Activities you cannot do on your balcony – This is considered arbitrariness and is prohibited

Since balconies are a highly valued part of housing for the Lithuanian population, property developers try to meet these customer expectations in the best possible way and only in exceptional cases do they offer apartments without balconies or terraces. If for one reason or another it is not possible to install a normal balcony, try to design narrow French-type balconies, at least in southern Europe, in which part of the large window is covered by handrails.

“The number of houses with balconies in the project depends a lot on the possibility of designing those balconies in a specific part of the city, as well as the concept of the project itself and the solutions created by the architect. There are cases where a permit is received to build balconies only on one side of the house, or in some parts of the city, such as the old town, balconies may not be allowed at all ”, comments Raimonda Meškelė, Sales Manager by Realco. , Developer of Realco.

Balconies have rules that must be followed

The interviewer advises when choosing a house to pay attention to whether the area of ​​the balcony or loggia is not included in the total area of ​​the apartment, since such cases occur when offering to buy a house with a glazed balcony. or lodge. Legal regulations stipulate that glazed balconies and loggias are included in the useless auxiliary area of ​​living space. Open areas are not counted and should not be included in the total area of ​​the home.

R. Meškelė warns that buyers of balconies, loggias or terraces want it regardless of the housing segment. The architect Justinas Žalys echoes this and points out that a frequent settler wants to create a space for relaxation on the balcony.

“When comparing older projects with those under construction, the balconies increase slightly and their shape is the one that has changed the most: the balconies have become deeper. Typically, upper-class homes have larger balconies, but this is not the rule. Residents want the balcony to not only be comfortable to stand on, but also have enough space to place a table or some other furniture. This is a private outdoor space for people who live in an apartment building, which is highly valued, ”says J. Žalys.

However, experts point out that balconies considered private spaces are not owned by residents. No stranger will enter the balcony without the resident’s permission, but it is a common part of the building where certain rules apply.

There is no party on the balconies, there are no barbecues, and since the beginning of this year, smoking is not allowed if at least one resident of the house objects. It is also not recommended to store or store items on balconies (disused furniture, children’s toys, remaining building materials, car tires, etc.) that may tarnish the aesthetic appearance of the residential house. Care must also be taken when designing the balcony garden.

“The flowers or other plants on the balconies are very beautiful and aesthetic hanging pots too, but there are cases where the hanging pots outside the balconies fall and the neighbors water themselves by watering the flowers that grow in them. Such situations could be avoided if the pots were hung inside the balcony ”, advises J. Žalys on how to create a safe and cozy balcony.

What to do to glaze the balcony?

Balcony self-glazing is another problem. According to the interlocutors, this self-cleaning is observed more frequently in houses of older construction, in districts farther from the city center, but not alien to the primary housing market.

“Arbitrary balcony glazing is a very bad practice and should be prohibited. Balcony glazing is not only a darkening of the overall architectural expression of the building, it can also be treated as an illegal construction, because the area of ​​the glazed balcony must be included in the total area of ​​the building. ”The architect J. Žalys points out.

R. Meškelė points out that a frequent home buyer is interested in how to glaze the balcony of the purchased house, but few know that the balcony glazing project is treated as a simple repair, requiring a permit. To glaze the balcony, you must first obtain the permission of the project architect. Often the real estate developer has a project prepared in advance and agreed with the architect, which provides what a glazed balcony should look like.

After obtaining permission from the architect, the glazing of the balcony must be coordinated with the house management company and the city municipality, in some cases it may be necessary to request it from the Department of Cultural Heritage.

Permission is required not only for balcony glazing.

Specialists note that the permit is required not only to glaze the balcony, but also to install air conditioning, hang a satellite TV antenna or carry out other work by drilling the external walls or partitions of the building and changing the view of the facade of the building. home.

“It is not possible to drill any holes in the balconies on its own, as building structures, concrete, masonry, monolith or reinforcement can be damaged and as a result the walls of the entire house can start to be punctured. To hang swings, hammocks, gymnastic bands or other items that are currently very popular on the balcony, as well as the fasteners will probably have to be drilled into the ceiling of the balcony, which is prohibited, so I would first advise to consider whether It’s really necessary. The balcony of an apartment building is not the terrace of an individual house, where everything can and should be accommodated ”, says R. Meškelė.