I know that you have a versatile company, working in different directions: redevelopment, countryside realty, residential complexes, etc. What projects, what formats, in your opinion, are the most promising nowadays? 

 The difficult economic situation in the country and limited effective demand make adjustments to the work of developers. The suburban housing market has long been stagnant. Demand for city apartments has narrowed, and the vector of consumer preferences has moved to Moscow. High competition in the Moscow region market and a small difference in the price per square meter compared to the capital's new buildings complicate the work of developers in this region. We see how many developers, previously specializing in housing construction in the region, move to Moscow.

  For us, the most promising and interesting from the point of view of profitability are high-budget housing projects in the center of the capital, as well as large-scale infrastructure residential complexes in developing areas in a convenient location. Redevelopment projects are also interesting, but, unfortunately, there are few such sites in Moscow.

 Has the transition to a new financing system affected your company?

 Due to the high rate of construction and sales residential complex "Kvartaly 21/19" received a conclusion on the degree of readiness, allowing to continue the implementation of apartments without the use of escrow accounts. At the same time, while the criteria were approved, according to which it is possible to work under the old rules, we negotiated with credit institutions. The revision of the financial model of the project, taking into account the transition to escrow accounts and project financing, showed a noticeable increase in the final cost per square meter.

 Today, the average cost of apartments sold through escrow accounts is higher than in the whole market of new buildings of the mass segment. Such objects on average cost 175-180 thousand rubles per sq. m., while the average index for the market of mass new buildings is 173 thousand rubles.

 What are your expectations for 2020?

We expect the price increase to continue. At the end of this year, the average cost per square meter in the mass segment of new buildings in Moscow grew by an average of 1% per month (growth was absent in January). Next year, growth will be driven by inflation and the transition to escrow accounts of new projects.

 Part of the increase in prices will offset the availability of mortgages. This year, due to lower inflation, the Central Bank four times reduced the size of the key rate (the next change may occur on December 13), which made it possible for banks to adjust the conditions for their mortgage products.

 Today, in a number of credit institutions rates of less than 8% per annum are available (in Otkritie Bank the rate starts from 7.85%, in Promsvyazbank with a loan amount of 7 million rubles the rate is valid from 7.99%). The potential to reduce rates has not yet been exhausted, provided that the current rate of inflation, in the absence of sharp shocks in the economy of our country, the average mortgage rate can fall to 8.5 % (now this figure is 9.6%). 

 Against the background of declining real incomes (for the first half of 2019 decreased by 1.3%), demand will narrow. However, the pace of sales in liquid projects will not be affected, as the market volume of new buildings will also narrow due to the departure of companies that have failed to adapt to the new rules of work.

His words were almost instantly scattered on social networks, whose users sarcastically agreed that the authorities, who own several multimeter expensive apartments in the country and allow themselves to rent such property abroad, may not understand why for ordinary Russians such "birdhouses" are the only affordable housing.

This was two years ago. And then it seemed that 20-meter studios, really, were the top of apartment "minimalism". However, quite a bit of time has passed, and now, when on the shelves of shops you will not find a kilogram of sugar or a full liter of milk, what was considered a "cage", looks downright chic offer.

At least, this is the conclusion that emerges from the recent conversation of "SP" with the managing partner of the company "VectorStroyFinance" Andrey Kolochinskiy about the latest trends in apartment construction of houses.

— Before the crisis of 2008, projects in the market of new buildings were characterized mainly by increased area sizes, - he explained. - In the crisis period, developers began to revise new and even some ongoing projects in the direction of reducing the area. Moreover, this has occurred both in the budget segment and in the more expensive classes of accommodation.

This trend was continued in the crisis of 2014-2015, being relevant until now. At the same time, the market is characterized not only by a decrease in space, but also the appearance of such a product as a studio. And if earlier the share of studios was negligible, today in the market of new buildings of the Moscow region it reaches 8-10% of the total supply.

"SP": — What is the area of apartments is considered the most optimal today?

— Today the average size of the studios are 25 sq.m., one-bedroom apartments - 38 sq. m., one bedroom - 55 sq.m. two-bedroom - 70 - 75 sq. m. In the past five years European format apartment with a combined kitchen and living room started to gain popularity. The space can be effectively organized even in a small area. Moreover, the European format is in demand, even if we are talking about multi-room apartments — two- and three-bedroom.

"SP": — Did the ratio of one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments change? On what principle does the developer determine how many apartments of each type to provide in the project?

— If we talk about the ratio of different apartments in the projects, it is necessary to take into account the location of the object and its target audience. So, now in residential complexes of point building without own adjacent territory and the developed infrastructure or the projects located near metro stations, the share of studios and one-room apartments can account for up to 50% of the total supply, 35% - for two-room and only 15% for three-room apartments. And, on the contrary, if we are talking about family residential complexes with developed infrastructure and landscaping, one-bedroom apartments are designed no more than 30%, two-bedroom - 40%, and three-bedroom - 30%.

"SP": — Is it true, based on the cost per square meter, that studios are the most expensive type of housing?

— That's true. Today in the market of capital new buildings of a mass segment the average cost of square meter of studio approaches 200 thousand rubles while in multi-room apartments of the same class the square meter costs 160-180 thousand rubles. That is the less the area of the apartment, the more expensive there is a "square".

"SP": — Who's buying studio apartments and small apartments? Are there any features of living in a house with a large number of studios and small one-bedroom apartments?

— Small apartments - for many a good option first own housing. Such apartments are bought by parents to their children or young families.

Of course, such a product is not purchased from a good life - first of all, the buyer is guided by the budget. Often, such housing is temporary, after some time it is sold and bought real estate larger area.

As for the features of living-they really are. If more than 20 - 25% of studios are designed in a residential complex, it will be uncomfortable to live in it. There will be overpopulation, which will result in queues at the elevator, lack of free parking spaces at the house and so on.

"SP": — What is profitable for developers to build - small-sized options or spacious housing?

— From the economic point of view, it is more profitable for developers to build large apartments. They are easier to design, easier to coordinate insolation. In a house with an increased area of apartments less bathrooms, risers, load-bearing structures. However, when planning an apartment, developers focus on the current demand and solvency of buyers. In adverse economic conditions, with the inevitable decline in demand, they try to adapt the product to the crisis market as much as possible. First of all, by reducing the purchase budget and reducing the area of apartments.

"SP": — What are your predictions for the future? Will the average area of apartments continue to decrease further?

— The tendency to reduce the area of apartments can be traced for years. In my opinion, there is simply nowhere to decrease further.

So, now in a number of projects in the Moscow region there are studios with an area of 16-17 sq. m. It is difficult to imagine life in such an apartment. Unfortunately, so far the economic situation in our country remains unstable, real incomes are declining due to high inflation rates. Even people who buy real estate in the mortgage, plan their payments on the loan based on the current realities. It is unlikely that anyone will give the last money for the loan, leaving no savings for an emergency. Therefore, our citizens are squeezed and buy affordable housing of a small area.

It is difficult to say how long this situation will last. Everything will depend on macroeconomic factors. But I don't think it's likely to change in the next couple of years.

It is noteworthy that these words of the expert still look quite soft. But, for example, the specialists of the Federal portal "WORLD of APARTMENTS" are increasingly found in the base of their resource offers of 11 and 10 square meters.

In Pervoprestolnaya, they testify, for the price of a room in a communal apartment (2.25 million rubles), a 10-meter renovated studio in Cherkizov on the first floor of a five-story building is offered. A similar option is sold, for example, in Krasnoyarsk: 10 sq. m. for 940 thousand rubles. In Kazan and Volgograd there are microstudies on 10 "squares" for 925 and 599 thousand rubles respectively. 11-meter studios are sold in St. Petersburg for 1.53 million rubles and Yekaterinburg for 1.1 million rubles. Similar 11-meter "practically apartments" are located in Perm, Rostov-on-don, Chelyabinsk, Krasnodar, Novosibirsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Ufa (Studio with a sitting bath), Voronezh and Omsk.

However, the General Director of the Federal portal "WORLD of APARTMENTS" Pavel Lutsenko somewhat defuses the situation, noting that the supercompact studio with area of 10-13 square meters can be found only on the "secondary". "No matter how small the plans of modern developers, to such "heights" they, fortunately, have not yet reached. This is usually converted and furnished as a separate dwelling rooms in the former dormitories and hotel type houses. They have everything you need for a full, but often still temporary residence, " he says.

It's reassuring, of course. But only if we do not remember what the government promised the Russians in its "Concept of long-term social and economic development of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2020" approved on November 17, 2008. In this official policy document, in particular, it was stated that "as a result of the implementation of new strategic directions of the state housing policy by 2020, a qualitatively new level of the housing sector should be formed, corresponding to world standards." And it should be characterized, for a moment, including bringing the housing stock "to a state that meets modern conditions of energy efficiency, ecology", as well as achieving "average housing security (25-27 sq. m. total area per person in 2015 and 28-35 sq. m. - by 2020).

As with these odious plans correlate 15-meter studios - "birdhouses", which are not from a good life forced to buy on bonded credit terms families with children - neither in the concept nor in the current government documents, you can’t find a single word.

Current legislature

Current legislation in the field of shared construction involves the payment of compensation in case of postponement of the commissioning of the property. At first glance, a fair measure designed to protect the interests of home buyers often becomes a convenient tool for making money. And it's not so much about payments to consumers, but about the opportunity to cash in for companies specializing in such cases in court. By analogy with the car insurance market, development has become fertile ground for lawyers who not only offer services to accompany the case in court, but also redeem the right to claim forfeit.

New bill

Unfortunately, the current legislation does not take into account the current situation, so some of the rules are not only not fairly applied to developers, but they can seriously undermine their financial stability. In order to rectify the situation, in December last year, the State Duma introduced a draft law “On Amending Article 1 of the Law of the Russian Federation“ On Protection of Consumer Rights ””, which provides for the exclusion from the scope of regulation of the Law of the Russian Federation of 07.02.1992 No. 2300-1 “On Protection consumer rights ”relations arising in the field of shared construction. Today the document is under consideration in the State Duma. Why was there a need for such an initiative?

Completion of problematic objects: what to expect interest holders?

The fact is that in addition to the penalty, the participant in shared construction is also entitled to compensation in the amount of 50% of the amount due. You can get it if the developer voluntarily did not make payments before going to court. Some equity holders use this loophole and deliberately go directly to the court without first contacting the developer. In the event that the court is a legal entity that has purchased the right to claim a forfeit, it may also claim a fine of 50%. This provision of the Law of the Russian Federation “On the Protection of Consumer Rights” is not quite justly applied in the field of shared construction, in fact, equalizing legal companies with the real participants in shared construction. Yes, and the latter, if you think about it, are not buyers in a classic form, speaking more likely as co-investors in construction.

The same applies to the amount of compensation. The current calculation formula assumes a double penalty for individuals acting as participants in shared construction. However, in the event that the legal entity has acquired the right to claim the forfeit, under the current legislation it is entitled to compensation established for the citizen. This norm also needs to be revised.

How to balance the interests of developers and participants?

In order to maintain a balance between the interests of developers and participants in shared construction, a procedure for pre-trial settlement of disputes arising during the acceptance of housing in new buildings with decoration should also be provided. Practice shows that often, abusing their rights, buyers make unreasonable demands. In such cases, customers rarely care about quality, and seek to receive additional bonuses to a new apartment, for which the developer will pay.

The choice of real estate in the primary market

If, in addition to the costs arising from the transition to project financing, developers will have to bear the costs of courts with interest holders and satisfy them that are not always fair, but so far legal requirements, this is unlikely to increase the affordability of housing: all potential costs will inevitably be laid in its cost. And minus in the end will be everything, including ordinary property buyers, whose only desire is to quickly move into a new apartment.

In the Middle Ages, when the appearance of modern cities was just forming, construction was carried out along the roads leading to the fortress or castle. The main population was people not employed in agriculture. Merchants, artisans, barbers, tavern owners opened their shops on the first floors of the houses, and they settled higher. The laws of trade and marketing worked in those days, so they paid a lot of attention to the design of the first floors.

In pre-revolutionary Moscow, the first floors remained the center of communication between citizens and traders. According to the same principle, the capital developed after the revolution, but private shops were replaced by state shops and service enterprises. But in the absence of market relations, the city authorities themselves decided where to open a hairdresser, shop, dining room or pharmacy.

Industrialization has made adjustments: industrial development has led to the emergence of a working class in cities. The proletariat needed new housing - so the first workers' settlements began to appear. Then they first talked about the functional zoning of the city. Previously, at home, trading stalls and work were in one location, then in an industrial city a person lived in one place, worked in another, and spent leisure time and made purchases in the center. Therefore, in the central regions of the capital, in the houses of the Stalin era, the first floors continued to be designed for public needs. Due attention was paid to their design - in rooms with unusually high ceilings, often showcases and entrances framed by arches and stucco molding.

The city was actively built up and along with the working villages typical micro-districts began to appear. Residential buildings were erected in free order, away from the main thoroughfares. Urban planning policy in the Khrushchev era was aimed at a rapid increase in housing stock, so the entire usable area was given for apartments. The territory between the houses was occupied by playgrounds and recreational facilities for adults, and commercial premises were located in separate buildings. They were not enough, so queues at grocery stores were not uncommon.

The lack of the required number of non-residential premises forced private entrepreneurs to rebuild the first floors on their own in the 90s of the last century. Contrary to the ideas of Soviet designers, people began to “fence” individual entrances and stairs. Such solutions, along with iron bars on the windows of the apartments, designed to ensure safety, spoiled the appearance of already not always attractive buildings. Tenants and owners of premises transferred to a non-residential fund were forced to develop their business in apartments that were not adapted for these purposes. So began to appear stores with the most necessary goods, beauty salons, notary offices and dentists' offices. Their catchy signs did not add appeal to the urban landscape of the old districts.

Today, in the old low-rise quarters of the capital, there is still a shortage of shops. Network retailers do not consider premises on the ground floors, as they do not meet the planning and technical requirements. The same applies to commercial space in standard panel new buildings, therefore, in a number of projects, developers will redesign them into apartments or apartments. However, the demand for housing on the ground floors is limited, since such apartments have a number of specific disadvantages. And customers who are inclined to consider the first floor often do this because of the low cost.

The shortage of commercial space at the end of the last century was filled by numerous stalls and poorly organized open-air markets. These points, which with a stretch can be called trading pavilions, were discordant with the urban landscape and distorted the appearance of the historical streets of Moscow. One can argue for a long time about the legitimacy of the actions of the city authorities who organized the mass demolition on the “night of long buckets”, but the fact that the city became better without these buildings can hardly be disputed.

Today, new areas in Moscow are developing on a quarterly basis. The residential quarter is a full-fledged urban unit in which it is comfortable to live, work and relax. It has become standard practice to place commercial premises on the ground floors and combine them with the main entrance to the residential apartments. Developers involved in integrated development of territories, at the design stage, program the spaces of the first floors to the needs of future residents: for shops provide loading areas, for restaurants and cafes - powerful hoods.

This approach not only increases the comfort of living, but also contributes to the creation of new jobs, partly reduces the pendulum migration in the city. And new requirements for the design of the ground floors (the presence of transparent entrance groups and display cases) increase the aesthetic appeal of the living environment and make it safer. Transparent constructions add additional lighting to the streets, allow people in cafes and beauty salons to watch what is happening outside, and pedestrians to monitor life inside the houses.

All this contributes to the creation of a polycentric city, helps to fight against the outdated principle of zoning the environment, ultimately making our life better, more comfortable and more beautiful. It is enough, starting to design the next residential complex, to think about the details, which in general form our perception of the city, as well as the understanding of whether we want to live in its specific point.