Advantages and disadvantages are in both new and old buildings. The old housing stock buildings are located in areas with well-developed infrastructure and good transport links, with green and spacious yards. The main advantage is the opportunity to move into the apartment immediately after purchase. The disadvantages of old buildings include outdated communications, low energy efficiency, dependence on disruptions in urban communications, and the heterogeneous social status of neighbours. Often, these shortcomings are imperceptible when making a purchase and are revealed during your living there.
New buildings lack the disadvantages of old buildings: they have new communications, residents of about the same age and social status, and they have been built and insulated with modern technology and energy efficiency requirements. The monolithic frame technology that most new buildings erect allows you to easily redesign space to suit your needs. The new buildings have well-kept building surrounding grounds and well-appointed public areas: halls, corridors, elevators. The key disadvantage of buying an apartment during the construction phase is the need to wait a year or two before putting the building into operation and then doing repairs.
The apartments in the commissioned and occupied new buildings are the best option. The disadvantage of such apartments is that they are much more expensive than apartments in old buildings and buildings under construction.
Choosing the area of your future home, you should consider the following factors:
Find out which area you need, what kind of layout is most convenient and which floor you want to live in. For example, a student or a workaholic who is almost absent from home will be satisfied with a one-room apartment. Such apartment will be temporary, and with the advent of the family the living space will have to expand. For a couple without children, a one-bedroom apartment will be optimal. However, if you are planning to have children in the near future, you should choose spacious options where there are 2 separate rooms or the apartment area will allow you to separate the children's room afterwards.
It is necessary to determine the layout. If you almost do not cook at home, it is better to choose the option with a kitchen combined with living room and a separate bedroom or bedrooms. If cooking is your vocation, choose a detached kitchen. Those who have a lot of things will need a dressing room. A large family will benefit from several bathrooms.
Take a look on prices in the real estate market. The main factor of the apartment cost is its location. It is also important whether it is sold in the primary or secondary market: the floor, the repair quality. If it is a secondary market – views from windows, surrounding infrastructure. For example, the average cost per square meter in Pechersk is almost three times higher than in Troyeshchyna. And the apartment cost in a building constructed in the Soviet period is at least 20% higher than in a building under construction, but up to 50% lower than in a commissioned and occupied new building.
If your savings are not enough to buy the desired apartment, but you have a stable and decent income, you can use an instalment or bank loan.
Developers provide instalments for apartments in buildings under construction. Banks also prefer affiliate programs with developers, some of them provide lending to purchase apartments in the secondary market. Instalments are usually interest-free, while loans in Ukraine are provided at high interest rates. The main advantage of bank lending is that the loan amount is usually fixed in UAH.
Having understood what your ideal apartment should be, you can proceed to the consideration of specific offers in the market.