Bigger isn’t always best
Jul 08, 2013
Imagine living in a home just 18.5sqm and sharing a kitchen with up to ten of your neighbours? No it isn’t a university dorm, it’s the latest housing trend to hit the US – the micro apartment.
Micro apartments are popping up in major cities in the US as a way of tackling chronic housing shortages and providing local residents with a chance to live in otherwise expensive areas at a fraction of the cost.
According to a recent article by Reuters, the micro apartment is generally 18.5sqm in size and includes a private bathroom. They typically come furnished, sometimes with built-in beds and other amenities to save space.
While micro apartments are ideal for students, they also provide affordable housing for retirees, city workers and young couples starting out.
New York is leading the charge in the US with the first micro-apartment building scheduled for completion in September 2015. In January, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the winners of a competition to design the apartment building which features 55 modular spaces ranging between 250 and 370 square feet (23 to 34sqm). The winning proposal includes a rooftop garden, lounges, a deck, laundry, bike storage, a cafe and a fitness room.
Sarah Dunkhart of The Australian newspaper said while micro apartments have been slow to take off in Australia, there is starting to be a shift in people’s thinking to see the benefits of having a small apartment close to the city’s top restaurants and cafes.
According to Dunkhart, an example of the Australian version of the micro apartment was recently offered for sale in College Street, Sydney. While only 25sqm, the apartment offered a spectacular view of Hyde Park.
“The resident’s clever use of layout and furnishings show that small studio apartments don’t have to be homes to international students dossing on bunk beds between taking turns on their shared Ikea desk,” she said.
With space at a minimum, self storage is the ideal companion to a micro apartment. Self storage provides a way of keep belongings you don’t use on a regular basis clean and secure while reducing clutter in your micro apartment.
Containaway makes self storage easy. We deliver our container to you, no matter where you live, you simply pack it (or we can pack it for you) and we take it away to one of our secure self storage facilities. It’s that easy.
