Studios Everywhere: The State of Yekaterinburg's New Build Market
Small apartments are primarily purchased not for permanent living but for temporary stays.
Last year, Yekaterinburg became one of the leaders in the number of studio apartments smaller than 28 square meters. The share of this property type is about 15% of all new housing under construction. In absolute numbers, this means every sixth apartment is a studio. Therefore, it«s hard to miss the oversupply of studios. And while Yekaterinburg sees more buildings with primarily compact housing, family-sized layouts are in short supply. This is especially true for completed projects, as many need to sell their existing property to genuinely improve their living conditions. Why does the Ural capital keep building studios, and is it possible to buy a larger apartment using only a 6-million-ruble mortgage (approx. $67,000 at current rates) — read on.
A standard single room in a five-star hotel is 12–14 square meters excluding the bathroom, while Russia sells housing with a total area of 14–18 square meters.
Demand Creates Supply
It«s convenient when you don»t have to pay extra for high-quality finishing.
Studios were in high demand, and accordingly, the real estate market provided them in abundance. But most often, such housing was bought for resale, renting out, or simply as a way to preserve capital, not for living in. A studio can be a starting point for life, but not a place to actually live for 5, 10, 15 years. Small square footage rarely solves life«s tasks.
In such an apartment, you only need to arrange the furniture.
The cheaper the apartments, the more they sell. And what are cheap apartments in the modern world? The smallest areas. That«s why studios and the smallest one-room apartments are abundant today. But they are often bought not because people want to improve their housing conditions. They are bought because it»s possible to utilize the right to a second family mortgage, with literally three days left before its cancellation. And what can you buy for 6 million rubles (approx. $67,000)? Also, some need to move funds from deposits, whose rates are rapidly declining, into a more stable asset. As a result, people buy not the apartment they would like, but the one they can afford.
The quarter delights the eye with bright facades that perfectly complement the greenery of the nearby Pyshminskie Ozerki forest park.
But the era of so-called investors is fading. Against the backdrop of weakened preferential mortgages and declining credit accessibility, buyers are increasingly thinking not about reselling property, but about how they themselves will use it. Therefore, the demand pendulum has already swung towards full-format housing. For example, in 2025, interest in one-room apartments grew by 32%, in two-room apartments — by 5%, and in three-room apartments — by 48%. And all because apartments with isolated rooms, storage spaces, and a full-format kitchen or even a kitchen-living room easily adapt to changing life scenarios. Against this background, projects where family formats are not a rarity but a conscious strategy become especially valuable. For instance, the people«s developer »Riviera Invest Yekaterinburg« focuses precisely on such layouts.
The multifunctional court can be used for football, volleyball, badminton, basketball, or streetball.
Riviera Invest Yekaterinburg has been implementing residential and commercial projects since 2002, including the club house «Riviera» on the Iset River embankment. New buildings from Riviera Invest are being constructed all over the city — from Botanika to Elmash. This is a true people«s developer of the Sverdlovsk Region, which for several years in a row has received the highest score in the ERZ.RF rating for timely delivery of housing. The company»s philosophy is built on three main principles:
Build quickly and with quality. All processes — from design to logistics — are structured so that people get their keys as soon as possible.
Create living space. Locations are chosen with developed infrastructure and transport accessibility, and apartments are handed over with finished interiors.
Maximum utility in every meter. Layouts are thought out to the smallest detail so that every room is functional and convenient: isolated bedrooms, kitchen-living rooms as spaces for family evenings, niches for storage systems, two full bathrooms.
In summer, the courtyard fills with the scent of hydrangeas.
For example, now spacious two- and three-room apartments with well-planned zoning can be purchased in the already completed buildings of the Veer Park residential complex and the Yuzhny Sad residential complex. There«s no need to wait for project completion or live on a construction site. These are formed cozy quarters with landscaped courtyards, surrounded by well-developed infrastructure. Riviera Invest Yekaterinburg has earned the reputation of a people»s developer because it offers people not promises, but a ready-made living environment.
If it«s cold outside, you can stay and play in the first-floor lobby.
Veer Park Residential Complex: Balancing Quiet Nature and Bustling Metropolis
In one bathroom, it will be convenient to organize a laundry area: there is enough space to install a washing machine and dryer.
In the quarter, eight buildings are planned, four of which are already completed. On the ground floors, there are shops, cafes, and everyday services. Within walking distance are the Veer Mall shopping center, a fitness club with a pool, street retail, and a stop for modern trams. Schools, kindergartens, and a metro station can be reached on foot in 15 minutes. On one side — a forest park, on the other — a vibrant urban environment. A real find for families with children.
Butterfly layouts are good because parents« and children»s bedrooms are at opposite ends of the apartment.
In the center of Veer Park, there is a large courtyard with play spaces for children of different ages, sports zones, walking paths, and rest areas. Modern equipment makes walks engaging, and the proximity to a natural green area makes them beneficial.
An apple tree and a willow have grown next to the maple tree.
In each building, the first floor has a cozy lobby where a concierge maintains order. A stroller can be left in a special room. Every step to the apartment is filled with comfort.
The first floors have spacious lobbies where even moving with a stroller is convenient.
The best part is that you can move into these buildings right now, as everything is ready. In the apartment, you only need to arrange furniture and think about decor.
The apartments have reliable safe-doors installed.
Yuzhny Sad Residential Complex: Feel the City«s Rhythm Without Being in the Center of the Bustle
The hallway has enough space for a capacious closet and an ottoman for putting on shoes comfortably.
Yuzhny Sad Residential Complex is located in the south of the city. Riviera Invest Yekaterinburg saw its potential before it became popular. Simply put, the people«s developer understands that people want to move into a new modern house without leaving their neighborhood. The new quarter is on 2nd Novosibirskaya Street. Nearby, there is a shopping complex, a public transport stop, and within a 10–15 minute walk — two parks: Kamvolny Combine Park and Chkalov Park. Kindergartens, a school, colleges, and a children»s club operate nearby.
A dedicated hallway prevents street dust from spreading throughout the apartment. If desired, you can even install a door here.
Three buildings with poetic names delight both new residents and passersby with giant images of trees painted on their facades. Apartments are still available in the «Maple Alley» building, which has its own gas boiler house.
All buildings are united by a closed courtyard with play and sports areas, walking paths, and places for quiet rest. Here, the cheerful laughter of children is heard every day, even in cold weather. Since there are no cars or outsiders in the yard, parents only occasionally glance out the window while doing household chores.
Family-sized apartments, suitable for couples with children, are still available for purchase. And here, too, you can celebrate a housewarming on the very day of the deal.
The market, by inertia, continues to sell small square footages, but the real demand of people is increasingly shifting towards family layouts. More stable, more liquid, and much more honest in relation to everyday life. Now is precisely the moment to look away from studios of the «let»s have it for the future« format and look at apartments of the »thank you for years of happy moments« format. And specialists from Riviera Invest Yekaterinburg will help you decide on the choice and method of acquiring new family happiness.
Veer Park Residential Complex (ZhK Veer Park): developer LLC SZ «RIVIERA YUG» (INN 6679162757). The building is completed.
Yuzhny Sad Residential Complex (ZhK Yuzhny Sad): developer LLC SZ «RIVIERA-INVEST-Ekb» (INN 6670433184). The building is completed.
Club house «Riviera» — completed.
