Small, but remote? Mmm, this is more a matter of taste than standard. For some, a two-story mansion is not enough for comfort, while others, on the contrary, are content with one room in which they can neatly arrange all their belongings. There is no arguing about tastes, so we won’t. Let's take a better look at how the concept of compact housing is perceived in which countries. We offer you a quick tour of America, Europe and Asia. We have already taken a look at modest proposals on the Ukrainian market, so it’s time to expand the boundaries.
How great ambitions fit into a tiny space: the experience of world capitals
📍 New York, USA 🇺🇸
With so many skyscrapers, it’s hard to imagine that anyone lacks housing. But you forget that for the most part they are all shopping and business centers. In order to have enough space for everyone in the Big Apple, sometimes you have to squeeze in a lot of space. New York is famous for its tiny apartments measuring just 6 m². It’s not easy to turn around in such a space, so the beds have to be placed literally under the ceiling. Frequent guests of a reserved seat know the delights of such a place, but in an apartment it is still furnished more comfortably. Even under these conditions, rent in Manhattan costs $750/month.
📍 London, UK 🇬🇧
2 meters long, 1.7 meters wide – more like the dimensions of a double bed, but that’s all apartment, or rather a room from which they made a full-fledged (as far as possible) living space . By some miracle, the owner managed to fit in a bed, a toilet with a built-in washbasin, a wardrobe and a mirror. It would be difficult to live in such conditions on a permanent basis, but this option is quite popular among tourists. Hand-made apartments are rented daily.
📍 Paris, France 🇫🇷
Paris, compared to previous megacities, simply pampers tenants. The most modest housing here takes up as much as 11 m². Just like a mansion. Here the owner managed to place many more amenities and with much greater comfort. So, the room contains a bed, storage racks and even a bar counter. True, there is hardly enough space for guests, so you will have to sit at it in splendid isolation or in cramped conditions in the evenings. Rent in Paris is more reasonable than in New York - 600 €/month (≈ 652 $/month).
How many tatami mats are there in one square meter
📍 Tokyo, Japan 🇯🇵
The question about tatami was taken too literally in Japan. The size of the apartment here is determined not only in the measure we are accustomed to, but also in the sleeping areas. Tokyo is all too familiar with the problem of overcrowding, so small apartments are not uncommon here. On average, their area reaches 6 m², as in New York. This is approximately 3-4 tatami! Still, there are advantages in that the sleeping place can be hidden in the closet at any time so that it does not interfere.
📍 Beijing, China 🇨🇳
One of the smallest apartments in the world (except for a room in London) is located in China. As in Japan, overpopulation has long since evolved from an acute problem to a stable situation. In such conditions, real estate with an area of 3.8 m² is valued no less than the rest. The miracles of design made it possible to turn this little thing into a semi-penthouse. On the ground floor there is a “bathroom”, from which a steep staircase leads to a sleeping/working area. The owners say that it is quite possible for two people to live here, provided that they have to take turns sleeping on the bed.
Demand for small apartments in Ukraine
If the ridiculously small apartments in the countries reviewed seem completely unsuitable for living, we advise you to read the video, which proves your wrongness. Of course, you shouldn’t go too far with the size, and many of the conditions described are truly inhumane, but in Paris they adhere to the gold standard. Scientists long ago calculated that the minimum acceptable size of a room for a comfortable life is only 9 m². The areas of one-room apartments in Kyiv are several times larger than this value, so feel free to choose a suitable object - its you will definitely have enough to be happy. To find an offer for a wallet, we suggest you familiarize yourself with the current situation and prices in different areas of the capital:
- Goloseevsky – 11,500 ₴;
- Desnyansky – 13,000 ₴;
- Dneprovsky – 14,000 ₴ (growth is observed);
- Svyatoshinsky – 14,500 ₴ (growth continues);
- Podolsky – 14,750 ₴;
- Obolonsky – 15,000 ₴;
- Solomensky – 15,000 ₴ (numbers are growing);
- Darnitsky – 16,000 ₴;
- Pechersky – 24,336 ₴ (a decline is expected);
- Shevchenkovsky – 28,457 ₴ (prices are gradually decreasing).
The average price in Kyiv is 16,000 ₴ and these numbers are gradually moving upward. The statistics are current for May, so we advise you to hurry up and rent while you are aware of the latest trends.