Today we will look at the most general criteria for choosing a summer house. In the future, Zagorodnoye Obozreniye will publish a number of articles in which each of the factors will be considered in more detail.
What amount should I aim for?
Most buyers are based on the amount of money available. This is quite natural, but you should not create too strict restrictions for yourself. It happens that a person, looking through the database of objects, indicates the maximum price level, for example, a million rubles. Although if he had asked, say, 1.2-1.3 million in the search bar, much more interesting objects would have been revealed to his gaze. At the same time, at a country market there is almost always the possibility of bargaining, and it is quite possible to reduce the price by a hundred thousand. In the end, you can take out a loan for the missing amount, or negotiate with the seller on an installment plan.
You should also avoid common judgments about a particular area. Thus, some buyers, having a small amount of money (let’s say 700-800 thousand rubles) do not even try to look for options in the “prestigious” Vsevolozhsk region, immediately going to the remote Luzhsky, Kingiseppsky and so on. In fact, in any area there are both expensive areas and quite affordable ones. In the same Vsevolozhsk region, for the specified amount it is quite possible to purchase a small dacha in gardening (for example, in the village of Borisova Griva, the village of Danube, etc.).
Deciding on goals
It is necessary to decide for what purposes the dacha is needed. We will omit the option of growing vegetables in beds - this is a topic for a separate article. We are, of course, talking about relaxation. But rest can also be different. If the family plans to spend every weekend at the dacha, then you should choose a country house no further than 20-30 km from St. Petersburg (especially if you have small children), otherwise regular trips will turn into torture.
Those who like to leave the city for a long time - on vacation, for the summer - can be advised to consider options remote from St. Petersburg - within 100 kilometers or more. Dachas there, as a rule, are much cheaper than in the suburbs. True, there may be problems with social infrastructure.
A way out of the situation may be to buy a “distant” dacha near some city or urban village, where there is a clinic, shops, etc.
The choice depends on the transport
Another important factor is the preferred mode of transport. If you plan to travel to your dacha more often by train, then you can choose a dacha at almost any distance from the city - even to the most extreme parts of the Leningrad region, the train takes an hour and a half. The main thing is that the dacha is at a reasonable distance from the railway station, and you don’t have to walk another hour.
When the main means of transportation is a car, before buying a summer house it is worth studying the congestion of a particular highway during rush hours (this can be done using the appropriate Internet services).
But choosing a dacha in connection with the route taxi traffic pattern is not the most far-sighted option. Bus schedules are subject to change, as are the routes themselves. If you don’t have a personal car, it’s better to rely on electric trains.
Why overpay for individual housing construction?
A dacha is not only a house, but also a plot of land. The choice of the latter should also be approached wisely. Land plots on the market have different legal status. For example, there are more expensive plots of individual housing construction (for individual housing construction) and cheaper garden plots. It is advisable to choose individual housing construction land only if you need to “register” in a country house. But when buying a summer house, such a need, as a rule, does not arise. This means there is no point in overpaying.
And one last piece of advice. Before buying a dacha, you can ask your friends and acquaintances where they chose their dacha. This way you can get a lot of the most detailed preliminary information without even bothering with long trips.
The question of the need to build a house on a summer cottage is sure to arise before any owner. Do you need somewhere to store your summer cottage equipment, work clothes, dishes and other utensils? Yes, and it is advisable to shelter from sudden bad weather under a roof. On weekends, it’s good to spend the night at the dacha, rather than wasting time and money on travel every day. And during the day it’s great to take a little break from the labors of the righteous, just lie down, or even take a nap.
So this question is solved by everyone: for some, a shed, a construction trailer or a tiny house, in which, in addition to a place to store tools, can hardly fit a trestle bed and a table, is enough. But most summer residents prefer to have a small but cozy country house, equipped as much as possible with everything necessary, and in which you can not only relax, but also live in comfort for some time. Such a house should not only have bedrooms, but also kitchen, preferably - veranda, and if possible – and bathroom.
The size of a country house is determined based on the number of family members and the size of the plot itself on which the building will be built. Another important factor is the amount of money that owners can invest in construction without really tightening their belts or going into debt. And of course, the cost of building materials for building a house plays a role, as well as whether you will live at the dacha all year round, visit on weekends, or plan to spend a lot of time there during the season, from spring until the onset of autumn cold weather.
It is also necessary to decide one- or two-story will be your home. If there is a shortage of space on the site, a two-story house will allow you to get a larger area of interior premises with a smaller area for the foundation. However, do not forget that it is more difficult to heat a two-level building. The dilemma can be partially resolved if there is an unheated garage and utility rooms on the ground floor, and only the second floor will be residential, requiring heating.
The simplest house can be built with your own hands, without involving a team of workers; more complex projects will require the involvement of specialists. What to choose, which option is not only attractive in cost, but also convenient, practical and durable? To understand, you need to get to know the types of country houses better.
Let's leave aside designs made of reinforced concrete slabs or metal sheets due to their obvious inconvenience in operation. From these materials, at the very least, you can still build a garage or a shed for storing country tools, but not a residential building. The following are most in demand on the building materials market: :
- frame structures;
- foam blocks;
- brick, stone;
- wood, timber.
Frame houses- one of the most popular for dachas.
Houses of this type first appeared about 100 years ago, but the real boom in their construction began with the light hand of Henry Ford, who built entire villages of such houses for the workers of his automobile factories. They are affordable, do not require a massive foundation due to the light weight of the structure, and can be installed on the site fairly quickly.
Actually, this is something like a large construction set: you receive a set of ready-made parts (frame elements, cover panels or panels, doors, windows, parts of the ceiling and roof, etc.), which need to be assembled in a certain order to obtain a finished house.
It is widely used for the construction of frame houses. pile foundation. They are convenient to install in areas with, for example, on a slope.
Houses of this type look quite nice, their cost is significantly lower than houses made of other materials, they can easily last 50-70 years, depending on operating conditions.
However frame houses also have a number of significant disadvantages . The technology for building such houses from the very beginning was focused on regions where winter temperatures very rarely drop to sub-zero levels. Even if you try to reduce the cost of heating your home in cold weather with the help of various insulation materials, heat loss still cannot be avoided, which means additional fuel consumption and hefty electricity bills. In severe frosts, no matter how hard you try, it will be downright cold. Another unpleasant point is that mice and rats love to live in insulation.
Not very comfortable in a frame house and in the heat. The boards and panels used in its construction are subjected to special treatment with agents that prevent the penetration of moisture and the development of mold. On the one hand, this is good, on the other hand, such a house “does not breathe.” The film under the insulation does not allow air to pass through at all. In the sun, the walls of frame houses become very hot, and all the heat goes inside the house. As a result, the house has a real “oven”; you cannot do without an air conditioner or at least a fan.
Houses made of foam blocks They began to be built relatively recently, but their popularity is steadily growing. This type of house is quite comfortable and durable; the cost of construction and finishing work is affordable. Houses made of foam blocks have good energy saving characteristics, which means you won’t have to pay extra for heating. These houses do not require a monolithic foundation; less complex and costly options can be used. In addition, the surface of foam blocks can be easily processed and decorated. Foam block houses are often lined with decorative panels, which gives them a very attractive appearance.
Summarizing the above, The undoubted advantages of foam block houses include :
- ability to retain heat in winter and keep cool in summer;
- good sound insulation;
- economical operation;
- low load on the foundation;
- high fire resistance;
- affordable price.
Certainly, houses made of foam blocks also have disadvantages (where would we be without them!):
- you can’t get by with a simple pile foundation here, and this is an additional expense;
- it will take significantly more time to build such a house than to assemble a frame one.
Wooden houses most traditional for suburban construction.
Such houses are the most environmentally friendly; they give the owners a feeling of warmth and comfort. There is a lot to talk about, they are always in demand and never go out of fashion.
Both monolithic and pile or columnar foundations are suitable for them. Wooden houses can be made of logs, in the form of a log house,
Glued laminated timber is also often used for their construction.
Among the advantages of wooden houses it is worth noting :
- their cost is less than that of stone and brick;
- their construction will take less time than the above;
- a pile-screw foundation is quite suitable for them;
- they have excellent sound and heat insulation;
- heating a wooden house in winter is much faster than a stone one;
- they are environmentally friendly;
- wood is able to regulate the level of humidity: when there is an excess of it, it absorbs, and when there is a lack, it evaporates.
A wooden house in the country is just a godsend for those who like to spend weekends outside the city.
The main "disadvantages" of wooden houses – high fire hazard, susceptibility to mold damage And rotting. Various impregnations for wooden materials can significantly slow down the process of wood destruction. But at the same time, the house loses its environmental friendliness and ability to “breathe”. So their use, alas, is a “double-edged sword.”
And finally, brick
And stone houses for the dacha.
There is no doubt, they are the most reliable and durable, this is an excellent option if you spend a lot of time at the dacha all year round.
However, the cost of such houses is much higher than that of all other listed types... This applies not only to the price of the building materials themselves: when building such a house, a monolithic foundation is simply necessary due to the significant weight of the walls, and this will entail the use of special equipment for digging a pit. In addition, after pouring concrete, a monolithic foundation requires “curing” for at least a month, and often more, so construction time is extended.
So, "advantages" of brick and stone houses :
- strength, reliability, durability;
- excellent sound insulation;
- resistance to high humidity, temperature changes, strong winds;
- the possibility of saving on heating due to the high heat capacity.
You should not attempt to build such houses if you visit your dacha in winter only on weekends: houses made of brick and stone not only retain heat for a long time, but also cool down just as quickly without heating and “absorb” the cold into the walls - it can take them to fully warm up almost a day.
The disadvantages of houses made of brick and stone are :
- large financial costs;
- duration of construction.
In general terms, that's all.
As always, the decision to choose the best option is yours.!
Date: 2013-01-06 00:49:04
If you have your own summer cottage, then your possibilities for creativity are almost limitless: you can use landscape design at your own discretion, plant various plants and flowers. However, to obtain the maximum effect, it is best to determine at the very beginning the purpose of using your site: you can relax on it, cultivate a garden, or build a house. Each decision you make will determine which area you choose.
Let's start choosing: determine the location
It is best to choose a dacha in the fall - at this time of year the nuances are more visible, and besides, it is in the fall that it is most difficult to hide flaws. In case of heavy rains, the road may cut off all entrances and exits: therefore, you will not be able to arrive or leave the dacha safely. In some cases, the harvest may even remain in the beds or in the cellar.
During prolonged rainfall, the roof of a house may fail; this problem can happen to any building erected on the site. Therefore, try to assess the condition of the walls and ceiling of each room; it is also important to examine the cellar. And if in the rainy autumn you and your family like the dacha and the buildings on it, then in the blooming spring it will simply win your hearts.
In order not to regret buying a house in the village, analyze the living conditions in this village in advance. Is it protected? In winter, the population of villages often decreases, so in winter homeless people or thieves may break in with you. Even if this situation does not scare you, it still needs to be taken into account.
It is wisely noted that first they choose their neighbors, and then the house itself. Try to communicate with your closest neighbors, evaluate the possibilities for recreation: is there a lake or river nearby, or maybe there is a forest nearby? These conditions will definitely influence your choice.
Take an interest in the development of infrastructure in the village. No matter how far from your property the post office, hospital, pharmacy and hospital are located, do not underestimate the benefits of illuminated streets.
Let's start choosing a site for development
When building a house, try to take into account the features of its underground part: the likelihood of flooding, groundwater, load-bearing characteristics of the soil and other characteristics. Try to find out more about it before you buy a plot.
Now we move on to estimating the area of the dacha plot. If you are planning to build a house from blocks, then the area is up to 350 sq.m. It may be enough, but a plot of this size is definitely not enough to build a cottage. If you are planning to equip a villa with a luxurious garden, then it will not be easy to fit into a hectare. There is no need to think that the more land, the better: with an increase in area, the purchase price increases, and in the future, the maintenance.
Often, construction sites are rectangular in shape. It is preferable that the short side, which will serve as the entrance to the house, faces north. It is preferable to locate the remaining buildings in the southern direction.
The presence of an electrical network, sewerage and gas pipelines will be a big advantage. If they are not there, then the work to carry them out will fall on your shoulders and wallet. In this case, it is simply impossible to do without significant expenses.
Will you have a garden or vegetable garden?
If in the future you will be cultivating the land, then pay attention to the groundwater level, the area of the land and its quality, as well as the availability of water for irrigation. In cases where the site has a certain slope, then it should be inclined to the southwest or south: only in this case will the trees and plants be provided with maximum light. This arrangement will ensure early warming of the soil, so you can start planting plants before your neighbors. Also, do not forget that cold air and excess moisture can accumulate in the lowlands, and in such conditions the soil experiences more frequent and severe frosts.
After talking with your neighbors, you can learn about the fertility of the soil and the crops that grow well on it. If possible, perform a soil analysis. If the soil in your area is clay or sandy, or peat, try to carry out preliminary preparation before cultivating it.
In cases where it is planned to grow plants at the dacha, the groundwater level plays an important role: it is better that the water lies at least 1.5 meters from the surface; for vegetables and bushes this figure may be lower. To determine the proximity of groundwater, simply dig holes around your site in different places.
In cases where the site faces a planting or forest area, this plays into the hands of the owners. If trees grow on the north side or in the east, then they will effectively protect the ground and vegetation from cold winds. If there is a body of water nearby, it will reduce temperature changes, create an optimal climate for vegetation and increase air humidity.
We've looked at a number of tips to help choose the right cottage. By using them, you will protect yourself from unjustified purchases that you will regret in the future.
With the arrival of the spring-summer season, for many families, especially those with small children, the question of how to choose a summer house becomes relevant.
First, you need to decide on the financial side of the issue: how much money a family can spend on dacha chores and calculate what is more profitable: renting a dacha for the summer months or purchasing it as property.
Another important point: you need to consider in which direction from your city housing to choose or rent a summer cottage.
You need to choose a direction so that you don’t have to stand in traffic jams on Fridays when leaving the city and on Sunday evenings when returning from the dacha.
Having decided to buy a dacha plot, you should decide what it is for, what buildings will be built on it, what size the garden and vegetable garden will be, what materials for the dacha
If you plan to live permanently in a country house, then you need to worry about registration in advance. And if you plan to build a new house, then find out whether individual construction is allowed on the site.
Choosing the right cottage
The next important aspect of how to choose the right dacha is the presence of a central gas pipeline nearby or the possibility of purchasing liquefied bottled gas.
The most important point when deciding how to choose a summer house is the issue of water supply. You need to be aware of the cost of water in the area, whether it is possible to drill a well and how much this service will cost.
If you are purchasing a plot of land with a built house, you need to decide what material the country house should be made of. The most economical option is a house made of foam concrete, the most expensive building is brick, wooden dachas are the most acceptable option, and those equipped with stoves allow you to live in them even in the cold season.
Experienced summer residents suggest that you need to choose a dacha to buy as a property in the autumn, when the leaves have fallen off, the crops and plant remains have been harvested from the garden.
During this period, all the flaws in the construction and maintenance of country houses, the correctness of the layout of the garden and vegetable garden, and the picturesqueness of the surrounding landscape are visible.
Most holiday villages are not guarded, so it is necessary to carefully consider security measures to protect property from thieves. It is worth finding out who will live next door, so as not to get an unpleasant surprise in the form of night orgies or drunken showdowns with neighbors.
It is worth finding out how developed the infrastructure of the village is, whether there is a store, pharmacy, post office, pond and beach nearby, mobile network coverage, street lighting.
Particular attention should be paid to:
Ecology;
Is the fence of the neighbors’ dacha blocking the view?
Distance from other country houses;
Garbage removal issues;
Future plans of the village authorities for its construction and development.
An important point when choosing the location of a summer cottage is the availability of public transport, because there may be a need to travel to or from the country house by bus or train. You should not choose a site in close proximity to a highway or railway, otherwise you will have to forget about the clean air for which you purchased the house, and you will not be able to open the windows in the country house.
When choosing a summer house to buy, the first thing you need to do is evaluate the foundation of the house, since if it has to be remodeled, then it is easier to buy a plot without a house and build it from scratch. The base of the house must be intact, without cracks or holes.
In wooden houses, you should carefully check for damage from bark beetles; if traces of their habitat are found in the wood, it is better to refuse to buy this house, after a while you can be left without walls and lose the floor in your dacha; the beetles are almost impossible to destroy.
When choosing a site for the construction of a country house, you must:
Conduct soil research;
Measure the depth of groundwater;
Determine the possibility of flooding;
Determine the degree of soil density.
It is better to immediately abandon areas near wetlands; it is also not recommended to build a house on the banks of rivers more than 10 meters wide, since in the spring or during the rainy season the river can overflow and flood the area and buildings on it.
It is imperative to invite geodesy specialists, they will carry out the correct marking of the level area. And in hilly areas, the suitability of the site for construction will be determined.
When purchasing a summer cottage, you should adhere to the following rules:
Do not buy a plot by proxy; this scheme is often used by scammers;
Hire a good lawyer who knows all the intricacies of buying and selling country real estate, since over 20 years the legislation on this issue has changed at least ten times;
There is never too much information; before purchasing, you need to collect as much information as possible about the positive and negative characteristics of the site.
You can ask the remaining questions in the comments or find the answer in the forum about Construction of houses and cottages.
Large cities are sources of noise; the air in them is far from clean and fresh, but smoky. Of course, you can find a way to relax here, but every person is drawn to nature.
What does a city dweller dream of, if not a picnic outside the city, where the fresh air makes your head spin, birds sing beautifully, and the only noise is the rustle of leaves in the wind. But why not own your own piece of nature? To do this, you just need to choose the right dacha and land plot. Today we will talk about the main nuances of this issue, as well as important points that you should pay attention to.
Main criteria when choosing a summer cottage
Sometimes the desire to purchase a piece of land is so great that we grab the first option that comes along that is suitable for the price. And along with this, we acquire a lot of problems during further operation.
As a result, what cost you little in the beginning turns into an endless stream of cash investments. Therefore, we advise you not to rush and, in addition to the price, pay attention to other equally important points. And only then draw conclusions about the price-quality ratio.
The first thing to do- this is to determine how accessible the dacha should be from your permanent place of residence. Are you ready to drive your own car or is the availability of public transport a priority? Having outlined the search radius, we begin to look for the necessary options.
You definitely need to go and see everything with your own eyes. Don't think that the best plots of land have already been sold out. You can always find exactly “your” option.
It is best to buy a plot in early spring or autumn, when it is clearly visible whether the water is standing. Pay attention to the number and size of puddles, walk through the soil, check if it is squelching under your feet. It doesn’t matter why you are buying a plot of land, for building a house or for growing garden plants and recreation.
Choose a dry, non-boggy piece of land. Well, if you can’t determine this, ask your neighbors. A high groundwater level can be indicated by the presence of a river near a site, so pay attention to how much higher the cottage is located in relation to the water surface.
It would be a good idea to find out about the presence of such a pest as the mole cricket.. It can pretty much ruin your life in the struggle for the harvest, and it is almost impossible to remove it. It is still possible to independently determine its presence. You can see numerous holes in the soil from the moves made. You can detect a pest such as a mole yourself by the characteristic mounds of damp earth.
The next point to pay attention to is the relief. The most optimal is a flat, flat area with a slight slope and not very pronounced microrelief.
Numerous bumps, recesses and depressions will become a real torment for you if you decide to make a flat lawn. Maybe someone will wave their hand and say that such a lawn will do. However, this is how you will think before the first mowing. All these bumps will interfere with the lawn mower, and it will quickly fail. In addition, it is not safe for both you and your children, because you can trip over a bump or twist your leg in a recess. Having chosen such an area, be prepared for the fact that you will have to level it.
If the site has a large slope, is located on a slope, then here too you need to invest a lot of work and money in its improvement. In this case, it is necessary to take various measures, for example, terracing.
Also look at the growing vegetation. An area overgrown with overgrowth or bushes requires clearing. And not only the above-ground part, but also the underground (numerous roots).
Of course, it is almost impossible to find the ideal option, so you should decide for yourself which of the shortcomings is acceptable to you.
How to choose a good private house?
A bare plot of land may not suit everyone, except that this option is only suitable for those who are planning to build a new home. But most want to buy a dacha with a ready-made structure. You need to inspect the house no less carefully than the site. What should you pay attention to in this case?
In most cases, an inexpensive option is an old wooden house. Look at the lower logs to see if they are rotten. The house may be inconspicuous and unattractive, but this is not important. Look at the thickness of the logs in the log house, their quality, and whether there are many holes in the walls from pests (bark beetles, sawflies). If the walls are in good condition and the lower logs are not rotten, then the structure as a whole is good.
The roof can be updated if necessary, and the wood can be treated again for pests.
Be sure to go inside. If it smells damp, it may be because the house has been left unheated for a long time. This is not very good for wooden buildings. Look at the floor, it's usually wooden. The coating should not sag when walking on it. The ceiling should be free of mold and stains from leaks, which could indicate a roof leak.
The condition of windows and doors is also an important point. There should be no gaps between the window opening and the frame, which indicates shrinkage of the house.
When choosing a country house, it is important to take into account all its shortcomings and add the future costs of eliminating them to the cost of the building. As a result, you will see that the cheapest option is not always the most profitable. Sometimes it’s better to pay extra and get quality construction than to do endless repairs.
More durable and durable - brick or block house. And if you want to save money, then a one-story building is enough for a dacha. Here you also need to pay attention to the condition of the walls inside and outside the house, the presence of dampness, and roof leaks.