Survey: Every Third Estonian Complains About Poor Home Layout

According to a survey conducted by YIT Estonia, one-third of Estonian residents are troubled by the poorly planned layout of their homes. Survey respondents were bothered both by the lack of storage space needed to store items and by room arrangements that make it difficult to entertain guests.

According to the survey with more than 500 participants, 92% of Estonians consider well-thought-out and functional planning to be important or very important when purchasing a new home. According to YIT Estonia's sales manager Eva-Liisa Tamm, more and more people today prefer apartments in new developments because their layouts are significantly more functional than older apartments, and it is possible to adapt the apartment layout and interior finishes to better meet individual expectations during the construction phase.

"When designing new apartment buildings, architects carefully consider all the basic needs of residents, which is why new development apartments generally have much better layouts than homes built decades ago with a completely different lifestyle in mind. They think through where residents can place the things needed for their lives, what room arrangement would provide as much openness as possible, but also sufficient privacy for each family member, and what modern solutions would create a beautiful home and make life as comfortable as possible," she explained.

According to Tamm, there is a rule that the earlier the developer is informed of your modification proposals, the greater the likelihood that the apartment layout can be implemented according to the client's wishes.

"Home buyers often start thinking through their home's layout even before the construction team breaks ground. Changes made at a later construction stage may require redoing already completed work and can therefore become more expensive or, in worst cases, unfeasible. Many buyers have taken numerous expectations from their previous homes with shortcomings to their new homes. For this reason, they are able to carefully think through the layout of the new home – from the location of storage spaces and cabinets to lighting schemes and electrical solutions. With such a clear vision, it is possible to identify all the changes needed for an ideal layout of the new home," explained the YIT representative.

According to YIT's sales manager, the most frequent changes desired are to the apartment's electrical and lighting solutions, for example the location and number of outlets and switches.

"Each person has developed their own habits and preferences, which may require a different approach than the solution offered by the developer. For example, in the case of a three-room apartment, the electrical and lighting solution plays an important role depending on whether the second bedroom will be used as a home office or a children's room. If the room becomes a children's room, then for example the placement of wall lamps can differ significantly depending on whether one or two children will be living in the room," she explained.

Families also think through which kitchen furniture arrangement they prefer – this ensures that the installation of the chosen kitchen solution requires as few additional plumbing and electrical works as possible. According to her, this is one of the biggest problems when buying apartments on the secondary market – the previous residents' understanding of tasteful and functional interior design does not match the home buyer's vision, and changing it requires very large additional investments.

"Many YIT clients have provided examples of old apartments in ideal locations that remained unsold because the previous owner had designed them too distinctively. When purchasing an apartment during the planning phase, however, the future home owner can usually choose between several interior packages and, if necessary, make substitutions according to their taste in wall color, outlets and switches, ceramic tiles, parquet and moldings, and interior door colors. This way, the apartment owner can be sure that the apartment offers visual appeal and pleasant living both when moving in and years later," said the YIT representative.