As charming as Crimea is, its impaired tourism infrastructure and low number of decent hotels can discourage potential tourists from discovering what the peninsula has to offer. So instead of renting, why not buy?
The Greater Yalta region, which includes the city itself and several small towns on Crimea’s southern coast, is one of the most expensive real estate options, but it has better infrastructure, making it perfectly suitable for property owners looking to earn rental income. Choices here vary from small studio apartments to impressive villas.
Yalta also offers buyers downtown locations with lots of foot traffic or distant houses located in the surrounding mountains. Both options have their perks.
Prices start from $200,000 for a freshly-built townhouse in Yalta to $5.5 million for a 1,500-square-meter seaside villa in the picturesque town of Simeiz, 40 minutes from central Yalta by car. For $2.5 million you can buy a fancy sea-view house in Gurzuf, near Anton Chekhov’s dacha (currently a tourist attraction), while $893,000 can buy a four-story home in Yalta’s center.
Houses that start from the $800,000 usually have a swimming pool, two to five floors, a sauna and often a guesthouse. Most come decorated and at least partly furnished.
Location influences the price, but is not the ultimate factor. A house standing in a forest can beat a seaside villa of a similar size.
Apartments have a wider price range. A one-room apartment in Mishor outside Yalta has a modest asking price of $79,000. The building has a view of the sea, but it takes some time to get to the beach. A similar apartment in Yalta goes for $280,000.
But keep this in mind: don’t place too much emphasis on a sea view when perusing real estate for the Yalta region, because the sea is visible from almost any location, near or far, in the area.
Sevastopol, the top alternative, is where history and sea port romance meet. The city and its suburbs are a striking contrast to the glamorous Crimean southern coastal areas, even though it is not far from the Greater Yalta area.
While construction is on the rise in Sevastopol, most of the new buildings have unattractive locations for tourists.
Small suburban apartments are available at $25,000 but one-room flats not far from the seaside start at $100,000. A five-room apartment in the center of Sevastopol is currently on the market for $550,000. The price includes some high-end furniture.
Houses are mostly offered in the city suburbs, and are rarely close to the seaside.
Another option is to house hunt in Balaklava, a town outside Sevastopol. Located in the bay, this former military submarine station now hosts fancy boats and yachts. Apartments here start from $25,000 and go up to $100,000. The house selection is far from fantastic, with mostly old and small buildings on offer. Prices start from $19,000 for the smallest place located far from the sea shore.
Real estate websites in Crimea:
www.crimea-vip.com
www.yalta-city.com
Kyiv Post staff writer Olga Rudenko can be reached at rudenko@kyivpost.com.
