Buying a separate isolated room in a communal apartment - for many applicants on the market this is not just acquiring their own corner or a roof over their heads as a kind of shelter. This is, first of all, a unique opportunity with a limited budget to buy a large apartment for the price of a small one, to cling to Moscow with all that it entails: to obtain capital status with social benefits and asset liquidity, to have a real prospect of buying out the entire living space, to significantly improve your physical and financial situation (to find a normal /a highly paid job and not having to spend 2-3 hours each way traveling to the office)
Independent search or professional help?
Everyone, of course, decides and determines which option is more convenient for him; a lot depends on financial capabilities. You may be able to easily and quickly choose the right option on your own with the help of friends or an ad.
But still, in the process of documenting the transaction, it is better to seek legal assistance , at least of an advisory nature. After all, such a transaction is not simple, there are a lot of nuances.
Without professional help, it will be difficult to take everything into account so that no problems arise in the future.
Buying a communal apartment in Moscow
In the capital today there are many houses, some of which are just such objects, which means that anyone can buy a communal apartment. And the first step to acquiring such real estate is to buy a room in such a facility. To begin with, it is necessary to recall that a communal apartment is an apartment in which several families live, who may not be relatives.
Therefore, if you decide to buy a communal apartment in Moscow, you will first have to obtain the consent of all its residents. In most cases, in order for residents to sell you their rooms in a communal apartment and vacate the desired living space, each of them will have to pay the requested amount, which they can then spend on purchasing their own housing.
If you are serious about buying a communal apartment, and you are faced with the acute issue of relocating your neighbors, you need to understand what difficulties you will have to face in this case. Buying a communal apartment has many pitfalls and little things that don’t matter in other transactions, but in this case they can be decisive. You will have to respect the interests of everyone living in the communal apartment, otherwise the deal simply will not take place.
If you have finally decided to buy a communal apartment in Moscow in the center, it’s time to study the legal side of the issue:
- be sure to order an extract from the Unified State Register to receive complete information about the rooms and possible encumbrances;
- ask the seller to provide a notarized consent of all owners to conduct the purchase and sale transaction;
- ask for an extract from the house register and analyze whether all registered persons have given their consent to the sale;
- check financial and personal accounts to find out if there are utility debts;
- if the share in the communal apartment belongs to minors, make sure that the seller has the necessary permission from the municipal authorities to sell the home.
It is best to check the documents for the property together with an experienced lawyer or entrust the transaction to a reliable real estate agency, which is well aware of all the nuances of such transactions and no questions will arise about how to buy a secondary apartment without making a mistake.
It is quite possible to buy a communal apartment in Moscow inexpensively, since the cost is influenced by the location of the housing, condition, proximity to the metro and other factors. It is worth paying attention to the fact that if banks are reluctant to issue a loan to buy a room, then buying a communal apartment with a mortgage is quite possible, because you become the owner of the entire living space, and not a share of it.
How to buy: step-by-step instructions
What documents are needed?
- A document confirming ownership of this living space.
- Notarized waivers of neighbors' preemptive rights.
- All technical and cadastral documentation for a room in a communal apartment.
- Certificates of absence of debts for electricity, telephone, utilities, etc.
- A certificate containing information about all registered residents.
- Consent of the second spouse (certified by a notary) to complete the transaction.
- Passports.
- Consent from guardianship authorities.
How much does a room cost in Moscow near the metro?
If we consider for purchase isolated rooms in communal apartments with ideal transport accessibility and a good location in every sense - an old, lived-in, quiet, cozy metropolitan area with a long-established social and living infrastructure within walking distance (no more than 15 minutes) from the metro, then the pricing situation looks like already somewhat different. Such housing, compared, for example, with similar objects located 10 minutes away by public transport, is an order of magnitude more expensive. So, the simplest (in a conditionally residential condition) separate room without a balcony is 14-15 square meters. in a 3-room communal apartment on the first floor near any metro to the Third Transport Ring will cost about/at least 2.5 million rubles. The more complaints about the quality of the room, the correspondingly higher the price. A room of the same size, but renovated and with a balcony on the middle floor, is quoted at around 3 million rubles. Large spacious room in a 2-room communal apartment of 17-20 sq.m. with a Euro renovation next to the metro, in which, not only theoretically, a family of 3 people can live, it will cost approximately 3.3-3.5 million rubles. Prices for communal apartments in Moscow are steep, but I assure you it’s really worth it!
Underwater rocks
It is possible to buy a room in a communal apartment with a mortgage; the law allows it (Clause 1, Article 5 of Federal Law No. 102-FZ “On Mortgage”). But in reality, this is not so easy to implement; banks are not very willing to cooperate in such situations, because they do not want to take risks.
You can identify some specific features when applying for a mortgage loan for a room in a communal apartment.
Bank position
Not all banks are ready to provide a loan for the purchase of a room in a communal apartment , since its liquid value is low. If the borrower experiences financial difficulties (if he stops repaying the loan), the room becomes bank property. But the bank cannot easily sell it to compensate for the damage, so lending conditions are becoming more stringent, and so are the requirements for the borrower.
Neighbors' refusals of priority rights
If the neighbors do not express a desire to buy this room, then the borrower, together with the seller, must collect written refusals from all neighbors and attach them to the package of documents for obtaining a mortgage.
Property collateral
Some banks require that the bank be given as collateral not the room being purchased (for which, in fact, the loan is issued), but other housing available to the borrower.
Banks are happy to provide a mortgage if the last room in a communal apartment is purchased, where all the others already belong to this buyer. In this case, the entire apartment is pledged.
There is a specially developed series of requirements for rooms (to authorize a mortgage):
- the minimum area of the room cannot be less than 12 square meters;
- the loan can only be issued in the area where the property is located;
- housing must be residential in status and cannot be in disrepair (no more than 55% depreciation);
- the presence of a kitchen and a bathroom in a communal apartment;
- availability of heating, running water, electricity;
- wooden floors are not allowed;
- housing cannot be new, only secondary.
If you are thinking about purchasing real estate, then it would be useful for you to familiarize yourself with such options as buying a room in a dorm and a share in an apartment, including from relatives.
What is the minimum market value of a room in the Mother See?
From an analysis of market conditions in a given segment, we can conclude that as of July-August 2021, the initial cost of isolated rooms in the capital has overcome the psychological barrier of 2 million rubles. For such a modest budget by Moscow standards, a potential client can afford to purchase a very small property of up to 12 square meters. a separate room in a 2- or 3-room communal apartment with a separate personal account. The cheapest rooms to buy in Moscow are most often found in the south, southeast, east and north of the capital, in such areas as: Biryulyovo Western, Biryulyovo Eastern, Maryino, Izmailovo, Golyanovo, Khovrino, Beskudnikovo, Vykhino, Veshnyaki, Chertanovo.
Inexpensive rooms can also be found in more prestigious Moscow locations: Mozhaisky (ZAO), Yasenevo (South-Western Administrative District), Konkovo (South-Western Administrative District), Cheryomushki (South-Western Administrative District) - however, it is worth noting that they rarely pop by there and leave almost immediately.
On your own or with the help of a realtor
Citizens need to decide whether they have the time and desire to select a room, check documents and complete the transaction. If you don’t want to do this and don’t have time, then you can use the help of real estate agencies. Of course, you will have to pay for their services. But the real estate selection agency will take over the entire purchase process, and they will do this taking into account all the nuances that may arise in the process.
Initially, when contacting a realtor, do not be lazy to tell us in more detail about the room you need . Thanks to this, they will find it much faster, since they will immediately discard all unnecessary options. It is important to know that the seller's realtor has no desire to please you, since you are not paying him. He will be determined to defend the interests of his client, not yours.
If you started your search yourself, you need to study all the advertising platforms in the city in a timely manner. There is no need to refuse the help of friends. It is quite possible that someone of the same social status is selling exactly the room you were looking for. Also, do not forget to place advertisements in the newspaper and on the Internet.
Buying a room with a mortgage
Not many people know, but you can take out a mortgage on a room. In addition to the usual list of documents, you will need a real estate appraisal report by an independent specialist and a technical passport . In this case, the acquirer will have additional waste of money, since banks usually require the borrower to take out life insurance and property insurance against loss of title. It is recommended to apply for a mortgage to a bank where you already have an account or service a bank card. In this case, banks may reduce loan interest rates.
Buying a room is quite a complex process. If during the process of drawing up the contract you have suspicions of the seller’s dishonesty, then it is better to reschedule the transaction for a more detailed study of the information or immediately refuse the room.
Finding suitable options
First you need to pay attention to the infrastructure of the area . The presence of a school, kindergarten, hospital, public transport and metro stops will significantly improve your life. In addition, a room in such places can be sold much faster. Then, having found the right house for yourself, pay attention to the yard, the condition of the house, repairs and cleanliness of the entrance. It is advisable to immediately look at the availability of parking spaces. Because if you are a motorist, you probably don’t want to spend half an hour every evening looking for a place where you can park your vehicle.
After all this, it’s worth starting to inspect the room itself. You should not attach importance to wallpaper and carpets. You will change them anyway. The first step is to assess the state of communications . Since the neighbors, most likely, will not participate in the repair of communications, and all expenses will need to be paid to you or to “enjoy” plumbing leaks and the consequences of faulty electrical wiring. It is better to get to know your neighbors before purchasing a room. If there are citizens living there whose appearance immediately indicates that they like to drink alcohol every day, then immediately teach for the future that there is unlikely to be peace at night. Because of this, in the future you will undoubtedly regret purchasing this room.
