At first glance, there is no fundamental difference between Russian and foreign residential buildings. All the same monotonous high-rise buildings. However, if you study this issue in more detail, the differences will immediately catch your eye. Agree, it is unlikely that in our country you will find dozens of washing machines in the basement, a ladder for cats on the facade of a house or glass porches somewhere. What else can foreign houses boast of, read the Novate.ru article.
1. Czech Republic
Unlike Russian panel houses, Czech ones are actively reconstructing: they paint in bright colors, add balconies. Large three-leaf windows are installed in the entrances, instead of the tiny ones, to which we are accustomed, thanks to which it is always light on the stairwells. The first floors are often equipped with special storage rooms, where residents store strollers and bicycles so that they do not have to take them in the elevator.
Another innovation is glass doors in the entrances, instead of the iron ones, which were installed in newly built or refurbished houses. An interesting fact is that you can get into the house not from one side, but from two, since the entrances are through. Of course, not all apartment buildings in the Czech Republic are so comfortable, beautiful and modern, but most of them are ennobled in every possible way so that the tenants are as comfortable as possible.
2. Switzerland
In Switzerland, you can often see bright awnings on balconies and unglazed loggias. Also, there are no curtains that are familiar to us, instead of which wooden external shutters are installed on the windows. In most apartments, you will not find such a necessary technique for Russians as a washing machine. But within the block there are common laundries, which you can come to at the time allotted for you. Each tenant has a ticket in which it is indicated.
As for modern houses, they are equipped by analogy with American ones, that is, they make laundries in the basement. Washing machines are not shared - each is assigned to a specific apartment. Swiss housing has another interesting feature - apartments located in new buildings always have a kitchen and a bathroom. When buying a home, you can count on a refrigerator, stove, dishwasher and a lot of other equipment. And if you decide to buy an apartment in a new building, the construction of which has not yet ended, then you can count on "goodies": in particular, you will be allowed to choose the desired design.
It is interesting: Most homes in Switzerland have cat ladders on their walls so that pets can go for a walk and return home without any problems. It is believed that such a detail best characterizes the mentality of the country's inhabitants: the Swiss love independence in everything, and therefore give freedom of action even to pets.
3. Italy
Italians are divided into two types:
• the first ones live in incredibly beautiful, atmospheric buildings with a touch of antiquity. In addition to the fact that such houses are admirable and often become the backdrop for photographs of tourists, they have no more advantages. Residents face a huge number of problems, because the older the building, the more money you need to invest in it: either the roof leaks, or the electricity is cut off;
• the latter are the owner of apartments in the condominium. There are pros and cons here as well. Among the advantages - there is no need to invest in home renovation, as it is new. Disadvantages include limited living space and the lack of the Italian flavor that is characteristic of older buildings.
An interesting fact is that in Italy you can never rent an apartment with furniture. And it's not just about a bed, sofa or table. You will have to pay, in the truest sense of the word, for bare walls: no kitchen, bathroom, plumbing and other necessary items, the presence of which in Russia is taken for granted.
And in Italy, you can easily lose weight if you don't have extra money. The fact is that the elevators here are paid: you need to go into the car and throw a coin into a special hole. Only after that the lift will take you to the desired floor. Otherwise, you will have to walk to the apartment.
Another characteristic feature of Italian apartments is the flooring. They are accustomed to using terracotta and marble tiles to decorate all rooms. If in Russia this material can be seen only in the kitchen and in the bathroom, less often in the corridor, then in Italy it will also be present in the bedroom and living room. Such love for tiles is due to its reliability, durability and ease of maintenance - what practical Italians need.
4. United Kingdom
England is characterized by the presence of terraced houses, and this is probably one of the most striking characteristics of British cities. What is this type of building? This is a row of houses with common side walls, which can significantly save space and place more houses along the road. In addition, the owners have a significant advantage - they can save money during the heating season, since their housing is “heated” from one or both sides by neighboring houses. Since terraced houses do not have gardens, front gardens or a local area, they cost significantly less than detached cottages.
5. Vietnam
Probably everyone knows about the famous pipe houses that are located in Vietnam. Narrow and tall dwellings are not apartment buildings, contrary to popular belief, but belong to a separate family. Most often they consist of four, five or seven floors. Instead of the roof we are accustomed to, there is an open or semi-open space, which is set aside for a garden, recreation area or water tanks.
On the ground floor there is usually a shop, beauty salon or souvenir shop. If the landlord is not an entrepreneur, then he uses the ground floor for other purposes, for example, as a garage. By the way, the most popular mode of transport in Vietnam is not cars, but mopeds, which are stored in the garage.
If in Russia blue, red, yellow or orange houses are a rarity, then for Vietnam it is a common practice. Locals love to paint their homes in different colors to keep them bright and beautiful. And in this country you can see a huge number of different signs. This is due to local laws: the land area in Vietnam belongs to the state, and if the authorities see that the land is not being exploited, they take it. The sign serves as clear evidence that the home is being used.
6. China
In China, multi-storey buildings are combined into blocks, which are characterized by one design and architectural solution. In most cases, they are fenced off, and a security guard sits at the entrance, who checks the documents of the arrivals, so an outsider will not be able to enter the territory of the block. Of course, such a system is not envisaged throughout the country, but a similar trend can be traced.
But most of all tourists are surprised by the entrances, which are visually similar to the entrance to a palace, and not to a standard residential building. The walls are decorated with works of art, pompous chandeliers hang from the ceiling, leather chairs, coffee tables and flowers in vases stand near the walls. The elevators are also special here. There is no need to pay for their services, as in Italy, but without a special document you will not be able to get up. To get to your floor, a tenant card must be attached to a special sensor. If you forgot it or lost it and did not have time to restore it, you will have to climb the stairs on foot. Since in China most apartment buildings are high-rise buildings of 30-50 floors, the Chinese cherish their cards like the apple of their eye.
Also in this country are located two of 5 large-scale buildings on the planet, from one look at which will take your breath away