What is a Khrushchev, is it worth it to buy?

The secondary housing market is full of terms that may seem incomprehensible. How is the stalinka different from the breasts and what is the Khrushchev? Multi-storey houses, erected in the Soviet Union, are often called by the time of construction, that is, with which of the rulers of the house were put into operation. These are fairly accurate definitions, by which you can anticipate in advance the possible complexities and nuances that you will encounter when buying an apartment.

Affordable Housing Program

For the years of Nikita Khrushchev's rule, the state program of affordable housing for all began. Technologies have been developed that make it possible to quickly build houses from finished reinforced concrete structures. By and large: what is a Khrushchev? This is a small apartment with low ceilings in a panel or brick house. Construction on a steel frame was too expensive, so the panel Khrushchev's building resembled a huge designer - from the factories supplied panels with ready-made window apertures, in place there was only "to assemble the house according to the drawing."

There are a lot of complaints about residential buildings built on this technology, but it is worth paying due tribute to the program - thanks to the most cost-effective and accelerated construction, hundreds of thousands of families were able to get a separate housing with communal facilities.

What is Khrushchev?

If you list the shortcomings, the affordable housing was not very comfortable, but compared to communal or working barracks - the top of dreams. Too thin walls without sound insulation between the apartments left little room for privacy. House-Khrushchev poorly kept the heat, and construction errors sometimes turned out to be terrible - in some cases between the panels of the outer wall you could put your hand. Of course, scammers were actively censured, but most often they had to eliminate their shortcomings on their own.

Since the electric refrigerator had to be accumulated and several years to stand in line, the so-called winter refrigerator built into the kitchen of the Khrushchev was very convenient. Under the kitchen window there was a special box for storing food, in which the temperature was low in the winter. The rather spacious store room in the hallway became literally irreplaceable.

Evolution of apartments

If we compare the Stalinist, Khrushchev and Brezhnevka, it becomes clear: there was no question of the comfort of the tenants. Stalin's apartments amazed with spaciousness and kind of luxury, but they were accessible to a very narrow strata of the population. High ceilings, rich design of facades and front staircases, solid construction - all this was intended for higher military ranks, venerable scientists and other well-deserved citizens. Therefore, when house-Khrushchev began to appear, mere mortals suddenly had an opportunity to approach the dream of their own home.

To the credit of the Soviet builders, the shortcomings of small apartments tried to be corrected. Soon after the Khrushchev, they were first slightly more spacious options, and then, even under Leonid Brezhnev, the so-called improved apartment layouts. Many experts agree that breeches are worse than Khrushchev's - the shortcomings were corrected only in part, and no merit was added.

Features of the layout

What is a Khrushchev and what does it look like? The first thing that catches your eye is a rather narrow staircase with narrow spans. To lift furniture on such a ladder, you need to show miracles of maneuverability.

The hallway in the small hruschevka is also very cramped, and it becomes even smaller, because it was usually tried to take out a refrigerator that does not fit in a tiny kitchen. In the original layout was a combined bathroom; If the rooms are more than one, then they are usually adjacent. That is, one room was through.

When they began to improve the layout, they divided the bathroom and increased the rooms a little. At the same time, there was a poor sound insulation, which they tried to correct with the help of a wall carpet.

Modern renovation in Khrushchev

Despite the obvious shortcomings of Khrushchev's houses, modern construction technologies can significantly improve the situation. Overhaul of the water supply system, electrical wiring and heating system is supplemented by external insulation of the walls. Of course, the height of the ceilings is not raised, but the microclimate in the apartment is noticeably changing towards comfort.

If you consider that the room in Khrushchev is small, you can convert an apartment into a pretty cozy studio. The partition between the kitchen and the room is easily retracted (this is not a load-bearing wall), due to which the space widens noticeably. The hallway also connects with the living space, the space is optimized not by partitions, but by design solutions.

Is it worth buying?

It can not be unequivocally asserted that the secondary housing market is more accessible than new buildings. Much depends on the location of the building, the presence of a developed and habitable infrastructure nearby, the convenience of transport interchanges, parks and recreational areas nearby. But on average Khrushchev's apartments are much cheaper than modern ones.

What Khrushchev is worth buying? First of all, it is necessary to check whether the house is included in the city reconstruction plan as a building with the prospect of demolition. The completed overhaul of communications is a weighty plus in favor of the acquisition. It is necessary to provide some amount for current repairs, if required, as well as external insulation of the walls. This increases the energy efficiency of the home and reduces the cost of heating or air conditioning of the apartment.