Debunking Myths: 7 Types of "Unpleasant" Apartments

Together with real estate experts, we weighed all the "accusations" against unpopular apartments – most of them turned out to be fabricated. With minor investments and reasonable renovations, an unattractive apartment can become a profitable purchase. We will explain why and for whom.

1. Apartments on the First Floors

It is commonly believed:

"Most buyers are categorically against purchasing housing on the first floors," says Alexey Olenyev, Deputy Director of the New Construction Department at Est-a-Tet. "People fear that it's easier for burglars to break into apartments on lower floors. Secondly, there are great concerns about increased noise: children play in the yard, cars drive by, adults gather in groups. Thirdly, it is believed that in an apartment on the first floor, you will always have to keep the windows covered to hide from street gazes, making it dark all the time like in a crypt. Additionally, trees are often planted along the house, which, as they grow, block first-floor apartments from light. Fourthly, some buyers are troubled by the proximity to basement apartments, which gives rise to various phobias – from supposed strange sounds from the basement to the possibility of living creatures entering the apartment,"

In reality:

video doorbells, surveillance cameras, window grills, modern doors and locks equalize the safety levels for residents of lower and upper floors. Noise can be handled with quality windows – if mosquito nets are installed, fears about "living things" disappear. Curtains don't need to be heavy – a thin veil or mesh fabric behind the glass prevents peering into what's happening in the apartment, while sunlight enters in sufficient quantities. The lack of light due to greenery is indeed a problem – but living under trees is ecologically better than living above them. Experts do not comment on basements: today, even in old buildings, major renovations of utility systems in the basement floor are conducted, which eliminates odors and strange sounds. Moreover, when there is a basement down below rather than neighbors, there's no risk of flooding someone..."

Benefit:

Due to such a large number of prejudices, apartments on the first floors usually cost 10-15% less. In numbers, this difference can amount from 1.5 million rubles to 300 thousand rubles – enough for buying a car or doing a renovation. Also, apartments on the first floors are favorable for renting as shops or hairdressers.

Best for:

young mothers with strollers, elderly people and those with limited mobility. Also for those who fear heights and various emergencies. First floors are considered the safest – in case of danger, one can jump out of the window at any moment.

2. Apartments on the Last Floors

It is commonly believed:

The main fear associated with apartments on the last floors is roof leakage. Buyers are usually not swayed by arguments that technical floors above the top floor are usually made. This phrase causes even more panic, as it is associated with noisy equipment. Also, people somehow fear that on the upper floors, they will be disturbed by the lift motor. That in summer the roof heats up and in winter it gets too cold, so the apartment will be either too hot or too cold. And the same fear of thieves closes the chain of concerns.

In reality:

In modern residential complexes, there is no possibility of roof leakage due to the use of modern waterproofing materials. The technical floor does not house noisy equipment – it contains electrical panels, ventilation ducts and pipelines, no more noisy than regular heating pipes in apartments. The lift motor is always installed in a special addition above the technical floor.

Benefit:

Developers set different prices for apartments on the last floors. For secondary housing, the price reduction can be noticeable, but in new modern buildings with a technical floor, they are first sold with excellent views and no neighbors above. The demand for such offers has recently been growing, and the prejudices melt away very quickly.

Best for:

Romantic hermits and lovers of open horizons. Living above all, not hearing any unnecessary noise, and enjoying panoramic views – a enviable prospect. Another advantage is that it's easier to coordinate renovations in panel houses on the upper floors than in medium and lower floors.

3. Apartments Without Balconies

It is commonly believed:

"In the minds of most buyers, an apartment without a balcony is scary and inconvenient because we are all accustomed to using the balcony for practical purposes: for drying laundry, storing everything and more importantly, for fresh air when we don't want to go outside. However, in modern buildings, standard balconies are absent only in projects of high-priced segments with non-standard architectural concepts. In such complexes, large-sized apartments with separate technical rooms – like laundries and wardrobes – are implemented," – notes Alexey Olenyev.

In reality:

In old buildings, balconies are not present everywhere. Such apartments may indeed be rather inconvenient – especially if they are small one-room flats in five- and nine-story buildings. In other cases, there is usually enough space inside the apartment to plan effective storage without a balcony.

Benefit:

There is a discount for apartments without balconies in old buildings, which can reach the same 10-15 percent. When a developer promises to exempt you from paying for balcony area, be careful: balcony square meters do not cost as much as internal apartment square meters, their cost should be calculated with a reduction factor.

Best for:

those who buy housing for rental; young families without a lot of shared property, strollers and flower pots.

4. Apartments with Non-Functional Corridors

It is commonly believed:

Long narrow corridors with doors along the entire length look unwelcoming, no furniture can be fitted into them, and at their ends, awkward empty foyers form that cannot be used. In such cases, no reduced coefficient applies, and when purchasing such an apartment, you have to pay the full price for the unused square meters. In Moscow, it costs 200 thousand rubles per square meter – meaning one such corridor costs as much as a good foreign car.

In reality:

This, unfortunately, is not a myth but pure truth. The flaws of such layouts can only be corrected by demolishing partitions and completely renovating the apartments (if there is a possibility). These measures only add to costs.

Benefit:

Request a price reduction, especially on the secondary market. At the same time, check if there are opportunities for quick re-planning (if the wall between the rooms and the corridor is built entirely of lightweight gypsum or grooved panels, and does not support any part of the floor slab).

Best for:

realizing design fantasies – if you are looking for an apartment where everything can be torn down and then re-planned, buy a flat with a non-functional corridor at a discount and invest the saved money in renovation.

5. Apartments with Combined/Divided Bathroom

It is commonly believed:

There are only two points of view, based on the number of variants offered in the market. Those who love spaciousness even in a bathroom and are not afraid of morning queues would never want to buy apartments with narrow cabins instead of a normal room, even for sanitary needs. In large families, on the contrary, a combined bathroom is considered a nightmare.

In reality:

This is a matter of taste and habits, and trade is not very appropriate while there are offers for both camps on the market. Bathrooms in old housing stock (both combined and separate) are equally cramped and inconvenient, and regardless, they will require renovation, so if the rest of the apartment suits you, there is no need to fight for the "right" bathroom. In new buildings, it is increasingly common to find apartments with two bathrooms – one separate and one combined. Or in separate bathrooms, a wall made of foam blocks can be easily dismantled if desired.

Benefit:

Remember that if you buy an apartment with a separate bathroom and you want a combined one, by removing the partition wall, you disrupt the integrity of the entire plumbing system, and properly, you will need a full renovation with waterproofing – which is expensive. Therefore, it's easier for those who want to make the reverse metamorphosis – that is, to buy an apartment with a combined bathroom to divide it. Because this can be easily done using temporary or partial partitions. If you don't want to build a gypsum board wall on a frame, use plywood sheets, polycarbonate, wall panels or even heavy curtains.

Best for:

As we just found out, for lovers of separate bathrooms (usually families with children) – they can easily separate combined bathrooms. Those who prefer a bathroom combined with a toilet (often young buyers, single women or elderly couples) better ask for a larger discount for the "wrong" bathroom and be ready to make major renovations. Also, pay attention to offers to dismantle the wall made of foam blocks in new apartments.

6. Linear Apartments

It is commonly believed:

In such apartments, all windows face one direction, and all rooms are either sunny or dark. Therefore, linear layouts have many opponents. In addition, this category also includes the much-maligned "boxcar" – a layout where two rooms are adjacent, and next to it is a small kitchen. All windows also face one direction. The lack of separate entrances – not a modern solution, which is not liked by buyers at all.

In reality:

Sunny rooms built in a line are actually quite good, and there are many ways in the world to hide from bright sunlight. For example, blackout curtains – a cheap and practical solution. For rooms facing north, northeast or northwest, there are also many design solutions that can make them brighter. In general, most of these "one-sided" apartments in old and new buildings are oriented towards the west or east, so choose housing based on your biological rhythms: let early risers be woken up by morning sunlight, and nocturnal birds by evening light.

Benefit:

On the secondary market, you can buy an apartment with a "boxcar" layout at a good discount. Of course, it's important to choose apartments in high-rise block buildings (this layout has survived in nine-story and eight-story series II-18-01). Everyone already knows that investing money in five-story buildings, even "untenable" ones, is not worth it, but repeating this advice doesn't hurt.

Best for:

Both the Khrushchyov-style "boxcar" and isolated rooms on one side of the house can be suitable, for example, for an elderly couple – if children have already grown up, this is an economical option for a flat with a cozy bedroom and living room. Also for young and creative people: experiments with color and décor can achieve wonders even with poor natural lighting. By removing walls, you can get a luxurious studio with three windows.

7. Corner Apartments

It is commonly believed:

These apartments are cold because external walls freeze, crack, and condensation appears on the inside, causing mold to grow; the position of windows is prone to drafts.

In reality:

Freezing corners with frost – a horror from the seventies, memories of which live on in owners of corner and end-unit apartments in panel buildings. Today, even in old buildings, you can additionally insulate the external wall and add heating appliances or warm floors in rooms. Modern buildings are constructed using special thick insulated panels, and end walls are additionally insulated; in monolithic buildings, the thickness of end walls is over one and a half meters, and freezing is excluded.

Benefit:

You can buy an inexpensive corner apartment in an old "panel house". If you don't have to deal with mold removal, you can consider the purchase a big stroke of luck: insulating such an apartment is not difficult. At the same time, it can boast two undeniable advantages over other options: there are no neighbors behind the external wall, which means less noise in the apartment; also, such apartments often have windows facing three directions, and one room in them often has two windows.

Best for:

The old panel variant – for active and entrepreneurial people. Find, buy, save, and renovate – a fashionable modern quest that not everyone enjoys playing. And for everyone else: if you don't want to deal with renovation and insulation, take a corner apartment in a new building, whether panel or monolithic. In any case, in such housing, it's warm, bright, and quiet.