Friday, April 17, 2009

Small is Cool at Apartment Therapy

It's that time again... Apartment Therapy's annual Small Cool Apartment contest. Living in less space can be a great way to spend less money, and the apartments showcased in this contest are always inspiring! Though there may be a few design touches that aren't cheap, Apartment Therapy usually has a lower-budget aesthetic than other home design resources, so it's been a web fave of mine for years.

I currently live in under 700 square feet. My previous apartment was about 240 square feet. Neither place would win this contest, but I have always felt that I had a neat, cheerful and cute apartment that I was happy to come home to.

How big is your living space? How much do you pay for it monthly? Tell us where you live so all the New Yorkers won't start having heart attacks!

52 comments:

Lindsay said...

1400 sqft 3bed/2bath, 2 car garage on at least a quarter acre; utilities, trash, and lawncare included. Cost? $1024 a month and husband at war 7-13 months every year. NC Marine Corps Base.

Undrunk Panda said...

700 sq ft. 1/1 half of a duplex. Washer and dryer included. Cute yard, etc. $850 a month.
Fort Lauderdale, FL .5 mile from the beach.

Anonymous said...

750 sq ft studio. Doorman building w/ elevator, gym, and large courtyard. $1400 a month. Midtown East in Manhattan.

It's subsidized by my university. I have classmates who live in student housing on campus who pay only $700 for a slightly smaller 1 bedroom on the UES.

Adrienne said...

1300 sq ft 2 bath/3 bed/ 2 car garage. Nice little front yard and backyard, 20 minutes from downtown Houston.

$1118/mo (taxes, insurance, interest, principle). That's actually higher than normal because I was short on taxes last year and my escrow is making up the difference this year. Normally it will be more like $1000/mo.

I'll take cheap living and occasional hurricanes over months of snow any day!

T'Pol said...

936 sq ft. 2 bedrom 1 bathroom apartment with a balcony in Istanbul, Turkey.

Have no mortgage on it. All paid for. Current selling price is around 140-160K USD. I pay 110 USD which covers security, landscaping and hot/cold water. Heating is separate and depends on the season. Last month I paid 115 USD for heating which to me is outrageous but it is central heating so I cannot do anything about it. I never need air-conditioning during the summer. I have a a standing fan which I use may be for a week or so. It is usually nice and cool in the apartment due to its location in the complex.

Inside the Philosophy Factory said...

1,000 square feet, 1 bed, 1 3/4 bath, den, big kitchen, washer/dryer in apartment and a deck. Underground parking, pool and lots of other nice stuff in the building.

Suburban St. Paul,MN $1,090/month.

Unknown said...

1600 sq. foot home on a quarter acre, brand new one year ago.

Financed with a 20% down, 15-year mortgage.

Huntsville, AL

$1200 / month

Michelle said...

1500 sq ft 3 bed/2 bath (for 2 adults & a toddler) in Austin, TX for $1200/mo (mortgage - $350 of that is Property Tax)

Anonymous said...

600 sq ft (maybe 550?) 1bd / 1ba apartment in Central London. Washer and dryer, dishwasher included. No parking (walk to work).

£1875 / month (about $2,774).

Trevor @ Financial Nut said...

I loved some of these apartments! Thanks for the link. Makes me want to spruce up my own! :)

Anonymous said...

700 square feet 1 bdrm next to the beach in santa monica. $1600/mo.

Anonymous said...

2 bed/1.5 bath townhome in Columbus, OH - $850/month

Mandi said...

1 bedroom, 1 bath, 3 huge closets, off-street parking, all utilities included, gym. $1130/mo. inside the D.C. beltway.

bethh said...

1 bedroom, 1 bath. 3 closets: 1 huge, 1 normal, one small.

probably 650-700 sf, top floor (yay), no elevator (boo), free parking, laundry on premises, no dishwasher (alas), on-site building manager.

At just under $1,000 in Oakland CA (East Bay), I think I'm slightly under market rate.

Anonymous said...

1650 sq Colonial Revival,circa 1930, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1 car garage attached, screened porch, hardwood floors, close to town, 1.5 acres in Fairfield County CT. I pay $1100 which includes property taxes and i live in a quintessential New England town.

Anonymous said...

3b/2ba 1350sf (2 adults, 2 preschoolers) in Phoenix, AZ. $950 a month including tax and insurance. We are debating whether to pay off the mortgage. Insurance and tax will be about $175 a month.

Anonymous said...

My roommate and I share 1246 sq. ft. two bedroom, two bath apartment for $1025 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

We have a in unit washer & dryer, sunroom and fireplace.

Anonymous said...

950ish sq ft, third floor of a brownstone in south Brooklyn. One bedroom plus den, floor-through, tiny, tiny bathroom and kitchen, but large bedroom, separate dining and original features. $2300 per month.

Anonymous said...

2215 sq ft, 2 story house sitting on almost 2 acres of grass (back level), no rear neighbors, in suburban Atlanta, GA. $1260 per month mortgage, inc. taxes and insurance. Never appreciated it as much as when I finished reading these NY posts (although I may trade for the food/culture/opportunities)

MovingEast said...

1250 sq ft, duplex in the bottom two floors of a brownstone in Hoboken, across the river from Manhattan (5 min walk to subway). 2 beds, 1 1/2 baths, washer/dryer and an ancient dishwasher. Also private access to the backyard. $2400 to rent

We looked at buying in hoboken, but 2 beds go for 450k to 600k, and the taxes alone on that would be >$1000 per month!

Anonymous said...

Long time lurker here and my first comment on a really good blog... 230 square foot studio in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia. Rent runs me $575 a month. Electric bill averages 15 bucks a month while water, gas, and cable included in rent. Work is just 2 blocks away so no car payment or monthly parking fees. Pay 20 bucks roundtrip on the China Town Bus to see the family back in NY every so often. As a native NY'er I am amazed at how living in a city less than 100 miles from Manhattan, the cost of living is SOOOOOO much less!

Anonymous said...

225 sq ft studio in Palo Alto for $1100/mo. Small but I adore it. It's a surprise I've been able to make gourmet meals in my kitchenette. Small space = easy on the wallet.

KD said...

1 bed, 1 bath, <300 sq.ft. We pay 1000 GBP / $1480. 15 minutes from central London, right across from good transportation links. Close to work for both of us. No garden, no balcony, but newly refurbished and in up and coming neighborhood.

mOOm said...

About 1000 square foot two bed, two bath apartment with 2 balconies, second floor, two car spaces and storage in underground parking. Less than one mile from the city centre in Canberra, Australia. $A1955 per month = $US1400 currently.

Anonymous said...

1 bed/1 bath apartment in The Woodlands, TX. about 600 sq.ft. Very small bedroom but amazing kitchen with large island and granite. Free yoga, pilates and weights class in the gym and built next to waterway so free kayaks any time. $740/mth. Washer dryer included. Also overlooks the pavilion where all the big concerts are so we get to listen/see for free from the balcony.

Lisa said...

2100 sq ft home in the city (sw MI/US). 1922 brick colonial. 4 bed/1.5 bath. Original doors and glass doorknobs. Gas fireplace. 2 stall detached garage. Shared driveway. $1300/mo (includes taxes and insurance).

Tally Girl said...

Tallahassee, FL

1050 sq feet home
3 bed, 2 bath, fenced yard
1 block from bus line, 4 miles from the Capital/Universities/downtown

mortgage: $850 mo(including taxes/insurance/etc)

Anonymous said...

$795/month for 850 sq.ft. apartment in Austin (with an entire laundry room!)

Anonymous said...

2,108 square feet, 4br/2ba house for $1900 a month. Four roomates makes it only $425 rent per month (plus utilities). But we have a yard, parking for four cars behind the house, laundry, and we are 15 minutes from downtown Nashville.

Anonymous said...

woops! typo. $475 a month. Still a steal...

Anonymous said...

1308 s.f. 3 bed/2 ba renovated home 3 miles east of downtown Atlanta. Hardwoods, screened porch, 1/4 acre corner lot. Payment is 1355/month (including ins and a 210/month tax payment b/c we are within the city of Atlanta). I LOVE MY HOUSE!

Anonymous said...

415 sq ft, Upper West Side near the park, 1 bedroom, 4th floor walk-up, no doorman - $1950/month.

Anonymous said...

~ 1500 sq. ft. apartment in San Francisco (Pacific Heights) -- 2BR and 2.5 BA, formal dining room and one car tandem garage parking. $4100/month rent (heat, water and garbage included).

Anonymous said...

910 sq ft Harlem, NY Co-op apt, 2br, 1 bth, dishwasher included with washer/dryer hookup, with terrace. 240k mortgage (about $1200 per month) plus $943 common charges. About to move in...very nervous!

Tiffany In Houston said...

1500 sq ft. 2 bed/2.5 bath/2 car garage/2 level TH in Houston TX. 951/mortgage includes taxes and insurance. Additional 300 month in maintenance fees which is on the high side.

Anonymous said...

about 600 sq feet in brooklyn, ny for a recently reduced from $1800 to $1650 a month. 4th floor (very steep) walk-up with no laundry in building and terrible (for NY) public transportation. i want to move to where these other commenters live!

frugal zeitgeist said...

577 square feet plus doorman in Manhattan. It's all paid off, so my only cost is $619 per month to cover taxes and maintenance fees.

Anonymous said...

1031 Sq ft 2 bedroom apartment for $764.00 per month! Kansas City

Perrin said...

650 Sq ft Cambridge, MA
1350$ a month. 1 bed/1bath
No modern appliances and coin op laundry.

Anonymous said...

2100 sqft plus finished walkout basement (for 2 adults 2 kids), on wooded acre, no houses behind, good school district. $1215/mo mortgage, $360/mo prop tax, $85/mo ins. Suburb of midwest city. Sounds pretty good except house value has decreased by $80k/30 percent since purchase 6 yrs ago. Still love it though...

Budgeting Online said...

2800 sq ft, 5BR, 3.5BA house... With full finished basement. Charlotte, NC - $1672/month.

Budgeting Online said...

PS: That included property tax and homeowner's insurance (PITI). :)

Escape Brooklyn said...

Currently paying $1,250/month for a 1-bedroom, 675 sf co-op apartment in Brooklyn, NY.

Also paying $775/month for a 2-bedroom rental apartment in Minneapolis, MN.

Expecting to spend about $1,250/month for a 6-bedroom, 2-bath, 2,700 sf house we're buying in Minneapolis.

Mike said...

I own now, but the last place I rented was 700 sf, 2bd/1ba, $1225/mo in Newton, MA (near Boston)

Hannah said...

1,800 square feet, 1/2 of a duplex, 2-3 bedrooms, 1 bath. $625/month split between three people--so about $240 including utilities. Lexington, Kentucky.

Anonymous said...

650 sq ft 1BR, san francisco (lower pac heights), $1350 including utilities

Anonymous said...

525 sq. feet, 1BR, 1BA, apartment in a walk-up on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. 2nd floor, noisy street. $1611/month (rent stabilized).

Anonymous said...

1200 sq. ft. entire 2nd flr 1BR, 1BA in Baltimore, MD Brownstone. W/D, 3 Fireplaces (non-working), Heat included: $985.

And I still think its a little over-priced in this market.

Anonymous said...

just moved into a 500 sq feet (approx) studio in los angeles (mid-wilshire) water and trash included, but not gas and electric. no parking. $900/month

Crystal said...

1750 sq. feet, 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath two-story house outside of Houston, TX for $740 a month. It was a foreclosure in early 2007 that we bought for $114,000 and put 20% down...we overpay every month, so it will take less than 11 years to pay it off...8 years to go. :) You could retire early and move to Houston, but I think that would be like me moving to New York...not what I'm used to!

Anonymous said...

280 sqft, studio, 1 bath, $410/month, Lee's Summit, MO.

Tiny, crappy, cold, minimialistic apartment with badly sloping floors. Wages here are way below national average, and I'm underpaid, so unfortunately it's all I can afford. At 280 sqft it's an adventure!

Anonymous said...

250 sq feet studio in Fargo,ND all utilities except electric included.downtown.$305 a month.