Each of us is committed to comfort. Comfortable living, cosiness and arrangement of the premises are the main components of a successful life in a megalopolis. Half a century ago, houses of the same type were especially popular: Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev. Half of the country's inhabitants grew up in them. And although today's real estate market offers a wide selection of new buildings for every taste and budget, the apartments of the old fund are still being sold and bought. 3-room brezhnevka is still popular, the layout of which involves the absence of passage rooms. Yes, and it costs a third more expensive than new ones, despite the lack of an elevator, a refuse chute and wear of communications.
Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev - greetings from the distant past
The first Khrushchevs appeared back in the 50s of the last century. They differed in the cheapness of building materials, were built quite quickly and allowed the resettlement of millions of families who, after the war, lived in barracks and communal apartments. They didn’t think about comfort then. Unlike the Brezhnevka apartment, the layout of Khrushchev is characterized by adjacent rooms and a very small kitchen area. Such houses are not higher than 5 floors and without any decals on the facade. At first they were planned as temporary housing, so that in 20-30 years everyone could get a big bright apartment. As you can see, today these plans are not implemented, and the life of the Khrushchev continues.
In the mid-60s, the so-called brezhnevka appeared. Unlike the Khrushchevs, they were built mainly from reinforced concrete panels or silicate brick. Of course, this significantly reduced their thermal insulation compared to the Khrushchevs, but they won by increasing the living space. So, Brezhnevka 2-room, the layout of which suggested the absence of walk-through rooms, was equal in terms of living space to a three-room Khrushchev. And these were not the usual five-story buildings, but buildings of 9-16 floors with an elevator and a garbage chute. Such layouts of brezhnevka also won by increasing the area of the kitchen and the height of the ceilings. And today the bulk of the houses in the sleeping areas are the same brezhnevka.
Another no less popular type of real estate of the last century is stalinka. They began to be built back in the 30s of the twentieth century. They are famous for their high ceilings, spacious rooms, their facades are often decorated with sculptures, balustrades and columns. The layout of such apartments was significantly different from the layout of Brezhnevka and Khrushchev, and the area of a one-room apartment in such a house reached 50 square meters. m. But this is a 2-room Brezhnevka or 3-room Khrushchev!
Until now, it is prestigious to buy stalin-era apartments, they cost an order of magnitude higher and significantly win by their location. These are mainly central areas of the city, far from industrial zones.
Remodeling of the apartment: highlights
This is how a person works - he always lacks something, he always needs to change something. And in the case of housing and even more so. Pointing to the characteristic differences in the layout of brezhnevok, Khrushchev and Stalin, one cannot but note their common problem: uniformity, tightness, poor heat and sound insulation. There is an exit. Competent redevelopment will help not only give the apartment an individuality, but also significantly improve and expand the living space, creating more comfortable living conditions.
Redevelopment: what is allowed?
Current legislation does not prohibit redevelopment. The main thing is to comply with the basic requirements, otherwise problems will not be avoided in the future. For example, you can still live in this apartment, but sales and purchase transactions, collateral and so on will be impossible.
So, if significant changes are planned, this should definitely be reflected in the data sheet. For example, the layouts of brezhnevka make it possible to change the size of the kitchen, combine the bathroom with the bathroom, and the kitchen with one of the rooms. It is possible to demolish the wall, combine the bedroom with the loggia, but before starting work it is necessary to obtain permission to carry out such work, if this is provided by applicable law. So, permissions will require installation work on installing underfloor heating, dismantling the old and pouring a new screed, moving walls (except for load-bearing ones), creating arches, demolishing mezzanines, built-in wardrobes.
When redevelopment is prohibited
The legislation prohibits such events:
- demolition of load-bearing walls;
- transfer of heating batteries to the balcony and loggia;
- independent replacement and transfer of gas and water pipes;
- changing the location of the kitchen and bathroom and moving it to a room located above the neighbor’s living room;
- an increase in the area of the kitchen and bathroom due to living rooms;
- dismantling of floors between floors;
- combining an apartment with an attic and using it as a living space.
No redevelopment permission required
Well, if minor cosmetic repairs are planned: replacing one type of battery with another, installing an air conditioner or an outdoor antenna, and slightly transferring the gas stove within the kitchen, then no permission is needed. Accordingly, changes to the data sheet are also not made.
So, starting to remake your own living space, it is always better to turn to specialists. This will help not only to correctly organize the interior space of the apartment, but also to avoid problems in the future.