Photo: Istockphoto.com/Kirill Sirotiuk
In the primary housing market of St. Petersburg, apartments with good view characteristics have increased by about 20% in recent years. According to the developers, an apartment with a view of the park, water or historical sites may cost more than the same, but without a view, by 10-30%, and there is always demand for them. It is not surprising that when designing, they try to lay as many such apartments as possible. The supply is expected to grow in the future due to redevelopment, which frees up areas surrounded by water and historical sites.
Where are the windows looking
According to St. Petersburg Real Estate, out of about 10.5 million square meters. of the housing under construction in the St. Petersburg agglomeration, 25% of apartments are being built near the water, and 27% near parks. At the same time, at the moment, 13% more housing is being built near the water than, for example, 5 years ago. This is facilitated by the redevelopment of industrial zones, the creation of alluvial territories, which gave impetus to the development of housing construction on Vasilyevsky Island and in the Nevsky district.
— There are no clear criteria for specific apartments, developers determine them themselves, — says Olga Trosheva, director of the St. Petersburg Real Estate Consulting Center (Setl Group). — Traditionally, apartments with windows overlooking the water, parks and attractions in the historical center are the most expensive option of the species. For example, the high demand for the project from Setl Group of the Imperial Club residential complex on Vasilyevsky Island next to the icebreaker Krasin, among other things, has traditionally been provided by a successful location and a large number of apartments with exclusive panoramas of the Neva River and grand St. Petersburg.
— In the primary housing market of St. Petersburg, the number of apartments that have specific characteristics has increased by about 20% over the past few years, — says the head of the marketing department of LSR. Real estate — SZ” Olga Ulyanova. — Such an offer of apartments will grow due to the development of the so-called “gray belt”. For example, our company is currently implementing two projects in the Oktyabrskaya Embankment area, right by the Neva River. We are also actively building up the territory in the western part of Vasilyevsky Island, off the coast of the Gulf of Finland — from the windows of the first stage of the residential complex “Morskaya Embankment” there is an overview not only of the water area, but also of the growing coniferous park.
For an apartment with a beautiful view from the window, large, large-format windows are a prerequisite, said Yulia Gusakova, chief architect of the Dalpiterstroy IC.And if it was previously believed that view apartments can only be located on the top floors of a building, now they can be on any, even on the ground floor, the main condition is a view and a panoramic window.
According to Tatyana Khalilova, director of the GloraX sales department, apartments are considered to be specific, from the windows of which there is a landscape view either of nature, or of the sights or panorama of the city. The difference in specific characteristics has its own gradation of prestige, and therefore the cost per square meter in a specific apartment.
As specified in the Etalon Group, the most spectacular view of a well-groomed park, the seaside or a busy street evokes emotions and improves the mood of the apartment owner. In multi-storey buildings, specific apartments are placed on the upper floors. For example, in a building of nine floors, only the upper floors will be visible, in skyscrapers, view apartments are designed on almost all residential floors.
According to the research of Glavstroy St. Petersburg improved view characteristics of the apartment are included in the TOP 5 criteria for comfortable housing. So, every second inhabitant of a megalopolis would like to live near a park, a public garden or a “green” zone. And if you expand the view range to any body of water — lake, pond, bay or sea — and the embankment, as well as the historical center of the city, it turns out that such apartments are really in great demand from the vast majority of buyers.
— In my opinion, the preference of one or another view from the window depends on the location that the buyer considers as a future home, — continued Dmitry Efremov, head of the Department of Product Management and Marketing Research at Glavstroy St. Petersburg. — For example, if the choice fell on the historical center, the improved view characteristics are the city panorama and sights. In the resort town there is a bay or the sea coast, in a residential area of the metropolis there is a view of the park, a green area. By the way, this is exactly the option we offer our clients in the Yuntolovo residential complex (Primorsky district of St. Petersburg): the wildlife sanctuary, the Lakhta Center and the future central park of the microdistrict.
— The floor is not so important in this context: an apartment can have a beautiful view, even being located on the ground floor, — says Sergey Sergeev, director of residential and infrastructure projects at Kronfort. — So, in our Kronfort neighborhoods, the houses are only four stories high, but they are located on the first coastline — thus, many of them will have a view of the water.
As a rule, a good panorama is revealed from the last floors of the building, said Maxim Turta, head of the sales department of the Aquilon Group in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region. However, if the project is located near the water, the situation changes dramatically.
— For example, our Aquilon ZALIVE project is located on the alluvium of Vasilievsky Island, and the view apartments here start from the second floor, — he says. — The effect is enhanced by panoramic windows enlarged by 30%.
Natalia Kukushkina, Head of the Product and Analytics Department of the CDU Group, believes that the concept of “specific / non-specific” is subjective.
— For example, someone will consider the view of an ancient factory to be a picturesque urban landscape, and another person will be sure that it is terrible, – she explains.
At the same time, according to the expert, there are things that are traditionally considered specific. Firstly, it is water: river, pond, sea. Even if only glimpses of the waves are visible from the windows, such apartments are appreciated by buyers. Secondly, the view of beautiful architecture always wins. It does not matter whether it is a historical building or a modern one. The main thing is that the building has positive connotations, so that it is not considered ugly in society. Thirdly, any views of nature: a park, a forest, even a small square, if there is a shortage of greenery in the location. Fourth, if the apartment windows offer a view of the city from a height, the so-called skyline, it is also valuable. Especially if the windows face west, which allows you to watch beautiful sunsets.
The types are “expensive” and not very
In St. Petersburg, apartments with views of the water and green areas are most appreciated, according to Bulat Mirzakhanov, head of product development at A101 Group in St. Petersburg.
“And if the view of the water is combined with a view of the sights, both in the city center and beyond (Lakhta Center, Gazprom Arena and cable—stayed bridges on the ZSD), then this will definitely add value to them,” he added. — I can say the same about large green areas, such as Koltushsky and Dudergofsky heights. It is also possible to note the views from the high floors (20th and above) to the panorama of the city, especially at night.
Of the unpopular views, the expert noted a view of a cemetery, a garbage dump, a noisy road or an industrial area.
Depending on the landscape, apartments on the lower floors may also be specific, for example, if the house stands on a hill. But, as a rule, in St. Petersburg the view opens from 4-5 floors and above.
According to Tatyana Khalilova, apartments with views of the sights and historical monuments are located in central urban locations and, as a rule, are presented in projects of the “premium” and De Luxe classes.
“The view of the water — the river, the bay, the lake — is also one of the most sought—after and prestigious,” she stressed. — But due to the geographical features of the location of the reservoir, projects on the shore can also be in locations remote from the center. The view of the water is typical for projects of the “premium” and “business” classes, depending on other product characteristics of the object. Apartments with views of parks and woodlands are also popular. Apartments overlooking the green oasis can be found in projects of the “business” and comfort-plus classes. These may be projects with a pronounced eco-concept in regional satellite cities.
As explained in the Etalon Group, “expensive” views can include, for example, a green area, a reservoir (large enough to have a calming effect on residents), sights in the city center (such a landscape is usually chosen by those who need to constantly maintain creative activity, for example, artists), urban streets (more than 60% of the type apartments are located in urban areas). The view of the night city, according to experts, can also be soothing, it is suitable for those who return from work late and do not have time to admire the park or lake; industrial landscapes are gaining popularity among fans of loft-style apartments.
— A view of a noisy road or an operating factory can reduce the cost of an apartment by 15-20%, which allows people who are limited in budget to buy more high—status housing, but with a “feature”, the company noted.
— Apartments with windows on the water, forest or city are the most in demand, — added Sergey Sergeev. — The most prestigious lots are by the sea — due to the fact that there are very few of them. An overview of the key sights of the city is also very popular — for example, the Lakhta Center, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, etc. Of course, views of the industrial area, windows of neighboring houses, garbage sites, etc. reduce the potential cost of an apartment.
— It is expensive and prestigious to “go out” with windows on some iconic historical object or architectural ensemble, an embankment, a green area, etc., — says Olga Ulyanova. — Such an apartment is like a business card, indicating the status of its owner. Of course, there is a category of buyers who are willing to pay extra for such an option. Unpopular ones are views of the so—called sealing buildings, industrial facilities. Although they will not make an apartment cheaper anyway, the price will be average.
Mark-up per view
According to the Etalon Group, the price difference between specific and non-specific apartments depends on the number of floors of the building. In a skyscraper, the difference in the price of an apartment on the 3rd and 50th floors can reach up to 70%. In a house of medium height, a view apartment can cost 20-25% more expensive than the same one, but “without a view”.
— If the complex is located on the river bank, then the view of it from the apartment on the 3rd—4th floor will be impressive, – says Tatyana Khalilova. — Whereas in projects in the historical center, one can only talk about any specific characteristics of apartments starting from the 10th floor and above. Within the framework of one project, the difference in the cost of a specific and non-specific apartment can reach 20%. At the same time, the higher the floor, the more expensive the apartment will be. Apartments on the upper floors receive more sunlight, they are characterized by a lower noise level compared to the middle and lower floors. The investment attractiveness of specific apartments is higher. They grow in price more strongly, they are rented out faster and at a higher cost. A view apartment is a very liquid object that emphasizes the high social status of the owner.
As Olga Ulyanova emphasized, proximity to water is one of the main factors that affect the cost. In the comfort segment, the margin for this type is about 20 thousand rubles per square meter, and up to 50 thousand rubles are added to the price of premium real estate. But lots with windows on the first two floors in a house next to a noisy highway, of course, lose some value.
Dmitry Efremov clarified that the type of luxury real estate in the city center or in a recreational area often involves a special set of solutions that would allow the owner to really enjoy what he sees: these are private terraces, panoramic floor-to-wall glazing and a winter garden on the roof with an individual entrance.
— Accordingly, comfort-class apartments with large windows, a spacious loggia or a neat French balcony in a residential area or in the suburbs will cost much cheaper than luxury housing, — he added. — A project near a reservoir or near a green area initially finds itself in a more advantageous position. Depending on the class of housing and the location of the object, the premium for a beautiful view can vary from 5 to 50%. This indicator is certainly the highest in the luxury real estate segment.
According to Bulat Mirzakhanov, in Russian capitals the difference between a specific and an invisible apartment can reach 6-10%, sometimes even 12%. In objects with a view of the bay or the Neva River, this difference will be even higher.
— There are examples on the market when a view made an apartment 60% or even twice as expensive, — the expert gave an example. — But it was more about unique objects.
Olga Trosheva noted that for buyers, specific characteristics remain equivalent parameters when choosing an apartment in St. Petersburg along with transport accessibility, layouts and cost. In some objects, the difference between specific and non-specific apartments can reach 20-30%.
It cannot be said that all buyers are willing to pay extra for the view, Natalia Kukushkina noted, for many this characteristic does not carry much value. Some people specifically choose an apartment with windows to the courtyard, other factors are more valuable for them: silence and lack of parking for cars under the windows, the opportunity to watch children in the yard, a lower apartment price, etc.
— On average, the premium for a view can be more than 10% if the view is unique and super—valuable, and it can be observed only from a small number of apartments in the house, – she says. — The number of windows and their design can also affect the value of real estate. For example, in our business class quarter of the Chernaya Rechka CDP, all apartments have enlarged windows starting at a height of 40 cm from the floor. Thus, both the view from the windows is important, and how the view of it from inside the apartment is arranged.
The subtleties of design
To fill the project with the largest number of view apartments, architects and designers resort to special techniques. According to Tatyana Khalilova, in addition to the obvious height of the house and the lack of dense buildings in the location, the configuration of buildings and their planting on the land is important. The buildings should be positioned so as not to block the view from the windows of the neighboring houses of the complex. The building can visually expand from the base to the roof, have the shape of an inverted trapezoid, so that there are more apartments on the upper floors. Often, the building is designed in the form of a horseshoe or a semicircle facing the rounded facade to the water, making buildings of different heights, creating a multi-tiered architectural ensemble, thereby providing a good view in buildings located at a greater distance from the shore or park area.
— Architects, working with species and spatial solutions, necessarily take into account potential species characteristics, — added Bulat Mirzakhanov. — For example, if it is possible to bring part of the facade to the water, then as a rule it will be larger than the part facing the land. Including using solutions such as the shape of a horseshoe, the letter P, an open book or other forms.
In order for the residential complex to have enough specific apartments, it is necessary, in addition to choosing the location, to provide for the correct fit of the building and apartment design at the design stage, Maxim Turta clarified.
— In the Aquilon Group, the TOP FLAT standard is provided — these are apartments with increased ceiling height on the upper floors, — he says. — If the standard ceiling height in our apartments is 2.75 m, then, for example, in our Aquilon Leaves project on the top floor it is 3.15 m. Higher ceilings — bigger windows — better view.
— A competent choice of location largely determines the specific characteristics of the project, — said Sergey Sergeev. — Proper architecture and layout also enhance them. For example, at Kronforth, we used cascading facades and a certain location of buildings to increase the share of view lots. In addition, we have improved the panoramic advantages of the project due to bay windows, enlarged windows, French balconies, patios and a public roof terrace (“Kronfort. The embankment”).
In order for the residential complex to have more view apartments, the developer can provide more windows looking in all directions, says Natalia Kukushkina. It is also reasonable to place the most interesting apartments in the direction of the nearby view objects. For example, if the project provides for two risers of three-room apartments, you do not need to design them according to the residual principle in the darkest corner. On the contrary, for such lots, you should try to choose the most specific location.
Outgoing view
There is a slight risk of losing the pleasant-looking view from the apartment windows over time, Tatyana Khalilova continued. One of the reasons is the fickleness of the urban landscape. Therefore, before buying, it is important to study the plans for the development of neighboring land plots.
— Most likely, the view apartment will remain so if the project borders on a protected area where construction is prohibited, or is located on the first coastline near the water, — she says. — At GloraX in St. Petersburg, the hallmark of the company is the GloraX Premium Vasileostrovsky project on the first coastline of the Gulf of Finland.
— In the megalopolis, there are risks of species loss only in large projects in the areas of the so—called KRT, where the development will transform the environment and change the appearance of a large industrial cluster, – the Etalon Group emphasizes. — If you buy a small project in a well-formed area, the risks are minimal.
Sergey Sergeev recalled that construction in the neighborhood, deforestation, construction of new highways and highways can worsen the specific characteristics of the project. To avoid this, it is necessary to carefully choose the location.
— At Kronforte, for example, we offer eternal sea views — since the residential complex is located on the first coastline and nothing can stand between the houses and the water. Nearby is the park “Island of Forts” — a green recreational area, a new lyceum and the Kronfort quarter. Harbor” with a cultural and leisure complex and hotel infrastructure. Thus, the environment of residential quarters is formed in advance, the sequence of objects is clear, which eliminates unpleasant “surprises” for their inhabitants.
As Natalia Kukushkina explained, the change in the surrounding appearance over the years is not the fault of the developer and without his knowledge. For example, a nearby forest can be cut down, a new plot can be poured in front of a house on the embankment and additional buildings can be erected on it, and a bridge or overpass can be built under the windows of another house. You can find out about such events in advance, but sometimes there are unpleasant surprises.
“But there are situations where the developer can guarantee that no changes will occur in the neighborhood of the house,” she says. — So, next to our low-rise residential complex “Volkovsky” there is the Volkovsky memorial cemetery. It has the status of a cultural heritage site of federal significance. In fact, it is a large natural area that remains unchanged. This guarantees the residents of our complex the preservation of the views from the windows of their apartments.
According to Yulia Gusakova, there is no risk of loss of view only in locations where specific apartments overlook objects of architectural or historical value, or any other object protected by the state. In any other case, the view from the window may change over time, and it is simply impossible to “hedge” here.
— You can hedge against such a risk by carefully examining not only the house, but also the environment — if the area between your windows and a natural object is suitable for building, you can most likely lose your appearance, — added Bulat Mirzakhanov.
Photo: Istockphoto.com/Kirill Sirotiuk
Источник: www.fontanka.ru
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