apartment?
Despite the fact that a standard apartment and a studio belong to the category of residential real estate, there is a big difference between them. These types of housing can be distinguished by the following characteristics:
- Layout. In an ordinary apartment, each room is separated by walls and partitions. There is no such division in the studio. Partitions are only available in the bathroom, bathroom, pantry, and other technical rooms.
- Purpose. A standard apartment is designed for a family of several people, but if necessary, you can live in it alone. The studio is intended for single living or a family of two. It will be difficult for three or more people to live in such an apartment on a permanent basis.
- Condominium. An ordinary apartment can be officially divided between several owners by purchasing rooms. Co-ownership is also provided for a studio apartment, but division based on rooms cannot be made.
- Redevelopment. In an ordinary apartment, it is possible to carry out redevelopment after obtaining permission from government authorities. This option is also provided in the studio, but if walls and partitions are erected, the housing will be transferred to the category of ordinary apartments.
- Square . Typically, studios are smaller in area than standard apartments. But in the luxury housing segment, this difference is often leveled out.
When selling and providing documents for housing, it is indicated what type it is. With apartments on the secondary real estate market, determining status can be difficult. But when selling new buildings, developers usually indicate in advance which housing is classified as studio apartments, its cost and area.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of studio apartments include:
- the most affordable price on the small-sized residential real estate market;
- minimal financial costs for repair and finishing work;
- low cost of maintenance and service;
- the presence of uniform lighting throughout the room;
- possibility of independent zoning.
A studio apartment visually seems more spacious than a regular multi-room apartment. The absence of walls and partitions ensures free movement throughout the room. If you have a small child, there is no need to take him into the kitchen while preparing food so as not to lose sight of him. When receiving guests, there will be no problems finding free space. The spacious room allows you to turn any design solutions into reality.
The list of disadvantages of studio apartments includes:
- Comfortable accommodation is possible for a maximum of two people;
- inability to provide a separate space for personal time;
- lack of internal sound insulation;
- inability to localize the spread of odors during cooking;
- uniform distribution of garbage and the need for comprehensive cleaning throughout the apartment.
It is impossible to buy a studio apartment in a panel house, since this type of housing is prohibited for a building of this type.
In a brick house, it is extremely difficult to independently redevelop a standard apartment into a studio. If you live in such an apartment with someone, a problem arises with the improvement of a closed recreation area. Enclosing personal space with furniture has a negative impact on the design of the room.
Who are these apartments suitable for?
Compared to standard housing, studio apartments are much cheaper. Therefore, the main target audience for which such housing is being built are people who do not have or do not want to spend money on purchasing an apartment with a large area.
According to statistics, studio apartments are most often purchased:
- young couples without children or with a small child;
- spouses of retirement age living together;
- men and women planning to live independently.
Observations by real estate market experts indicate that studio apartments often act as intermediate housing, bought by people for temporary residence. They usually use studio apartments to raise money to buy a multi-room home.
According to data for individual age groups, studio apartments are purchased by:
- 40% – from 25 to 35 years;
- 40% – from 45 to 60 years;
- 20% – from 35 to 45 years.
Studio apartments are often rented by students during the academic year and by office employees for corporate events.
You can find out more about who buys studio apartments in Russia and for what purposes by watching this video:
Examples of correct zoning
A studio apartment should be divided into zones unobtrusively. You should not fence them off from each other with thick partitions or highlight them with bright colors. All areas should be harmoniously combined and smoothly transition into each other, forming a single interior.
Selection and arrangement of furniture
Real photos confirm that the zoning function is often performed by large pieces of furniture. A classic example is a sofa that separates the living room and kitchen areas.
Lighting nuances
Installing a separate set of lighting kits in each studio area provides the following advantages:
- additional zoning;
- expansion of the apartment space due to the fact that the studio becomes brighter;
- additional convenience. While at home, you can separately turn on and off the lights in different areas of the studio, without disturbing other residents of the apartment.
Partitions and curtains
In the photo the square You can often see frame blinds and textile curtains. They are considered a classic tool for zoning. The living room area is often fenced off with light tulle. In the bedroom, thick curtains with additional sound insulation would be appropriate.
Sometimes zones are separated using special partitions made of wood or glass. But they are much more expensive than curtains and much more difficult to install.
Layout and interior
The main feature of a studio apartment is a single room without partitions. Therefore, the layout of such housing is based on zoning. This method involves dividing the room into separate zones with a specific purpose. The basic list for a studio apartment is presented in places for:
- preparing and eating food;
- rest and sleep;
- spending time and receiving guests;
- work;
- hallway
In studio apartments, a geometric layout is most often used. It involves zoning by dividing into rectangular or square sectors. Each sector is a zone with a specific purpose.
Minimalism is best suited for a studio apartment. The fewer items used in it, the more spacious it seems. Furniture is placed around the perimeter of the walls. Installation in the middle is allowed only if a recreation area is arranged. Oversized furniture is not recommended for studio apartments. It will take up extra space, providing minimal benefit. For this type of housing, transformable furniture should be used.
To visually designate individual zones, each of them can use its own style or color. But it is difficult to create such a design solution without disturbing the overall design of the apartment.
Proper lighting visually increases the size of the room. In studio apartments, it is recommended to use fluorescent lamps.
You can see what the layout and zoning of a studio apartment with an area of 33 square meters looks like by watching this video:
Apartment types
- Non-service apartments (or “pseudo-housing”) - you can live in them yourself, the level of amenities is average.
- Service apartments are rooms for rent under the management of a management company (hereinafter referred to as the management company), which looks for tenants and charges them a fee. In terms of comfort, this is business class.
- Apart-hotel - rooms that are intended both for renting and for living. This format assumes an infrastructure as close as possible to a hotel.
How much do studio apartments cost?
The average area of a studio apartment in the modern residential real estate market is from 25 to 30 square meters. One square meter costs the same as in other apartments located within the same residential complex. But due to the lack of separate space for the kitchen and interior walls, space is saved by 20-30%. Accordingly, the cost of purchasing a home will be lower by the same percentage.
The cost of studio apartments depends on the class of housing:
- economy - from 700 thousand to 3 million rubles;
- comfort - from 1.5 million rubles;
- elite - from 5 to 7 million rubles.
The location of the apartment also plays an important role. In large cities of regional significance, the average price for such housing is up to 2 million rubles. In small towns you can buy a studio apartment for up to 1 million rubles. In Moscow, an apartment of this type costs at least 4 million rubles. When purchasing housing on the secondary market, prices are presented in a lower financial range.
Studio apartments from the developer are more often sold at discounts than other types of housing in new buildings. Little-known companies sometimes sell them at a price of 600 thousand rubles. But such offers are rare, and apartments are most often located in outlying areas or small towns.
A studio apartment is a popular type of budget housing, characterized by an original layout and low cost. Its main feature is the absence of walls and interior partitions. The studio apartment can be used for both temporary and permanent residence. But the comfortable conditions of such housing are designed only for one or two people.
Why is it profitable to invest in apartments today?
According to the portal GdeEtotDom.RU, the demand for purchasing apartments in St. Petersburg has been growing for the fifth month. For example, in June it grew by 2.24% compared to May. And the most significant increase was in April versus March (+21.33%). In 2021, despite the pandemic, the situation was the same: the increase in the number of requests for purchase lasted from May to October and amounted to 30%.
At the end of the first half of 2021, the number of requests for the purchase of apartments on average per month increased by 169.69%, compared to the same period in 2021.
Thus, today interest in apartment complexes, starting from mid-2021, has reached record levels.
An important trend in the rental housing market is that speculation is becoming a thing of the past. This is, of course, due to rising prices for primary materials.
Today, the trend is to buy real estate for the long term. The most convenient way to implement this is with apartments. You buy a finished room, with furniture and appliances, and get a stable and higher profit from it than from renting out an apartment.
