Private elevators, fountains and gyms in apartments: what real estate buyers want

According to the results of an analysis conducted by the development company Formula City, over the past year the number of search queries for apartments with a personal elevator has grown by 32% in Moscow and by 19% in St. Petersburg.

Interest in specially equipped laundry facilities increased by 53% and 17% respectively.

Among requests for non-standard planning solutions, Russians showed the highest increase since August 2024 in both cities. The preferences of residents of the two capitals diverged regarding fountains in apartments. Muscovites began to be interested in them almost one and a half times more often than a year earlier, while St. Petersburg residents - a third less often.

As part of a study of search queries from Internet users in Moscow and St. Petersburg, a rating of non-standard planning solutions was compiled based on the growth of interest among residents of each city.

In addition to personal elevators and rooms designed for washing, drying and steaming, high positions were taken by private rooftop access (the number of related requests increased by 0.4% and 4.5%, respectively) and offers with two kitchens (1% and 2%).

An additional room for cooking is most often necessary if there is a personal chef. In addition, it was only in October 2024 that requests for apartments with children's slides first appeared. Since then, there have been 22 times more of them in the capital than in St. Petersburg. In some design projects for two-level residences, these structures replace the functions of the stairs for descending to the first floor.

An unexpected observation was that among Muscovites, the number of inquiries about lots with fountains has increased by 46% over the past year, while among St. Petersburg residents, the popularity of this solution has decreased by 28%. In addition, in the capital, people have started looking for housing with a window in the bathroom by 13% more often, and with master bedrooms by 7%.

A trend typical for St. Petersburg was an 18% increase in the number of search queries for apartments with their own gym.

At the same time, in both cities there was a noticeable decrease in interest in bay windows (by 20% in Moscow and by 11% in the Northern Capital) and attics (by 1% and 28%).

- If five years ago a characteristic feature of elite real estate was free layouts, allowing future residents to zone the space in accordance with individual preferences, now we are seeing a significant decrease in the number of requests for such solutions - by 22% in Moscow and 41% in St. Petersburg. At the same time, the relevance of ready-made solutions is growing, so it becomes necessary to conduct a comprehensive analysis of buyers' preferences and the corresponding adaptation of the housing formats offered by the developer, - comments Denis Lola, Director of Strategic Marketing of the company.

Another study showed that the leaders of premium segment buyers' preferences are fireplaces, terraces and private gardens. According to the results of a survey by the development company Marmax, the first place in the rating of desired options was taken by a fireplace - it was chosen by 34% of respondents. In second place is a personal terrace or balcony with a recreation area (24%), in third place is a private garden (19%). The list of preferences is closed by panoramic windows (15%) and a sauna (8%).

A new trend noted by survey participants is the availability of space for remote work. Although only 17% of respondents would like to see a separate home office in their apartment, 11% would like to see coworking or meeting rooms in a residential complex, and 9% chose both options, this option remains a noticeable indicator of changing lifestyles. The remaining respondents said that such solutions are not a priority for them when choosing an apartment.

Another popular option is solutions for pets. Almost half of respondents (48%) would like to see elements for pets in their home: niches for feeding, paw washers, grooming areas. Another 12% would like such spaces to be equipped in public areas of the residential complex. The remaining 40% do not consider such solutions a priority.

42% are willing to pay up to 10% more than the cost of the apartment for the presence of such "wow" options as a fireplace, panoramic windows, a spacious terrace or a home office. Another 28% are ready to increase the budget by more than 10% if the project provides additional opportunities for work and rest. At the same time, only 30% of respondents noted that they are not ready to pay extra for such solutions.

A dream apartment will remain such only if the neighbors live up to expectations. Most respondents (55%) appreciate active neighbors who participate in events and help create a friendly atmosphere in the yard. 27% admitted that they would like to live next to quiet and unobtrusive residents of the complex. 18% noted that the composition of neighbors does not matter to them.