What should you take care of first: the car or the parking space?

Buying and furnishing an apartment is just the first step towards a comfortable life. After moving into a new home, new residents who drive a car often face the question of where to park their vehicle? Both in Vilnius and in other major cities in the country, there is an increasing shortage of parking spaces near apartment buildings. In search of a solution, residents resort to parking their vehicles on lawns or sidewalks, thus violating traffic rules..

 

What to do to prevent this from happening, and what every new resident must know about parking lots before purchasing a home, advises Martynas Žibūda, development director of the real estate company “Eika”.

 

 

First the parking space, then the car

 

To avoid parking problems, every apartment dweller who drives should know exactly where they will park their car before buying it. This issue should be no less important than the make or price of the car they are buying.

 

“A resident should take care of the place where the car will be parked as well as the car itself. However, practice shows that such an approach is still rare in Lithuania – Lithuanians first purchase a car and only then start taking care of its storage space,” says M. Žibūda.

 

 

How are the number of parking spaces distributed?

 

Currently, the number of parking spaces near newly built apartment buildings is regulated by city municipalities. According to the procedure approved by the Vilnius City Municipality Council, different districts of Vilnius are provided with different numbers of parking spaces.

 

For example, in the districts furthest from the center – Lazdynai, Fabijoniškės or Baltupiai – one parking space is allocated per apartment. In districts closer to the center – Žirmūnai, Naujamiestis or Žvėrynas – one apartment has 0.75 parking spaces, and in the Old Town – only half a parking space.

 

According to M. Žibūda, the closer to the center, the fewer parking spaces near apartment buildings. This is most likely because there are fewer opportunities to install parking spaces in more densely built-up areas. In addition, residents living closer to the city can more easily reach important city sites on foot, by bicycle or by using public transport.

 

“Although only half of the parking spaces are allocated to residents of the Old Town, a person who has purchased a home in this area can park their car within the specified streets, paying from 7.20 to 43.00 EUR for a permit, and from 8.70 to 52.00 EUR per year for a permit for a second car. And this is ten times cheaper than buying and maintaining their own parking space. True, by purchasing their own parking space, a person will no longer have to worry every time about whether they will find a free space. In addition, parking a car in a private parking lot is not only more convenient, but also safer,” says M. Žibūda.

 

 

Public parking lots are not an option

 

If the new residents did not have time to arrange a parking space near the apartment building in time, and there are no more spaces left, it is worth looking into public parking lots. You should find out whether there are free parking lots near the new house or places that are charged by the municipality. Once you have found a paid place, it is important to check what days and hours you can park there and what the price is per hour.

 

According to a real estate expert, public parking lots have both their pros and cons. Firstly, if you choose to park your car in a public parking lot, it is likely that the car will be parked further from home and you will have to walk a longer distance to get there every morning, and in the evening after work – cover the same distance with shopping bags. Secondly, when parking your car in public parking lots, the issue of security becomes relevant.

 

“Without the possibility of parking in public parking lots or seeking convenience and security, settlers choose paid parking spaces offered by real estate developers. Developers install them in underground or above-ground parking lots, and in larger residential areas – in multi-storey parking lots. True, there are families who, when buying a home, refuse such spaces or ask for the opportunity to purchase them later,” says the development director of Eika.

 

According to M. Žibūda, many problems related to car ownership could be avoided by changing driving habits. “A common Vilnius family has two cars, but both family members still drive to work separately. In addition, people are reluctant to cooperate and drive to work with co-workers who live nearby, although this would not only save money but also foster an ecological attitude,” says the real estate expert.