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    Kommersant, 25 April 2019
    Who is "comfort" and who is lying

    The methodology for classifying new residential buildings by consumer quality was approved by the Russian Guild of Realtors at the end of 2012. Specialists identified four classes of housing in the primary market: "economy", "comfort", "business" and "elite". The first two segments were combined into a group of mass housing, the second - high-quality housing.



    Alexander Pronin

    Alexander Pronin, Chief Architect of Metropolis, commented to Kommersant on the peculiarities of the approach to designing economy and comfort class residential complexes. The visual line between economy and comfort class residential complexes is thin, often barely noticeable. But the average price difference is 30%, which motivates some developers to unreasonably rank their objects in a higher segment. Alexander also noted that these types of housing belong to mass construction and there seems to be no clear difference between them, but several main criteria can be distinguished on the basis of which these classes are divided.

    «First of all, the location of the residential complex, its transport accessibility (for example, in large cities, proximity to the metro stations), and the presence of social infrastructure nearby are important. Mandatory presence at the house of accessible parking with the number of parking spaces that meet regulatory requirements. Often, developers try to save money on this, using various loopholes in legislation and regulations. As a result of such actions, we get yards and lawns filled with vehicles and conflicts with neighbors for parking spaces near the house. In addition, there may be refusal of some residents from their own car due to the inability to properly park it.


    To avoid such a situation when buying a home in a new building, you must first of all study the project documentation of the residential complex and compare the estimated number of residents and the planned number of parking spaces. Any person can draw a conclusion with a little digging on the Internet. Also in the comfort class, the principle of “a yard without cars” is appropriate, moreover, it is real, and not on paper.


    In addition, in a comfort-class residential complex there must be kindergartens and schools within walking distance, again: they really should exist, and not just on paper. You should also pay attention to the disposal of garbage, and how this process is organized in this residential complex. Is it convenient enough for you?


    The second most important criteria is the quality of planning solutions for apartments, as well as the area of residential premises and sanitary facilities. In general, comfort class apartments should be larger than economy class apartments by 6-15 sq. m. In three-room apartments, a second bathroom and a small storage room (dressing room) may appear.


    The third criteria that distinguishes the comfort class from the economy class, in my opinion, is the entrance groups and elevator equipment, as well as the decoration of common areas. In the comfort class, access to the elevators on the ground floor must be carried out without stairs, and the entrance areas must be well lit with daylight. They should also provide space for concierges”.


    Read the full material on Kommersant website.