Townhouses are one of the most sought-after suburban real estate properties. In terms of sales volume in the Moscow region, they have surpassed even economy-class cottages.
However, when constructing such housing, a lot of legal nuances arise, and the developer must take into account certain requirements. Otherwise, in the future, it will not be possible to formalize the right to own the property, and the house may even be sent for demolition. It is unlikely that a potential buyer will want to invest several million rubles and be in constant fear of being deprived of his home.
In this article we will analyze the main legal risks and problems that may arise when purchasing a townhouse in the Moscow region.
Construction of townhouses behind individual housing construction plots
When choosing a townhouse, the legal status of the land plot plays an important role. Since such objects are residential, they should be built on the lands of populated areas.
Today, many developers are building townhouses on land for individual housing construction (IHC). Is this a violation? After all, according to the law, the construction of a house for one family is permitted on such plots.
It is impossible to answer this question unequivocally. Although, from a legal point of view, by selling a house for several families on the territory that is intended for one family, buyers are, in fact, misled, developers do not violate the law, since they skillfully use a loophole in the law: by selling shares in the property, and not the whole house.
Can a townhouse be built on private housing construction land absolutely legally? Yes it is possible. In this case, a number of standards must be observed.
Thus, when building on individual housing construction lands, there is an established minimum and maximum plot size. The point is that in all papers for a townhouse the area of the plot is not less than the minimum size. Under every block. After all, each section is, in fact, a separate household, with a personal plot.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantage of these houses is determined, first of all, by their proximity to nature .
Fresh air, picnics under the window, at the same time silence, removal from the bustle of the city. The social environment is also important. You shouldn’t worry about your children when you let them out for a walk; the neighbors are familiar, life is measured and calm. It is possible to park cars; residents have garages. Against a positive background, do not forget about the shortcomings . Distance from place of work. There is often no public transport here, but even if there is, long daily trips are not very pleasant. Therefore, it is necessary to have a car in the family, and the problem of poor quality country roads will arise.
The presence of a school, clinic, hairdresser, and shops is also important. Their absence or remoteness can also affect comfort. In addition, the rent for this housing is many times higher than the rent - utility bills, gas, water, electricity.
Legal registration of townhouses
Let us examine in more detail the main points regarding the legal registration of this type of housing.
Which version of townhouses a particular buyer will be faced with depends on many criteria:
- All townhouses have different status and land use;
- The specifics of construction work are also different;
- The conditions for interaction between the local administration and the developer himself are different, as well as his personal preferences and awareness of the smallest nuances of the transaction.
Historical information
The first townhouses appeared in Great Britain back in the 19th century. Initially, this was the name for the city residence of an aristocrat. They were very popular in those days, since it was difficult to distinguish who would live in this house: a minor aristocrat or a representative of their elite, because outwardly the buildings were the same. At the moment, these buildings, in most cases, have been transformed into mini-complexes of apartments.
In Russia, such buildings appeared in 1995 near Moscow. Now, entire settlements of such houses are perceived as economy-class settlements without any architectural sophistication. Previously, they were built on collective farm fields, and now even on summer cottages. At the moment, these houses are very popular, but there are also some points that create problems in the field of purchase and sale, development, and the status of the constructed building.
Interesting details
There are no problems with storage - a large closet is designed in the hallway, which has a built-in washing machine, a compartment in which you can store household appliances and a place for clothes. It also hides the door to the garage. In the living room, the space located on the floor of the staircase was also cleverly used for storage.
Porcelain stoneware and laminate flooring were used as finishing materials, as well as decorative plaster and paint for the walls; wallpaper was hung in the bedroom. A very interesting technique was also used - to decorate the fireplace, the designer used the same tiles as for the kitchen apron. In the bedroom and children's room, window sills play the role of countertops. In addition, as the customers wanted, they relied on cheerful and bright colors - blue, turquoise and yellow shades, which can create a vacation atmosphere. Storage systems have non-standard sizes and shapes, so they were made to order, but decorative items and furniture were planned to be chosen from popular brands. Naturally, in addition to the shade and appearance, the furniture should be comfortable and durable.
Purchase rules
When purchasing this type of real estate, you should adhere to the following recommendations:
- Decide on your financial capabilities and payment procedure.
- Check all the documents of the property and the developer (it is better to contact a lawyer).
- You do not receive ownership of the land attached to the house. Most often it is rented. The rights to the site are often obtained by the HOA as soon as the property has been put into operation. It is decorated in the same way as land in an apartment building.
- You should not register a plot of land with your neighbors as shared ownership, otherwise problems may arise during the sale. Demand that the separation be formalized.
- It is better to buy an apartment that is surrounded by a limited number of neighbors. In a densely populated village with closely spaced buildings, life will be cramped.
- Pay attention to how far major highways and roads are from your home. You need to choose an apartment so that it is not far from transport routes (so that you can get to the road and go in the right direction), but it is not too close to them (otherwise there will be too much noise around you).
- What infrastructure is your building surrounded by (schools and shops, gyms and kindergartens, parks, hospitals, etc.)? It’s better to have everything you need close to you, and not have to travel far from home for small matters.
- It's cheaper to buy from a developer. Middlemen and people involved in the resale of townhouses greatly inflate prices.
Tips for choosing a project
Low-rise buildings made from separate modular blocks designed for one family have their own characteristics. When choosing a project for the construction of such housing, you should have an idea of the requirements that professionals place on the site, the type of foundations, building materials and technologies. This will help you avoid common mistakes and save your money.
Each section of the townhouse is an independent house, provided with a separate entrance, plot and parking. What distinguishes it from a private cottage is the presence of common walls with neighbors, the cost of which is shared by all homeowners.
Standard projects are more affordable and can be implemented much faster in practice. An individual approach to design implies the embodiment of many personal preferences of customers. Accordingly, its implementation takes time and costs much more. Typically, design costs account for about 20% of the total estimated cost.
Therefore, if among the ready-made projects on the real estate market a potential home buyer cannot find an option that fully meets his personal wishes, then it will be cheaper to choose the closest one and make some changes to it.
conclusions
Having decided to purchase a townhouse, you should carefully weigh the pros and cons of the purchase. If there are no doubts, proceed to choosing an area - evaluate the location, infrastructure, condition of the roads, the quality of the building materials used and, in fact, the condition of the new building. It is better to purchase real estate from a developer without overpaying commissions to intermediaries
For the “purity” of the transaction, it is important to make sure that the construction company has all the necessary permits
Well, when all the troubles are over, it’s time to celebrate the housewarming!
How much will the work cost?
It is impossible to accurately calculate the price of work on site without taking into account all factors. For example, in the most common and popular economy segment, the presence of ready-made renovations from the developer increases the base cost of a townhouse by 20%. If we are talking about business or elite class villages, then there are usually several current design solutions to choose from - standard projects in different styles. The cost of repairs is negotiated individually - as a result, the estimate can range from 5 to 30% of the initial costs of purchasing the property.
As for carrying out repair work yourself, here we are usually talking about hiring contractors who are ready to take on the main troubles. There are many reasons for this:
- significant area of the facility - about 100 m2;
- the need to lay communications;
- open plan - partitions have to be designed and created;
- difficulty in accurately implementing the design concept.
The cost of such repairs depends on its type. For example, a final cosmetic repair costs an average of 2,000 rubles per 1 m2 including materials. If we are talking about performing rough work, the cost will increase by about 50%. Major reconstruction of townhouses costs 5,000 rubles per 1 m2. The cost of European-quality repairs and designer finishing is always calculated individually - there are no average prices here.
You can save money by doing some of the work yourself or avoiding an integrated approach. For example, if we are talking about purchasing materials, you can do it yourself. In addition, it is better to order work and pay for it in stages, hiring specialists and paying only for the specific fruits of their activities.
Economy class projects: layout features
Future owners are attracted by the combination of measured country life and dynamic city life. The convenience of townhouses lies in their isolation, the ability to have their own garage, a separate entrance from the street and a conveniently zoned interior space. Apartments in low-rise complexes have the following characteristic features:
- Verticality. The principles of vertical planning are used, which makes it possible to conveniently place rooms of different functionality on two or three floors.
- Additions. The project may include an attic, ground floor, terrace or balcony.
Layout of the first floor of a townhouse for two familiesSource pinterest.com
- Peculiarities. Many buildings (duplexes) are often designed as a mirror image of each other.
- Freedom of redevelopment. Often a townhouse is purchased at the “box” stage. Due to the fact that in such buildings coordination of redevelopment is easy, the owner is free to choose the configuration and location of certain premises. Some designs allow for larger changes (for example, panoramic glazing is selected for some styles). It is also allowed to move communications freely (permission will only be required to move gas equipment).
- Internal staircase. An important element of the interior layout around which the living space is built. A staircase can take up an unexpectedly large amount of space (after installing a staircase structure, an area of 100 m2 can easily be reduced to 80 m2). In this regard, you have to look for a compromise between the beauty, size, convenience and safety of the stairs, not forgetting about the use of the space under it.
About the tour of the townhouse in the following video:
A comfortable townhouse cannot do without an entrance hall. Source pinterest.com
