Buying an Apartment in a New Building Before Winter: How to Avoid Being Left Without Heat, Water, and Electricity

As the autumn-winter season of 2026/27 approaches, buyers in the primary housing market are increasingly evaluating not only the characteristics of the apartment itself but also the ability of the entire building to function properly amid potential power outages. Alongside location, area, and price per square meter, important criteria now include heating, water supply, operation of pumps, elevators, lighting, boiler rooms, and access to parking.

Mariana Bigunets, the commercial director of the construction company GAZDA, shared this information with Delo.ua.

According to her, the shift in priorities is occurring against the backdrop of an unstable real estate market. She referred to data from the National Bank of Ukraine's Financial Stability Report for June 2026, which indicated that the number of housing transactions in the fourth quarter of 2025 was the highest since the beginning of the full-scale war. However, by the first quarter of 2026, market activity had noticeably decreased. Despite this, over the last four reporting quarters, the number of transactions increased by 11% year-on-year.

Among the factors restraining demand, the NBU highlights interruptions in electricity and heating supply, security risks, and rising property prices in hryvnia terms. Meanwhile, the average area of purchased apartments was 48 m², while the supply structure predominantly features properties larger than 65 m².

Mariana Bigunets believes these indicators reflect a change in demand rather than its disappearance. Buyers have begun to prefer more compact apartments but are also checking the technical specifications of the building and its readiness for possible energy disruptions more thoroughly.

"Even before the full-scale invasion, the choice of housing in new buildings often began and ended with a comparison of location and price per square meter. Now, buyers are trying to understand how they will live in this building during potential outages: will there be water, heat, lighting, and other life-support systems? In other words, they are evaluating not just the apartment but everything."

The Autonomy of the Building Takes Center Stage

The safety of the region remains one of the key criteria when choosing housing; however, this is no longer sufficient for buyers. Before purchasing an apartment, they are increasingly checking how well the building is prepared to operate under prolonged outages.

According to Mariana Bigunets, attention should be paid to thermal insulation, type of heating, backup power, and the operation of engineering systems. The concept of energy autonomy can imply different levels of provision.

In one building, a backup power source may only support emergency lighting, while in another, it may ensure the operation of pumps, the boiler room, water supply systems, access control, and one of the elevators.

"It is important for the buyer to find out not just the presence of a generator, inverter, or solar panels, but the list of equipment they will power, the system's capacity, the duration of its autonomous operation, and the maintenance procedures," says the commercial director of GAZDA.

Experts also recommend paying special attention to thermal insulation. Even in new buildings, due to gaps and non-sealed joints in window and door constructions, a room can lose up to 30-40% of heat. Therefore, the quality of windows, the tightness of constructions, and the insulation of the building matter regardless of backup power supply.

According to internal analytics from GAZDA, throughout 2026, questions regarding backup power and the operation of the building during outages were raised by more than 90% of potential buyers.

"Autonomy is not just a 'yes' or 'no' answer. Buyers should obtain a precise list of systems that will operate without external power supply. The ability of the building to retain heat is also significant: backup power helps maintain engineering systems, but it is energy efficiency that determines how quickly the building will cool down," emphasized Mariana Bigun.

Buyers Consider More Than Just the Price per Square Meter

Another trend in the primary market is the focus on the total cost of acquisition and settlement. Buyers are increasingly taking into account not only the price of the apartment but also future expenses for repairs, furniture, appliances, documentation, connection, and maintenance of the housing.

According to general conclusions from the NBU, during the first six months of 2026, offering prices in the primary market predominantly increased by 5-10%. Among the reasons for the price increase are the weakening of the hryvnia and rising construction costs.

Analysts at GAZDA estimate that by the end of 2026, basic repairs could cost around 9,000-14,000 UAH per square meter, mid-level finishing could range from 15,000 to 19,000 UAH/sq.m., and more expensive options could start from 22,000 to 30,000 UAH/sq.m. These calculations do not include furniture and appliances.

For an apartment with an area of 50 sq. m., the estimated cost of repairs would be:

• 450,000-700,000 UAH -- basic level;
• 750,000-950,000 UAH -- mid-level;
• 1,100,000-1,500,000 UAH -- more expensive finishing.

Consequently, two apartments of the same area with approximately the same price per square meter may have different settlement budgets.

"The price per square meter should be viewed only as a starting figure. You need to add the costs of bringing the apartment to a livable condition, as well as assess future operational risks. A cheap property at the start may end up being more expensive if it requires significant repairs, additional insulation, or individual solutions for backup power," he explained.

Ready Finishing: More Likely to Settle, but No Guarantee of Autonomy

Apartments with finishing may be more attractive to buyers who want to settle in quickly and understand the overall budget in advance. At the same time, before purchasing, it is worth clarifying what exactly is included in the package: wall and floor finishing, interior doors, plumbing, lighting, electrical fittings, kitchen, and household appliances.

The expert notes that the readiness of the apartment does not automatically mean the readiness of the building to operate under power outages.

"The readiness of the apartment does not replace the need to check the building itself. Even a fully finished apartment may depend on the operation of pumps, the boiler room, access systems, and common electrical networks. Ready finishing is valuable not in itself but as a tool for reducing risks. The buyer gets a clearer budget, quicker settlement, and less dependence on the cost of work and materials as the autumn-winter season approaches," the expert believes.

What to Check Before Buying an Apartment

In anticipation of the cold season, Marianna Bigunets advises potential buyers to evaluate new buildings based on several criteria.

1. Determine the purpose of the purchase. It is important to understand whether the housing is being purchased for permanent residence, family relocation, rental, investment, or as a backup option. This will help determine the necessary area, level of apartment readiness, and infrastructure requirements.

2. Check documents and readiness. It is necessary to verify the land plot, permitting documentation, the mechanism for attracting funds, actual construction rates, commissioned phases, and the developer's fulfillment of preliminary obligations.

3. Determine the actual level of autonomy. The buyer should obtain a specific list of systems that will operate from a backup power source, as well as learn about its capacity, duration of autonomous operation, and the method of fuel supply or battery charging.

4. Check heating, water, and thermal insulation. It is essential to find out the type of heating, the principle of operation of the boiler room and pumps, the possibility of reserving hot water, as well as the characteristics of the facade, windows, and roofing.

5. Calculate the total budget. The cost of the apartment should include renovation, furniture, appliances, taxes, document processing, connections, and future maintenance expenses.

6. Clarify payment terms. If the cost or remaining payment is tied to foreign currency, the buyer should understand the conversion mechanism, the date of the exchange rate fixation, and the potential impact of currency fluctuations on the final amount.

7. Assess future liquidity. The attractiveness of housing for future buyers or renters will be influenced not only by the city and district. The readiness of the building, the quality of engineering systems, transport accessibility, the presence of shelter and parking, social infrastructure, and the ability to live comfortably in the house throughout the year will also matter.

"The main advice for citizens who decide to purchase housing in a new building before the cold season is to compare not individual parameters but the complete living model. The apartment should meet the family's needs, be financially feasible, have a clear move-in date, and the building should provide basic services under various circumstances. It is this combination of characteristics that is becoming increasingly important," summarized Marianna Begunets.

Let us remind you that from January to July 2026, taxpayers transferred 8.4 billion UAH in property tax, excluding land tax, to the budgets. This is 8.9% more than in the same period last year.

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