DIM commissions about 19,000 sq m of housing in 2022

KYIV. Jan 13 (Interfax-Ukraine) – After the outbreak of the war, the DIM group of companies put into operation the first stage of Park Lake City, and postponed the deadline for commissioning houses in Lucky Land, Metropolis and Novy Avtohraf complexes by a quarter, managing partner of the DIM group of companies Oleksandr Nasikovsky told Interfax-Ukraine.

"After the start of the war, we put into operation two houses with 190 apartments, which are 18,840 square meters of the first stage of the Park Lake City complex in Pidhirtsi. We were forced to postpone the deadlines for the completion of houses in our projects: Lucky Land, Metropolis and Novy Avtohraf by a quarter. We intend to do everything possible to speed up this process and give the keys as early as the first half of 2023. We thank our investors for their understanding and support," Nasikovsky said.

He added that the company’s project portfolio includes a number of facilities that were planned to start in the spring of 2022.

"The war has made its adjustments, now we are directing all our efforts to facilities already under construction, and we are doing everything possible to put them into operation as soon as possible. After all, we are seeing an increase in demand for ready-made housing among our potential buyers," Nasikovsky said.

On the whole, he estimated a "tens of times" decrease in demand compared to the pre-war period.

"Until February 24, 2022, our company conducted from 100 to 150 transactions per month, depending on the month and seasonality. Now we are frankly happy with the figures in dozens. Consumer activity has not only decreased by dozens of times, it has almost frozen for several months. But people who connect their future only with Ukraine, and for who the issue of acquiring their own housing was relevant before the start of the war, and remains now, are returning to choosing their home," he said.

Nasikovsky recalled that by June the company had resumed work at the sites of five projects. Among the difficulties, he noted the shortage of labor (according to his estimates, the number of people employed at construction sites decreased from 20 to 40%), and the rise in prices for construction materials (by 35%).

"Despite this, developers are trying to keep prices per square meter of housing at the rates until February 24, 2022. In dollars, prices have not changed much, but in hryvnia, the cost has increased, primarily due to significant exchange rate fluctuations," the representative of the construction group said.

According to his forecasts, in 2023 the value of primary real estate will grow. This is due not only to the upcoming growth in demand for new housing, but also to the rise in the cost of construction materials, energy resources, and related resources necessary for the construction of houses.

The expert is convinced that there is and will be the greatest demand in the coming years for ready-made housing: ready-to-live-in apartments with furniture and appliances.

Another trend is energy-independent solutions not only for individual houses, but also for multi-apartment ones. Since 2022, the DIM group of companies has been developing solutions for new houses of one of the energy independence projects with alternative solutions for water supply, electricity supply and heat.