What trends are gaining momentum in the suburban housing market near Moscow

Cheap housing loans, which are issued within the framework of state programs, have formed a solid demand for modern individual housing construction. According to the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation, at the end of 2022, the number of mortgage loans issued for individual housing construction tripled compared to 2021. As Pavel Lutsenko, general director of the World of Apartments portal, told MK, rural mortgages at 3% were in great demand, the limits for which were quickly exhausted. Demand was also spurred on by preferential mortgages for individual housing construction. Housing loans under it were issued for the purchase of a house from a developer, the circle of which was very limited, as well as for the construction of one’s own house. True, there are limitations here, which is why the loan product is still inaccessible to a wide range of borrowers.

According to analysts, now people buy suburban real estate mainly for their own residence, and not for investment purposes. “The main request is a house suitable for year-round living, with heating, bathrooms, good access roads. There are few such worthy, high-quality proposals now. New houses or ready-made houses that require minimal additional investment are more popular, ”Yulia Dymova, director of the Est-a-Tet resale real estate sales office, explained to MK. At the same time, according to her, houses are in demand not only in the near Moscow region, but also in Vladimir, Tver and other neighboring regions. People are willing to buy land and a house at a greater distance from Moscow if it meets their expectations in all respects.

Buyers can be understood – in the Moscow region, there are few development projects that have started on the fence. Most often, houses and cottages have to be built on their own. According to Elena Repina, an expert at Etazhi, on average, building a house with a turnkey finish takes up to 9 months, if frame and modular technologies are not taken into account.

Of course, many potential buyers are interested in primary properties, but there is a shortage of liquid supply in this segment. “Most often, those who want to buy a finished house are considering options on the secondary market. At present, the most popular goods are plots without a contract (UBP), which account for 87% of the total supply. In addition, the acquisition of land is an excellent investment. They are bought for children for the future, for the possible construction of a house, using, among other things, preferential mortgages for individual housing construction, someone for resale after building a house, ”said MK, head of the suburban real estate department of INCOM-Nedvizhimost Tatyana Maksimova.

“UBP are popular both in organized settlements and on the secondary market. On the secondary property, a plot of 6–10 acres in the Moscow region, depending on the location and other factors, can be bought from 100–500 thousand rubles,” added Lutsenko. According to him, consumer preferences are changing. For example, the average area of ​​a house offered for sale is steadily decreasing (over the past year, this important indicator has decreased from 182 sq. m. to 169 sq. m.): “People are not ready to overpay for the size. They need small, 100-150 sq. m, houses in good locations, with finished decoration and working communications – both in the secondary market and in organized villages. It is almost impossible to sell luxury real estate in general.”

According to Dymova, one of the most popular formats is a small two-story house with panoramic windows and all communications, located on a plot of 6-8 acres. Many gather in the same house with several families, with relatives on the weekends. Therefore, one of the wishes for planning is a spacious kitchen-living room. “They often look for houses with panoramic glazing and a view of a forest or a pond, but there are not many such offers, and, as a rule, the price for them is higher than non-view analogues, sometimes by 15–20%,” says Elena Repina.

First of all, buyers are interested in quality buildings, regardless of materials. “The most popular block houses (made of aerated concrete and foam concrete) due to the ratio of price and quality,” Tatyana Maksimova emphasized. According to her, the fashion for frame houses is also growing. With the observance of technology, they turn out to be warm, comfortable and, which is also very important, prefabricated. In the past few years, wood construction has been gaining momentum, which is largely promoted by government policy. “And in general, in our country, with a large resource of forests, wooden architecture has always been developed. Wooden houses are built from glued beams, kiln-dried beams and logs,” the expert noted. There is also a growing demand for houses made of CLT-panels (Cross Laminated Timber, cross-glued wood. – “MK”), for houses built using modular frame technologies. Such houses have all the advantages of wood and are devoid of its disadvantages: drying out, volume changes, etc. House kits are assembled at the factory, which avoids problems with the weather during construction and makes it possible to erect buildings all year round. Their important advantage is also the speed of erection.

House area 80-120 sq. m with 3-4 rooms made of aerated concrete at a distance of 30 to 50 km from the Moscow Ring Road costs from 8 million to 15 million rubles, said Tatyana Maksimova. The price tag, as a rule, is influenced by three factors: the direction of the Moscow region, the distance from the Moscow Ring Road, the material of construction (see table). According to Lutsenko, now 1 sq. m of a house in the Moscow region costs 75,363 rubles, and the average house – 12,702,808 rubles. “Last year, house prices fell by 6%, this process continues this year. Those who emigrate or intend to do so are getting rid of suburban real estate, they are ready to sell houses at discount prices. And this affects the average prices. Also on the suburban market there is a huge amount of illiquid assets – unfinished, abandoned houses, with problems with communications, encumbrances, etc., for which the owners also reduce prices, ”the analyst explained. According to realtors, bargaining is appropriate. You can count on discounts, this is a matter of competent negotiations with the seller.

Of course, potential buyers are interested in the question, where will prices go in spring and summer? Analysts are divided. According to the forecast of Elena Repina, suburban real estate prices will continue to grow rapidly, this is justified by the current high demand and the increased availability of mortgage lending in this segment: that there is a good subsidized rate from developers to build a house.”

Tatyana Maksimova, on the contrary, sees no reason for the growth in demand and prices. In her opinion, we should expect a slight decrease in average price tags, but not for all items. “There was no increase in finances in the country, the well-being of citizens as a whole did not improve, but the money was redistributed to the military or members of the NWO. What will happen next, time will tell, ”the expert noted.

Pavel Lutsenko does not expect a boom in the suburban housing market near Moscow. But stagnation, in his opinion, is unlikely. “Inexpensive dachas, houses for permanent residence are still in demand. Including as an alternative to Moscow apartments that have risen in price in recent years, ”concluded the analyst.

“The main thing when choosing a house is its location, it must meet your needs. And in this regard, there is no need to make compromises,” Maksimova reminds: “If walking distance to the railway station is important, then choose the appropriate location. After all, the house can be repaired or redone, the site can be drained, but the station cannot be brought closer.” Before the deal, be sure to ask the owner to show the town-planning plan of the land (GPZU), advises Dymova. In addition, it is important to check the availability and location of communications, analyze the social and transport infrastructure in the neighborhood. Top 5 expensive and budget destinations in the Moscow region

PRIMARY MARKET

Highway Avg. lot price

Rublevo-Uspenskoe RUB 134.4 million

Altufievskoe* RUB 81.4 million

Warsaw 19.6 million rubles.

Novorizhskoye RUB 18.3 million

Kyiv 13.8 million rubles

Novoryazanskoye 1.5 million rubles

Nosovikhinskoye 1.6 million rubles

Simferopolskoye 2.1 million rubles

Gorky 2.2 million rubles

Kashirskoye 3.1 million rubles

SECONDARY MARKET

Area Medium. house price

Odintsovo 63.2 million rubles

Krasnogorsk 55.24 million rubles

Istrinsky 23.5 million rubles

Khimki 19.82 million rubles

Mytishchi 12.18 million rubles

Shatursky RUB 0.94 million

Serebryano-Prudsky RUB 1.09 million

Shakhovskaya 1.21 million rubles.

Egoryevsky 1.21 million rubles

Zaraisky 1.22 million rubles

*only 1 premium-class settlement is put up for sale, which is why the price is high.

According to AC “INCOM-Nedvizhimost”.