Real Estate

Some High-End Dachas Still Available

1. Veshki – 2

In Moscow, “going native” can mean knowing when to leave the city for respite from the city heat. Sweltering summer weekends see the capital cleared out of inhabitants, who have fled to the serenity of a dacha in the country. Residents without their own piece of real estate aren’t condemned to sweat it out until September – they can rent.

The expansion of out-of-town properties, which began in the mid-1990’s, hit its peak between 2003 and 2005. According to real estate agency Intermark Savills, in that three-year period, the market grew by 40 percent, as demand increased among wellto- do Russians and expatriates who joined the hunt for a comfortable piece of property outside the congested city. For some, the move was permanent: commute to work, and enjoy the space, quiet and higher air quality of suburban life all year round. Others are content to lease a place for weekend escapes, usually just in the warm months.

2. Sofyino

Ideally, a renter begins searching for a summer dacha before April, when there is a decreased activity in the market. By the end of May, most choice properties have been leased for the summer. Predictably, renting a dacha for the “high season,” May to September, is markedly more expensive than during the “low season,” and one receives a significant discount on signing a year-long lease. A monthly lease is also an option, but more expensive.

Many of Moscow’s high-end dachas are located in guarded compounds to the west of the city, between Pyatnitskoye Shosse and Kaluzhskoye Shosse. “Demand for properties to rent in organized dacha compounds exceeds supply, especially in the most popular compounds,” Alexander Bychkov, head of the department of out-of-town real estate at Intermark Savills, told On Rublyovka. Serebryany Bor, Pokrovskiye Hills, Rosinka, Chaika and Le Meridien Moscow Country Club are among the most sought-after compounds. Dachas in these elite neighborhoods, which typically run from $2,500 to $20,000 a month, come with a host of lavish add-ons: pools, saunas, entertainment systems, gyms, guest-houses and, of course, a community of distinguished neighbors. Renters of Le Meridien’s 18th-century style dachas are allowed to tee off without having to buy an additional golf club membership.

3. Kurkino

The potential dacha renter need not be the type who rubs shoulders with the Abramovichs of the world; in fact the majority of the properties on the market are not compound leases, but iz ruk v ruki (hand-to-hand) deals with private renters, which are much cheaper. A modestly sized two-story dacha (under 180 square meters) within striking distance of the city can be had for upwards of $1,500 per month, although amenities are often limited to basic plumbing. However, bargain deals may come with hidden expenses, such as landlords who drop by unexpectedly or who do not see it as their responsibility to fix a leaky pipe. In order to head off any unpleasant confrontations, Bychkov recommends finding your dacha and then drawing up a contract with the help of a professional real estate agency.

In any case, he advises the prospective renter to inspect the dacha thoroughly before agreeing to a lease, lest a place of rest turns into a source of anxiety. “Pay attention to whether there’s security on the compound or individual property, whether there’s organized maintenance services, parking spaces or garages, and to the quality of the engineering,” Bychkov says. With the dacha essentials squared away, the harried Muscovite can kick back and reap the benefits of a tangible life improvement. Summer in the city becomes more bearable knowing there’s an escape, if only for the weekend.