Moscow is by far Russia’s most urbanised city, and most of its residents reside in apartment blocks, which is perhaps why living in your own cottage or townhouse is considered so prestigious by local standards.

Particularly enviable are the many small townhouse villages and complexes located away from the centre, but inside of the Moscow Ring Road. Many of these communities were built around the year 2000 or later. The term "townhouse" itself entered the Russian language in the 1990s, when wealthy Muscovites began popularising the idea that owning a house wasn’t just something one did back in the village.

Home sweet home

The concept of owning a dacha, or summer house, in Russia is not new at all. While prior to the Russian Revolution dachas were mostly reserved for the upper class, the Soviet Union did make improvements on that front. Many Soviet workers were granted land and an opportunity to build their own dachas far from the city, where the air is fresher and the pace of life is altogether different.

Today, owning a townhouse is almost like an extension of the dacha dream — with the added bonus of being able to experience a higher standard of living — and to do it all year round, as opposed to just in the warmer months.

Mansions near and far

There are two types of townhouses in Moscow — those located inside of the Moscow Ring Road or near it, and those that are built farther out in the Moscow region.

The first type tend to be part of the more prestigious residential complexes — and offer an easier commute — hence they are quite expensive.

Dmitry Tsvetkov, director of the suburban real estate department at Penny Lane Realty, told The Moscow News that a good townhouse is a blend of the countryside housing and urban life.

According to Tsvetkov, for many Muscovites, the biggest selling point of owning a townhouse is not necessarily the greater privacy afforded by it. Most people start out simply looking to get their hands on a property near a particular ski resort or a sanatorium located close to a body of water, be it the Moskva River or the Khimki reservoirs — "in all these cases, a townhouse is the perfect option."

Alexander Ziminsky, director of elite property department at Penny Lane Realty, told The Moscow News that prices for townhouses vary depending on many factors including location, architecture style, the quality of exterior and interior design, furniture and so on. He pointed out that while the most expensive houses are still located inside the Moscow Ring Road, prices there can also vary dramatically.

Anna Levitova, managing partner of Evans Real Estate, told The Moscow News that wealthier buyers should check out a housing complex such as Rosinka. "This complex has a developed infrastructure, a high level of security, [and it] includes an international school and a kindergarten, a clinic, a health club, shopping mall and more," she said.

According to Levitova, the cheapest townhouse in Rosinka will cost 21 million roubles. A townhouse that comes with all of the amenities and is offered as ready to move into will cost around 84 million roubles.

The future of the market

Dmitry Tsvetkov of Penny Lane Realty said that he expects the local townhouse market to grow as more and more people decide they need a break from hectic urban living — but won’t necessarily seek to merely abandon it for quiet country life.

Natalia Kats, managing director of Usadba, a real estate agency that focuses on luxury properties, said that historically, Moscow was even meant to be a city of townhouses.

"In general, this market is relatively new for our country — townhouses in the city became fashionable when people began to travel abroad and discover such houses there," Kats said.

According to Kats, there will be more positive changes to the townhouse market in Moscow, particularly because developers are more and more keen to offer better deals to prospective buyers.

Dacha-style renting

According to most experts, buying a townhouse in Moscow and the Moscow region is still very expensive — the average price per square metre is around 340,000 roubles.

Both locals and expats living in Moscow will often opt to rent a townhouse instead, whether for the summer or for the long term. Sometimes, an excellent deal can come along for potential renters.

According to Anna Levitova of Evans Property, the cheapest townhouse now available in Moscow is located near Krylatskoye and Strogino metro stations in a wonderful forest known as Serebryanny Bor.

"One of the most inexpensive rentals there is a two-storey, three-room townhouse with two bathrooms, fully furnished and with a beautiful view over the park," Levitova said. "This will only cost you 127,000 rubles per month."

Another good place for renting a townhouse is the Pokrovskiye Kholmy area in the Porkovskoye-Streshnevo neighbourhood in northwest Moscow.

According to Alexander Ziminsky of Penny Lane Realty, a townhouse in Pokrovskiye Khlomy, which is called a "a village for expats", will cost about 424,000 roubles per month — the steeper rate is apparently the price one must pay for living in such an internationalised neighbourhood.

The apartment question

A townhouse can be a good alternative to an apartment in Moscow for people who prefer to own their own place while not moving far out into the country.

The average price of a townhouse in a residential complex is 42.5 million roubles. For this price, you usually get a house of 3 to 6 rooms, with high ceilings, a separate entrance, at least one parking spot and sometimes even a backyard garden. An apartment in can be much cheaper — for a good one, the price will vary anywhere from 2.8 to 14 million roubles, but one will have to deal with numerous neighbours as well as infrastructure drawbacks.

One of the biggest advantages of living in a townhouse, after all, is the fact that the infrastructure around it is "built-in" — tailored to the needs of the residents by the developers. One can pick and choose which residential complex is most suitable, which presents greater freedom and comfort for those who can afford it.

A townhouse in a residential complex is also simply a place which is more suited for modern life. It can feel impersonal for those who are used to the more quaint aspects of city or country living, but it can also be a great opportunity for those who are world-weary to get a bit of peace and quiet.

Source: The Moscow News