A house outside Kyiv: what to check before you buy

People buy a country house for quiet and space, and are disappointed by paperwork, utilities or the commute. Here is our checklist for Kyiv’s suburbs.

The land

• Cadastral number and boundaries. Look the plot up on the public cadastral map: its area and boundaries should match what you see on site.
• Designated use. A house needs a plot designated for building and maintaining a residential house — not agricultural or garden land without a change of use.

The house’s paperwork

• Commissioning. The house must have been formally accepted into use.
• Ownership. The house and the plot should be registered to the seller in the State Register of Real Property Rights.

Utilities

• Electricity. The allocated capacity in kilowatts decides whether the house can run an electric boiler, a water heater and air conditioning.
• Gas. Connected to the house or only to the plot boundary.
• Water. Mains or a borehole — for a borehole, ask about its depth and a water analysis.
• Sewerage. Mains, a septic tank or a local treatment plant.

Backup power

A generator or solar panels with batteries, a boiler that works without mains power and a water reserve are basics for a house outside the city.

The road and surroundings

• Access. Tarmac all the way to the gate, and access in winter.
• Time to the city. Drive to Kyiv at rush hour, not at the weekend.
• Nearby. A school, shops, medical care — and what is planned on the neighbouring plots.

Mingrand brokers work with houses in Kozyn, Hatne, Romankiv and other suburbs of Kyiv — we will help you check a property and arrange a viewing.