"YIT Lietuva" for 23 million Eur will build "Urban HUB" in Vilnius
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One of the most important criteria when choosing housing is undoubtedly its area. However, even flats with the same area can be completely different. It primarily depends on the priorities of the residents themselves. A survey conducted by the research company Norstat which was provided on the initiative of the sustainable urban development and construction company YIT Lietuva shows that Lithuanians give more priority to the spaciousness of housing than to a bigger number of rooms. Choosing between equal housing area 42 percent of the residents would prefer the one that is more spacious and better functionally planned. While the number of rooms is extremely important to 30 percent of the residents, and they would not tend to reduce that number due to the more conciderable space of the flat.
Special attention to convenient layout
Furthermore, it turned out that 27 percent of residents would choose more spacious housing with fewer rooms only if they had the opportunity to separate a part of the area later and install an additional room. Housing space is more often preferred by men while the number of rooms is more important to women. If in the survey 47 percent of men singled out the spaciousness and functionality of housing as a more important factor, only 36 percent of women chose this answer. Simultaneously, 33 percent of women and 26 percent of men gave priority to a larger number of rooms.
"Today customers pay a lot of attention to the convenient housing layout and the sense of space. It is desirable that the housing should be planned efficiently, it should not have very narrow, compressed spaces and unnecessary constructions. Usually customers ask for a more spacious living room and a kitchen. There is also an increasing emphasis on more spacious bathrooms. Housing space is usually more important for customers when buying housing for living, but not for investment, ”says Jurga Vilkenė, manager of Real Estate Marketing and Sales at YIT Lietuva.
Need for spacious balconies and terraces
Actually, according to her, the needs and priorities of each customer are different. For example, families with children usually look for flats with a bigger number of separate rooms where all family members could have their own spaces. Besides, according to J. Vilkenė, during the pandemic a new trend emerged, when people want to install a separate study in the apartment.
“Another really clear trend is the growing attention of residents to balconies and terraces. Customers want them to be as spacious as possible because they want to be able to enjoy their stay in the open air. They would like to place outdoor furniture and install comfortable lounges on the balcony or the terrace. In summer such spaces are often used for breakfast, lunch or dinner, enjoying the fresh air and spending time with friends. Therefore, we pay no less attention to balconies and terraces in our implemented projects, than to the interior spaces of the flat, ”says J. Vilkenė.
Often the housing plan is adjusted according to the needs
According to J. Vilkenė, quite a few customers aspire to have more flexibility when purchasing their housing, therefore they are interested in the possibility to install additional partitions in the planned spaces or, conversely, to demolish them. Some customers also ask not to install the partitions between the rooms provided in the plan. According to the YIT Lietuva representative, such requests are always taken into account.
"People usually do not buy housing for two or three years. Naturally, the needs of the residents may change over time. For example, when planning a family expansion there may be a need to divide the existing spaces and install additional rooms for children. Surely, it also happens that the customer really likes a particular flat for one reason or another, but there are too many rooms for a person. As a result, he chooses to remove the existing partitions, ”says J. Vilkenė.
It is important to follow the rules when making repairs
According to the representative of the developers, in this case the best way is to consult with specialists. But small changes, such as the removal or installation of partitions, do not require permission. Therefore, lot of customers adjust the original layout of the flat to their needs.
“When carrying out any repairs in the flat, it is important to remember that only such works which do not affect the load-bearing structures and general engineering systems are allowed. It is also important to comply with all other requirements provided in the housing purchase agreement and regulatory documents, as well as legal acts in force in Lithuania, for example, laying down rules on noise levels, construction waste management, etc. In most cases no problems occur for the residents who install flats in our projects, and if necessary, we provide all the required information and assistance, ”says J. Vilkenė.
