This FAQ reflects the current thinking about many aspects of the project and the information that we have about the state of the building. This thinking will evolve and answers will change as we learn more about the building and the needs of the community. Estimates will change as they get more detailed and we get quotes for specific works. So please check back often. Once we move into the apartment reservation phase we will lock down all content so that at that point it is clear what you will actually buy.

How can we attract people to a place that is very remote and doesn’t have much else around except nature?

• MONEY :-) and COMMUNITY

  Attracting people to Coliving Semkovo, which is located in a remote area with limited amenities, can be achieved by offering affordable real estate ownership opportunities starting at €15,000 in a coliving space that will be owned by apartment owners together. Many nomads are interested in owning affordable real estate as a base, even if they travel most of the time, and this location is perfect for it. The community-owned business structure makes it even more attractive.

  The project will start with a community of owners who will use their apartments at least sometimes and will promote the destination to their friends, benefiting from the coliving business and, if their apartments are rented out. The low cost of real estate will also allow us to offer very attractive pricing on coliving packages, which will attract the first guests, especially as we will have a large community from the beginning and many people are looking for that community experience. Even though it is remote, we will be able to offer amazing facilities for our community, surpassing many other coliving options around the world and setting a new standard.

  For some target audiences, the remoteness also means less distraction and more focus, which can be an attractive value proposition.

  → find out Why people are excited about this project

Why the community ownership model for Coliving Semkovo?

• Coliving Semkovo is using a community ownership model because Matthias believes it will create a unique experience where every owner is motivated to contribute to the success of the project. With 200 owners promoting the project and wanting to rent out their apartments and grow the coliving business, it will be a strong form of word-of-mouth marketing. Owners will also be more motivated to run activities that they enjoy for the community, such as quiz nights, karaoke, group hiking, book clubs, cocktail nights, skill shares, and day trips, compared to just being customers of a coliving space. Additionally, being able to influence the high-level strategy and budget of the community business will engage owners more than being part of a community that is owned by a business that sees everyone as just customers.

How big are the different units?

• Below is the typical net area of the different floorplans. Coliving Semkovo will probably keep most of the staff rooms for staff & volunteers or convert to budget accommodation. Or sell some as apartments even though they lack a view/balconies to increase the budget for common area upgrades.

  Amount	Unit Type	Net Area
  101	Studio	20m2
  70	1 Bedroom / Large Studio	42m2
  21	2 Bedroom	60m2
  18	Staff Rooms	various

  Most units have their own small balcony or outdoor area. It might be possible to combine units if you want something bigger.

  Some of the units have solid walls to separate rooms, others use wooden dividers. We will see where it makes sense to add dry-walls and where it makes more sense to keep the semi-open floorplans. Unit cost will be determined based on size, not on amount of walls.

  For comparing pricing with other apartments elsewhere please consider that you are not only paying for the net m² of your unit but also that you also get a fraction of the ~8000m² common/communal areas that are about half of the total building size and a share of the coliving business. You will be able to rent our your apartments through the coliving and won’t need to worry about check-ins or how to organize maintenance when something breaks.

  You can decide how you want to use / furnish your unit. To rent them out however it is best of most of the units have the same style, furniture and amenities as this will make it easier for guests to get a consistent experience.

  For rental units the suggestion is:

  Studio	Queen Sized bed, maybe murphy style, small kitchenette
  1BR / Large Studio	Bigger kitchen with oven, living room with sofa
  2BR	Full kitchen with dishwasher, one bedroom converted to home office with proper desk and office chair.

Do the units come with storage? Can I receive mail?

• The building has many areas that can be converted into storage. So while individual units do not have their own storage it will be possible to get storage at the building. The co-op will decide if this comes for free to owners or if there is a small charge for it depending on how much storage people really require.
• We intent to offer mailroom services so that owners can receive mail and shipments, even when they are not in Semkovo.

What will it look like?

We will get some interior design suggestion for units as well as communal areas and also get inspired by great coliving and coworking design concepts from around the world.

More design inspiration on Pinterest

We will aim for a similar modern design that people expect from a leading coliving space.

When I pick a specific floorplan / unit?

• We will do reservation of specific units once we have enough interest in the project. The selection will be done in stages and we might have slightly different prices for more/less desirable units (views, balcony, floors etc.) and we will increase pricing for each stage slightly to reward early commitments. We will post videos of some floorplans and also organize an on-site viewing before reservations start.

When will the payments be due?