Seda begins renovation of its first apartment building

Renovation work has begun on the first apartment building in Seda, where residents have been reluctant to approve the work, LSM reports. The town’s housing stock is in poor condition, and many residents are pensioners.

The project is expected to encourage residents of other apartment buildings to consider renovations. Seda has 28 apartment buildings, 27 of which are managed by Valmieras namsaimnieks, a property management company.

Company board chairman Andris Kabraks said the buildings had received little maintenance since they were built in the Soviet era. When the company took over their management four years ago, it found that they were not insulated and had high heating bills. Many also urgently need new roofs, he said, but comprehensive renovation is more cost-effective than replacing individual parts.

Seda developed in the 1950s and 1960s as a settlement for a peat factory. Valmiera municipality has also been auctioning vacant apartments in the town, a process it began two years ago.