180 sq ft micro apartments sold like hot cakes.
Do you know that a car park lot in Singapore must be at least 124 sq ft in area?
That is the rule by LTA.
Do you know how big is the smallest flat in Hong Kong?
According to an article in The Sunday Times, it is 61.4 sq ft!
That is smaller than the smallest hotel room I have ever stayed in!
There are more and more homes which are less than 200 sq ft in size being built in Hong Kong and they cost about HK$4 million or S$725,000 each.
Now, for those who wonder how I could stay comfortably in an apartment that is a bit bigger than 400 sq ft in size, what about one that is smaller than 200 sq ft in size?
200 sq ft is probably the size of a decent hotel room with a bath.
I feel that it is good enough for a short stay of maybe a few days but to stay for a longer period, it could be difficult for me.
I actually stayed in a junior suite before because I got a good deal.
Similar in size to my current place but missing an outdoor space, it was very comfortable.
See the photos: HERE.
I feel that my apartment gives me just the right amount of space for living comfortably long term.
A kitchenette, a living cum work space, a bedroom, a wardrobe, a bathroom and a small outdoor space.
Everything I need in the smallest apartment I ever stayed in.
With only 200 sq ft, I think I would be left with just the bedroom and the bathroom.
I would have to eat out all the time and I would probably want to go out a lot more because there is no outdoor space.
Hmmm, OK, I guess these nano apartments (yes, they are even smaller than shoebox apartments) could work for people who don't cook and who spend very little time at home.
When are we going to see some nano apartments in Singapore, I wonder?
Related posts:
1. My hut in the sky.
2. Downsizing our homes.
I had American friends visiting & they were all flabbergasted that any sane human would want to even pay more than USD100K for a 1,200sqft HDB 5-room flat especially in the suburbs. I told them they would if they had to live here.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm an average Hongkie, I'll probably migrate (SG? haha), or try like hell to get overseas posting (mainland city also can but on expat terms), or worse case live from AirBnB & invest/save like AK and retire on Hainan. :)
Wah, small like hotel room size. Or maybe cruise ship cabin?
ReplyDeleteHi Spur,
ReplyDeleteAmericans are used to having everything big (and cheap). Many have also grown big in body size. Oops. That just came out. ;p
So, when I first watched Tiny House on HGTV, I was amazed. The move to go tiny is not tiny in the USA. The movement is gaining traction.
$50,000 for a tiny house on wheels is possible. Much cheaper than what we can have in Singapore but, of course, it is not an apple with apple comparison. It is not just about size. :)
Hi Lizardo,
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, a cruise ship cabin! I haven't been on a cruise in a while but I remember my first time on a cruise ship years ago. Alamak, I had a bunk bed 2 feet wide. :(
Nano apartments in Hong Kong.
ReplyDeleteSmall in area but big on price tag.
One Prestige in North Point
Starting unit size: 163 sq ft
Developer: Chun Wo Property
Price: HK$3.9 million
Seven Victory Avenue in Ho Man Tin
Starting unit size: 161 sq ft
Developer: Chun Wo Property
Price: HK$4 million
AVA62 in Jordan
Starting unit size: 152 sq ft
Developer: Wisdom Gaining
Price: HK$3.27 million
Source:
http://www.scmp.com/property/hong-kong-china/article/2103640/peek-6-smallest-apartments-hong-kong
Csky Roo says...
ReplyDeleteActually I feel very sad that prices of houses are so high in SG. I never understand why we have come to this. Unlike HK, our early govt had foresight to start HDB to keep housing affordable. Somewhere along the way, that goal was lost.
I often think if Singaporeans were not so pressurized by the costs of living in SG, maybe there will be more time for people to tinker, explore, become entrepreneurs, or be more involved in the community, all these can make our country better and stronger rather than one so purely driven by just the economics.
AK says...
We are very fortunate to have HDB flats in Singapore, friends from Hong Kong and Taiwan remind me every time we talk about cost of housing.
Most young people cannot even hope to buy their own place in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
I am not an economist but I like to think that prices here have gone up also because purchasing power of the people has gone up. Market forces are at work here too but tempered.
I would count our blessings. :)
Jackson Yang says...
ReplyDeleteIm also grateful that hdb price in singapore are at least somewhere "reachable" within our life, unlike taiwan (to be specific is actually taipei), hong kong and even big cities in japan.
I just shared with one of my friend that if one not enough money to buy a private condo (she is pr and single), just rent! At least no need to worry about heavy mortgage loans during our old age.
i dunno about you,but as a younger singaporean i would love one of these homes,considering that growing up,we spend like nearly 90 percent of our time at home in our bedrooms anyway,it wont make a difference if the house was 200 sqft or 1000 sqft.....
ReplyDeleteand a 200 sqft i estimate would cost approximately lesser than 125k SGD.....so much more affordable and lighter on our budgets,it would take less than 10 years to pay off the mortgage,and not only would i be free with a roof over my head,i can divert the rest of my disposable income to investments than it being tied up paying a bloody mortgage for 30 years,being broke and having to sell it back to the govt when im 50.
Hi frenchbriefs,
ReplyDeleteWow! Didn't expect anyone to read any of my old blogs.
Shoebox apartment living is quite nice and I can say that confidently as I have been living in one for close to 8 years now. :)
haha,not sure why but i was googling micro apartments in singapore when ur blog post randomly popped up.....
ReplyDeletei used to be a frequent connorsieur of ur blog between...back in the early/mid 2010s,back when u started posting those insane annual dividend totals.urs and investment moat's blog were my two singapore investment blogs mainstays.
Hi frenchbriefs,
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, our friendly neighborhood Google.
Time really does fly, doesn't it? :)
So many things have changed from the time I started blogging and I have become lazier than ever. ;p