Experts talked about the "pitfalls" of apartments with terraces
About 19% of new buildings in Moscow have terraces. An apartment with its own outdoor area is the dream of many, but buying it can be a disappointment if you don't know about the "pitfalls". On January 28, experts from Grad Development told Izvestia about seven nuances that should be considered when buying an apartment with a terrace.
First, they recommended clarifying the legal status of the terrace, namely, they advised to find out whether it is the property of the apartment owner or common property. At first glance, everything is very clear about the legal affiliation of the terrace: the terrace is a part of the apartment from which access to it is provided.
In most cases, such a layout really determines the legal affiliation of the open part of the apartment. However, it is important to know that the terrace may have a public purpose, and such a site belongs to the communal property of all residents of the house. These are usually operational roofs or public terraces. But there may also be ambiguous situations. For example, a terrace is technically a single area that surrounds the entire floor, and residents of all apartments on the floor have access to it. At the same time, the plots assigned to the apartments may be separated from the neighboring ones by decorative, rather than capital partitions, or they may not have them at all. In this case, it may well turn out that the terrace is legally a communal property.
Therefore, before buying, it is necessary to carefully study the extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate (USRN) and the project declaration in order to clearly understand what is being purchased. The ideal option is when the terrace is included in the "total reduced area" of the apartment with a reduction factor (usually 0.3 for terraces and balconies).
Secondly, experts urged buyers to plan the insulation of the terrace in advance. According to them, one of the most common and dangerous illusions of buyers is the opportunity to turn an outdoor terrace into a fully heated winter garden or a year—round lounge area. The transfer of communal radiators to the loggia, balcony, terrace and the installation of water underfloor heating from central heating are prohibited, as they violate design decisions, the hydraulic regime of the system and the calculation of heat supply at home.
The most obvious threat in the Russian climate is the freezing of the heating system. Most likely, it will not be possible to legalize the reconstruction of heating. Therefore, the owner of an apartment with a terrace will have to insulate it with autonomous electrical systems, such as infrared heaters or cable underfloor heating. However, even here it is necessary to make sure in advance that sufficient electrical power is brought to the terrace.
Thirdly, the Grad Development company stated the importance of evaluating the technical equipment of the terrace. The beautiful image of the terrace in the developer's rendering hides a complex of engineering solutions, the quality of which determines comfort and safety.
The most problematic aspects in the design of terraces are waterproofing and drainage systems. There should be a sufficient number of drainage funnels (ladders) on the terrace. The terrace also needs a proper surface slope to avoid puddles and leaks.
Another important technical parameter is the permissible load on the floor slab. In residential monolithic houses, the temporary regulatory load on floors is about 150 kg per square meter. The total estimated load with a margin reaches 800-1200 kg per square meter. m. At the same time, on average, each square meter of area, for example, a Jacuzzi, puts a load on floors of 225 kg. Therefore, the dream of a hot tub on the terrace should be correlated with the actual technical characteristics of the chosen apartment. Finally, do not forget about more prosaic communications: waterproof electrical outlets, a tap for water supply and lighting.
The fourth important point that needs to be studied is the "microclimate". The potential owner needs to understand in advance what will surround him on the terrace. Comfort on it is determined not only by what a person will see, but also by what surrounds and affects him. For example, a terrace on the south side of a building without the possibility of shading can turn into a hot frying pan in the summer months. The north side, on the contrary, may find itself in eternal shade, which is not suitable for many plants and will require additional heating of the terrace, even in summer.
Since terraces are often designed in high-rise buildings, it is important to take into account the wind load. Nearby high-rise buildings can create a "wind tunnel" effect on the terrace, so it makes sense to arrange a viewing of the apartment on a windy day. Another problem is the aquarium effect. Study the construction plans of the residential complex and neighboring plots. Before buying, it is extremely important to assess the level of visual privacy. Finally, listen to the acoustic background. In addition to the obvious noise from nearby highways, the problem can be caused by external units of communal ventilation systems with their characteristic monotonous hum — they are often placed on the roof, and they can create noise on the terraces of the upper floors.
The fifth nuance is the very arrangement and maintenance of a multifunctional and large terrace, which is not cheap. Only laying high-quality decking from decking in Moscow will cost about 5-8 thousand rubles per square meter. And if you add to this the purchase of outdoor furniture, professional landscaping and the installation of a protective awning from the sun, the budget for the arrangement of a large terrace can easily exceed 1-1.5 million rubles. Next, you need to keep in mind the fixed costs. Over time, due to climatic stress and wear, the maintenance costs of a large and functional terrace increase. For example, deep cleaning of the coating will cost 250 rubles per square meter, mold removal — 300 rubles per square meter, washing fences - 150 rubles per square meter. For a terrace of 50 square meters. one-time cleaning will cost 10-20 thousand rubles, depending on the complexity.
The penultimate advice from the experts was a call for early awareness of what can and cannot be done on the terrace. Cooking over a fire is the main and most frequent source of conflict. According to the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1479 "On approval of fire safety regulations", the use of open flames, including charcoal barbecues and grills, on the terraces of apartment buildings is strictly prohibited. The use of electric grills is usually allowed, but there may be restrictions from the Criminal Code.
Another problem is the "customization" of the terrace. Any structural changes affecting the exterior of the building, from glazing and replacement of fences to the installation of pergolas and canopies, can be considered a change in the facade, which is considered common property under the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, and require complex coordination with all owners and supervisory authorities. Of course, pets should not be kept on the terrace, old things and flammable materials should not be stored.
Finally, the last, seventh point consists of a recommendation on thinking over the functional zoning and connection with the apartment terrace. The convenience and real benefits of a terrace depend on how well it is integrated into the apartment layout. First of all, the location of the exit is important: the ideal solution is considered to be the exit from the kitchen-living room. This makes it easier to create a single space for receiving guests and dining outdoors. The exit from the bedroom turns the terrace into a purely private area. The doorway itself plays an important role: a high threshold is uncomfortable, traumatic, and visually breaks the connection between the interior and exterior. It is better to equip the exit with sliding panoramic portal doors.
"The interest in apartments with terraces is a reflection of a new demand for quality of life, especially in premium projects. However, as our advice shows, a terrace is a much more complex and responsible asset than it seems at first glance. This is a complex engineering structure, the legal status of which, technical readiness and future operating costs require the most careful attention even before purchase. The developer's task is to remove these headaches from the future resident even at the design stage. This is exactly the approach we follow in our Ice Towers project," explained Anastasia Rimskaya, Commercial Director of Grad Development.
According to her, the project initially included full-fledged, technically prepared spaces with pre-calculated permissible loads, an effective drainage system and the withdrawal of necessary communications.
Architect Pavel Matveev said on January 3 that in order to increase the cost of the apartment, its owner needs to work with the layout. Recalling the importance of observing the principles of the "golden ratio", he stressed that what matters to buyers is not so much the number of rooms themselves as their ratio to each other and to the total area of the purchased housing. According to him, in an apartment with an area of about 60 square meters, three small bedrooms may be less comfortable than two more spacious ones. The expert also urged people who intend to sell their existing living space in the future to avoid sharp corners and sloping walls, which can create inconvenience to a potential buyer.
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