While at the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025, many buyers were trying to save money and preferred apartments without renovations, by early autumn the situation on the primary real estate market in the Northern capital had changed.
Buyers' interest in turnkey solutions has increased significantly, according to rosbalt.ru. In August, the share of transactions involving apartments with finishing touches accounted for almost two-thirds of all sales.
Demand for apartments with pre-finishing touches has also increased, from 13 percent a year ago to 21 percent now. At the same time, the share of transactions involving apartments without finishing touches has decreased from 22 to 16 percent.
Maria Orlova, Commercial Director of the A101 Group of Companies in St. Petersburg, explained that DIY renovations have become significantly less profitable. According to the publication's calculations, finishing an apartment from a developer adds an average of 24,000-28,000 rubles to the cost per square meter, while DIY renovations cost approximately 60,000-70,000 rubles per square meter.