Rentola is one of the largest sites for finding housing for rent. Our base has a huge number of apartments for every taste. Light, dark, in the center and on the outskirts, huge and tiny. It was the last type that interested us in the question of how small housing can be, while remaining comfortable and convenient. And we found many examples of housing in which, despite the small size, life can be big. We divided our findings into two parts - apartments and town or country houses. This is the first part dedicated to apartments, but first let's go a little deeper into what micro-apartments are and what their disadvantages and advantages are.
Micro-apartments have been a unique type of real estate traditionally confined to high density city centres. They are exactly as they sound—tiny, space-saving units that usually land in the 100-500 square footage range and are smaller than most studio apartments. But surprisingly the desirability of these pocket-sized properties is rising, even in postcodes far from the capitals.
Micro-apartments are becoming more common and more desirable due to the housing crisis in places where housing is very expensive, hard to find, or both. This means that big cities, especially those with booming populations, are places where you’re very likely to encounter these small spaces on the rental market.
Thanks to their high cost of living, New York City, San Francisco, and Hong Kong are all prime locales for rentals of this unit size—often around 400 square feet. And for those hoping to move to these cities, these tiny spaces can be a great option when larger and older homes rarely enter the rental market or are very expensive.
Pros of micro-apartments
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It may be the best way to land a spot in your city of choice. Even if it’s a high-density city where good apartment is hard to find.
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Micro-apartment may allow you to be closer to the heart of a city.
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Micro-living often means downsizing and economizing your belongings. For many people, this is a rewarding and less stressful way to live.
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This way of living may have less impact on the environment.
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Some micro-apartment buildings bring aspects that increase the sociability of a living situation, such as communal kitchens, gathering spaces, and even live and work environments.
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Micro-apartment can be good if you`re investor. For between $850,000 and $1 million – a little more than the $825,514 median price of a single unit in Sydney, according to CoreLogic data — investors can get eight to nine micro-apartments (also known as studios) for the price of one.
Cons of micro-apartments
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Downsizing can be really challenging. So it is important to accept that your living space will be very small.
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Micro-apartment may not be the right choice if you desire a large sleeping space, own a lot of things you don’t want to get rid of, have a big dog, or any other factors that could make such living uncomfortable for you.
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Some micro-apartments don’t have full kitchens or don’t have kitchens at all, providing a communal cooking space instead. So it won’t be a good fit for you, if you love to cook and need a full kitchen with a stove, range, and a full-size refrigerator.
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If you’re moving as a couple, really think about if a micro-apartment provides enough space for you both. Communal gathering space where you can easily get away for some alone time, a cafe or a park nearby where you can step out for a breather - these are things to think about if you’re planning to live in a micro-apartment with another person.
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If you value having a social component to your home life, micro-apartments might feel lonely. Finding shared housing with roommates might be a better fit.
And now, let`s take a look at the first part of beautiful and cozy small apartments.
1. Sydney, NSW 26sqm, Retro studio apartment
2. Richmond, VIC, 40sqm, Small loft pod
3. Sydney, Darlinghurst, NSW, 38sqm, Former warehouse turned into small apartment
4. Melbourne, VIC, 23sqm, Micro flat in an old experimental-designed building
5. Melbourne, VIC, 40sqm
6. Sydney, Elisabeth Bay, NSW, 30sqm, Micro studio apartment
7. Melbourne, Fitzroy, VIC, 24sqm, Functional micro apartment
8. Sandy Bay, TAS, 26.5sqm, Tasmanian micro apartment
All screenshots are taken from NEVER TOO SMALL youtube channel
