YIT focuses on individualized service in Tyumen

YIT has just completed the second building at its Zhukov site in Tyumen. The plot is located in one of Tyumen’s oldest and most beloved neighbourhoods.

The first 280 families have already moved in. Infrastructure has already cropped up in the verdant area, including schools and shopping centers. The development will continue, as YIT intends to build a total of nearly a thousand apartments on the site.

For several years now, Tyumen has been experiencing a boom in construction, and YIT got involved three years ago. The Siberian city, with around 700,000 inhabitants, continues to grow with the development of new residential areas. As much as one million square metres of new living space is built in Tyumen each year.

“Tyumen is a more important city than its size would suggest. Residential construction in the city was already quite well developed before YIT arrived. Tyumen boasts modern, well-equipped residential areas,” says Teemu Helppolainen, Head of Housing Russia Segment/Head of Division, Moscow and Russian Regions at YIT.

Competition between builders has also increased the demands of customers. The city’s residents value good infrastructure, green areas and parking places.

“Residents have more and more to choose from. The most important factors influencing purchase decisions include the location, price and size of the apartment, as well as the reputation of the builder. Lately customers have begun to pay more attention to technical details, such as materials, the thickness of walls, the quality of insulation and soundproofing,” says Olga Naumova, YIT’s Vice Director of Sales in Tyumen.

Student apartments in demand in Tyumen

YIT has been operating in Tyumen since 2013, but the company’s history in the city goes back further. YIT already had a representative office in Tyumen at the beginning of the 1990s, when the company had important building projects in the oil and gas fields of Western Siberia.

Tyumen is a vibrant industrial city and business centre home to many natural gas and oil industry companies. The standard of living in the city is clearly higher than the Russian average.

The city is enlivened by its students, who make up almost ten per cent of Tyumen’s population. Student apartments form their own small segment of the market.

“Parents buy studios built by YIT for their children as student apartments,” says Helppolainen.

YIT’s sales representatives provide expert assistance

A special feature of the housing market in Tyumen is the sale of new apartments through real estate agents. For some builders, the number of apartments sold by real estate agents is up to 90 per cent.

YIT’s practice of selling its apartments directly to residents is new in Tyumen. Real estate agents have a strong influence in Tyumen, so it will take a while for the new sales practice to take root. At the moment, YIT sells around half of its apartments itself.

“Our sales representatives know the products like the backs of their hands. They can tell you what materials have been used in our buildings and help customers find apartments to suit their needs. Real estate agents have apartments for sale in dozens of buildings at a time, so they do not know the individual apartments as well as YIT’s own sales associates,” says Helppolainen.

In Tyumen, customers purchasing in new developments are used to viewing the apartment at the building stage. At its Zhukov site, YIT has prepared a whole floor of the building for viewings. The apartments have been open for viewing since June.

“This has increased sales by 40 per cent,” says Naumova.

Safety brings quality to construction

YIT has also brought its own operating methods to the city. This has had an impact on the culture of construction in particular. Occupational safety is not compromised at any stage of construction, and this applies to both YIT’s employees and subcontractors.

“Regular occupational safety training and evaluation of the level of safety are characteristics of YIT. These also affect the quality of construction,” says Naumova.

All buildings built by YIT are energy efficient, which benefits customers, the city and the environment alike.

“Energy efficiency decreases residents’ utility costs significantly. It conserves natural resources and reduces the amount of greenhouse gases released into the environment,” says Naumova.

YIT’s projects in Tyumen

Zhukov

Three 17–18-storey buildings are being built at the site, along with two parking facilities. There will be 896 apartments in total. The site will also feature fenced-in yards, a playground for children, green areas, video surveillance, a fire alarm system and modern elevators. The energy classification of the buildings is B+.

Finskiy zaliv (eng. the Gulf of Finland)

YIT’s 3.3-hectare plot is located in the fastest-developing area of the city. The plan is to build four 10-storey apartment buildings with 468 apartments, as well as business premises and a parking facility.

The layout of the apartments is designed with an emphasis on efficient use of space. The apartments will feature open-plan kitchens, for instance. The yard will have a children’s playground, green areas and a sports field. Construction is scheduled to begin next year.

Tyumen is a young city of students

Tyumen is home to 700,000 inhabitants, of which students make up more than 100,000.

Founded in 1586, Tyumen was the first Russian city to be built in Siberia.

Tyumen is the administrative centre of the natural gas and oil industry in Western Siberia. Many companies in the sector have their operations in the city.

The standard of living is clearly higher than the national average.

The city has 15 institutes of higher education, of which five are universities.

For further information, please contact:

Teemu Helppolainen, Head of Housing Russia segment, YIT Construction Ltd,  tel. +7 915 316 8216, teemu.helppolainen@yit.ru

Hanna Malmivaara, Vice President, Communications, YIT Corporation, tel. +358 40 561 6568,hanna.malmivaara@yit.fi

YIT creates better living environment by developing and constructing housing, business premises, infrastructure and entire areas. Our vision is to bring more life in sustainable cities. We want to focus on caring for customer, visionary urban development, passionate execution and inspiring leadership. Our growth engine is urban development involving partners. Our operating area covers Finland, Russia, the Baltic countries, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland. In 2015, our revenue amounted to nearly EUR 1.7 billion, and we employ about 5,300 employees. Our share is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. www.yitgroup.com