Home Sweet Home!

Ukraine is a great place for a home investment - if you have income from outside Ukraine.  Prices are low and living expenses such as taxes, fees and utilities are very low.  If you are of retirement age in the USA, you can likely live on Social Security alone - and live well.  If you own a condo in any medium or large Ukrainian city, your total monthly cost to live in it, including all fees, taxes and utilities will be about $250 a month. No, that is not a typo, $250 a month for heat, electricity (including air conditioning), condo fees, water, cable TV, monthly cleaning service, high speed Internet and a smart cell phone.

In Russian and Ukrainian, there is no distinction between a Condo and an Apartment.  The difference is only whether the owner lives in the particular apartment or not.  Like the USA there is an association fee for maintenance of common areas, garbage pickup, etc.  Unlike the USA, this association is not going to tell you what you can do on your balcony if you have one.  Also, unlike the USA there are no taxes on real estate except when you buy.  There are single family homes on the outskirts of the cities but there are many reasons not to consider a single family house unless you are married to a Ukrainian.

We would like to give you a brief overview of the types of buildings in which you may buy an apartment.

The first is older construction, from the 18th and 19th century, predating the Communist revolution.  In general, these buildings are close to the center of Kiev.  Most were very nice, some still are.

In all Ukrainian cities you will see many 5-8 story apartment buildings commonly called Khrushchyovka's.  None were ever nice by US standards, the apartments are small and lacked many of the things Americans consider essential.  These are prefabricated concrete, the buildings themselves are usually solid.  You should consider these only as rental property or if you need only a small 1 bedroom apartment and can't afford better.  Frequently the balconies are falling apart and even if your unit has a rebuilt balcony, you are going to have to look at your neighbor's balcony and walk up poorly maintained stairs as the small elevators are frequently broken.

All Ukrainian cities are enjoying a construction boom.  The Khrushchyovkas must eventually be replaced by modern construction, generally 20-25 story concrete.  Most of these apartments are sold as shell and core, essentially bare concrete walls, floor and ceiling with only utility hookups and a basic steel door.  Elevators and common areas are usually complete but sometimes also in progress.  Of course there are many 1-5 year old apartments for sale but if you have several months we recommend that you buy a shell and core and do the interior yourself to fit American standards.  In general the Ukrainians do a great job of finishing these apartments but if you buy bare walls you can add extra soundproofing, code wiring and a second bathroom more closely matching American standards.  We have general contracting services for you, to convert the bare concrete walls to a beautiful world class apartment.

A fyi, the picture is real and was taken in a kitchen in Kyiv.

Visit as a tourist, and see for yourself.