According to the Association of suburban real estate, at the end of 2005 the market volume of cottage villages in St. Petersburg and Leningrad region amounted to 1.2 million square meters. m, of which more than 100 thousand square meters. m was introduced last year. In total, according to the corporation "St. Petersburg real estate, near the city over 40 cottage communities in various stages of readiness, and their number is growing every month. As noted in the company of "Alexander-H", truly wealthy Petersburger tired of the bustle of the historic center. And he prefers to live outside the city in a protected area in the vicinity of their own kind, in a house with city conveniences. This set of benefits can give him a cottage village. In a cottage in the village has several advantages over a feudal castle: higher degree of security, more convenience and less expensive to operate.

Preferences of buyers of suburban housing oriented to the cardinal points evenly. This is reflected in the prices of land, and the number of cottage settlements in different directions. Thus, according to company Vesco Realty, is actively operating in the market of Moscow region and the probing the outskirts of Petersburg, the price of land transactions in 2005 in the resort area reached $ 15-20 thousand sq.m., while the Gatchina district, for example, the price is not sotki exceeded $ 1 thousand Thus in civilized cottage village of any cottage "to kill" 20-25 hectare - not less.

According to the Association of suburban real estate, most of the cottage communities concentrated in Vsevolozhsk district of Leningrad region (14), to the north and east of St. Petersburg, as well as in the Vyborg district, Leningrad Oblast and the resort area of St. Petersburg. This "attraction of the north" to explain advantages of the Karelian landscape with lakes, pine forests and smaller amounts of agricultural activities than in the south. Most cottage communities, for permanent residence, is concentrated at a distance of no more than 100 km from the city (ideally buyers want - 20-30 km).

According to the Russian real estate fund (RFN), on the prestigious north, in the resort, Vyborg and Vsevolozhsk areas, cottages in the past three years have risen in price by 80%. At the same time in the south, near the historic suburb of Pushkin, Peterhof and Strelna, prices grew by only 30%. However, it is the southern suburbs of St. Petersburg realtors say the greatest potential for private investment. This is understandable, because the price leader race - Spa region - an area only 282 million square feet. m, the cottage is building a new master plan took 60 hectares.

According to realtors, on the market today cottage settlements proposal does not adequately address the structure of demand. Developers focus on high-yield segment of the $ 300 thousand for the house - it allows them to recoup the costs of acquisition and clearance of land and infrastructure. At the cottage with costs above $ 300 thousand, according to Vesco Realty, representing 65% of demand (for comparison: in Moscow and Moscow region - 73%), and most of the proposals in townhouses is in the range of $ 200-300 thousand Meanwhile, the majority of applications for houses in settlements of accounts for the price segment up to $ 100 thousand - it is in this range is looking for an alternative to urban housing is a typical representative of the St. Petersburg middle class. "In terms of country cottages cost $ 300-500 thousand, it is the level of elite urban housing, - said the head of the portal vipflat.ru Leonid Rysev, - so to call these buyers" middle class "can not".

Until 2003, a significant constraint to the development of low-rise housing was the lack of interest in large-scale investment and construction companies in the construction of this type of housing. This, in turn, was connected with the fact that the growth rate of housing construction costs grew faster than incomes. Besides the issues of land use in the Leningrad region has been very difficult to resolve. Now the situation has changed. Last year's price stagnation in the city market has spurred investment and construction structures, promptly switched to suburban house-building.

Thus, in building the cottage settlement Fisherman's Village is investing "St. Petersburg real estate, long working on the urban housing market. Largest construction group said LSR immediately 3 of the cottage villages in the resort area. Technology of mass suburban housing and the financial resources of the major developers promised to fix in the near future the situation with a deficit of affordable projects. The company "Commonwealth", is building a cottage village green hills, has put the production of prefabricated houses in the suburban stream, updating earlier this year, its production capacity. The design capacity of the shop - about 70 houses per year. In prefabricated cottage from the "Commonwealth" 1 square. m worth $ 500-700, with an average area of 200 square meter house. m. So, with their product the company is in the price segment of $ 100 - $ 150 thousand for the house. There appeared the first draft of cottage settlements even in the lower price segment. These include the village of 150 log cabins Borisovo-2 in the Vyborg district. The house area of 120 square meters. m here you can buy at a price of $ 77 thousand

As the executive director of the agency Alexander-estate "Fedor Dyachkov, the highest activity of the demand we are now seeing in the segment of country houses in a price range from $ 40 thousand to 100 thousand dollars" in the lower price segment of the project may become an attractive investment if the cottage village planned More than 100 homes. But, unfortunately, those proposals cottage villages in the lower price segment, which appear on the market, yet leaves much to be desired in terms of quality of construction and building materials, and location, "- says Mr. Dyachkov.

However, builders say that the possibility of an expensive suburban real estate market are not limitless, and sooner or later they will have to switch to cheaper areas and projects. The most prestigious area already occupied. The best cottage communities in 2005, according to the association "Residential Real Estate, was named the project" Repinskaya Estate, positioned as a VIP-project. Initiator of the project - the company "Olympus" in 2000. The village is built in the "Golden Triangle" between Komarov, Repin and Lenin on the territory of 18,5 hectares. 50 cottages area 260-700 square. meters are built to the size of 23-80 hectare. The cost of one square meter of housing, which includes the price of land ranges from $ 2 thousand engineering support cottage includes electricity, gas boilers, providing heat and hot water, artesian wells and central sewer. On the territory of the village provides as follows: construction of a mini-market, cafe-bar with billiards, children's and sports playgrounds, two guest parking. After the construction of the highway "Scandinavia" and to the village Repino will be laid asphalt. Along the perimeter of the village will be a fence height of 2.1 m. In the field of entry-exit - the checkpoints with the clock security.

Named for association with Lenin Gorki outside Moscow, Gorki cottage village of St. Petersburg company Petrostil located in the area Yukkovskogo reserve. There are 16 cottages for permanent residence in the territory of more than 4 hectares. Gorki St. Petersburg positioned as "village club" for the very wealthy. This cottage price comes to $ 900 thousand village is equipped with a mass of additional features: indoor pool, sauna, gym, tennis court, playground, ornamental pond, bar, billiards. At best preserved sections of pine forest. Gas pipeline can reduce operating costs. Cottages area of 400 square kilometers. meters are built of foam concrete. The latter reminds us that in such developed markets suburban housing, as the Austrian, Bavarian and Finnish, the most prestigious and environmentally friendly housing is a traditional house, built of logs.

Yes, and the estate of the great painter Ilya Repin, around which readily settle wealthy urbanites - wooden. But perhaps the inhabitants of the new Petersburg cottage somewhere in the subconscious mind is still fresh memories of the burning manor, and stone for him reliable tree.