The expert spoke about the ways to choose the right apartment to buy in 2026.

When buying a home in 2026, experts advise evaluating the materials of the house, heating systems and carefully carrying out the acceptance. Alexander Korshunov, DIY and Acoustics ROCKWOOL segment Development Manager, told Izvestia on March 13.

According to the expert, one of the main factors is the quality of the "filling" of the apartment. The buyer should specify the material of which the house is built, as monolithic, brick and panel buildings differ in cost, quality and service life. For example, monolithic houses last up to 150 years, brick houses last up to 100 years, and panel houses last about 75 years. The longer the service life of a building, the slower it becomes unusable.

"Facade insulation also plays an important role. The type and quality of thermal insulation directly affects how comfortable the temperature in the apartment will be at different times of the year, and what the tenants' housing costs will be. For example, the microclimate in an apartment is positively affected by the use of slabs made of vapor―permeable stone wool, which provides an unobstructed steam outlet and prevents the accumulation of excess moisture in walls or ceilings," Korshunov said.

As the specialist emphasized, it is also important to find out which heating system is installed in the house. If it is central heating, residents may face problems related to the shutdown of heat or hot water due to accidents on urban utilities. There will be no such problems in houses with an autonomous heating system.

Apartment spread: the price of new buildings has increased since the beginning of the year in all major cities

Most of all, the "square" rose in price in Moscow, Kazan, Perm, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.

Before signing a contract, it is useful to visit the developer's showroom, typical apartments and construction sites to see how the construction is going. It is also important to periodically check the progress of the construction of the future house after signing the contract. When the apartment is ready, the owner needs to prepare for acceptance, armed with a checklist for inspection and a set of tools such as a tape measure, a building level, a flashlight and an indicator screwdriver. This will allow you to carefully inspect all the details and avoid missing important nuances.

The process of apartment acceptance should be carefully worked out, attention should be paid not only to the appearance of the apartment, but also to engineering systems such as heating, ventilation, electrics and plumbing.

"Close attention should be paid to the windows and their junctions: there should be no cracks, cracks or condensation inside the double-glazed unit. To check the quality of the window seals, you can use plain paper or a bank card — they should not pass freely through the closed sash. The walls, floor and ceiling are checked for cracks, misalignments and traces of moisture. You can separately measure the temperature of the walls and the temperature in the room and make sure that the difference between them is no more than four degrees," said Korshunov.

All defects must be recorded in writing in the inspection report, preferably with photo and video recording. If significant defects have been found, it is necessary to involve an independent expert for a second inspection, the costs of which will be borne by the developer. In case of serious problems, the buyer may demand correction of defects or compensation from the developer.

"Even with increased legal protection in 2026, Russians should carefully approach the purchase of real estate. When choosing and accepting an apartment, it is important to look not only at the cost and appearance, but also to understand the materials used by the developer, engineering systems and the quality of work. This approach helps to avoid additional costs and purchase really comfortable housing," the specialist concluded.

Analysts at NDV Real Estate Supermarket reported on March 4 that, by the end of February 2026, the average price per square meter in the primary housing market of "old" Moscow amounted to 814.9 thousand rubles, including the elite segment. During the month, the cost decreased by 2.3%.

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