I Moved Into A 145 sqft Apartment And I Love It
This apartment is 145 sq-ft and situated in the NW part of Portland. Rent is $740/mo and I get a smaller version of a kitchen (2 hot plates, kitchen sink and a college fridge). I don’t have an oven and no microwave (the common area has these but I have no need for a microwave). The apartment has wood floors as well as a large window with good air movement. Sadly I don’t get much light coming in because the window is blocked by another building. The bathroom has a standing shower and a sink outside of the shower/toilet area, perfect for a single guy. The closet is open into the living space. The building has WiFi which is a bit slow and not dependable. There is laundry and bike lockers along with a large communal lounge area in the building. The rent includes water but electricity is on me.
Wide Shot of 147 sqft Apartment – Pardon the mess. Tiny But Functional Kitchen. Open Concept Closet.
I was previously living in a 400 sq-ft apartment with 2 large windows and a full kitchen along with a full bath. It was a studio as well and rent included water so I only paid for electricity. The building had bike storage and laundry as well. Rent was going to go up from $860/mo to $900/mo.
Old 400sqft Apartment. Before I fully moved in. Yoga mat and a free chair from a neighbor!I decided I would look for other options once I was informed of the rent increase. Don’t get me wrong, it only makes sense for rent to go up to keep up with inflation. Also, the management company was not the best, they were slow to reply, very rigid but they got the job done so I can’t complain too much. I found the 145 sq-ft apartment online and right away contacted the building manager and placed my deposit. I knew it was close to the cafe I like to read/write at and it was close to the library and close to the grocery store. It’s about the same distance away from my work which makes my usual bike commute 2.5 miles each way. I do have to commute 20 miles each way for another clinic I work at a few times a month but it’s not as bad as it sounds. It generally takes me 1:45 hours while the 2.5 mile commute takes me 20 minutes.
So, why the micro-apartment… well many reasons. I have already lived in a 200 sq-ft place before and loved it. Smaller places are easy to clean, they inherently prevent you from acquiring too much stuff. Heating and cooling is far easier and cheaper. I also see my living space as a place to sleep in, shower/toilet, and cook in… I don’t want my apartment to become my “man-cave/bachelor pad” or my “hotel” or other luxury abode that the media tries to advertise to me. I still have a wonderful time sitting down (on my bed for now until I find a chair) and enjoying a cup of homemade coffee in the morning and maybe watching a Netflix movie at night.
The Ideal Living Space
What is an ideal living place? It’s different for everyone but we live on a planet with limited resources that’s overpopulated and we are destroying it very quickly. Do we need to all live in tents without electricity, of course not. But there should be a better balance between our comfort and what’s good for everyone/everything around us. So, an ideal living space to me is somewhere where I can feel safe. Where I have control over my property and one that I can personalize enough to feel ‘at home’. It should be affordable and it shouldn’t empty my pockets when it comes to decorating it or furnishing it. I should be able to clean it/heat it/cool it without having to spend tons of money/resources. It should ideally be a place that if everyone else in the world wanted to live in that fashion it would be sustainable. I think my place meets the above criteria.
Cheaper Rent
I don’t feel cramped, I don’t feel like I’m missing out on something better/nicer. I am able to get by on less, I’m less reliant on luxuries.. I feel more free. It somehow gives me an insight into what it must be like for those who are forced to live in even smaller spaces perhaps not by choice. I am also saving money! I went from paying $1,900/mo for my first condo I purchased in San Diego, to $3,500/mo for the second condo I purchased. Then down to $825/mo rent for the 200 sq-ft apartment in San Diego. In Portland I had the $860/mo (it was going to be $900) place and now I’m paying $740/mo. I’m saving $120/mo on rent alone. I am not able to rely on the WiFi here so I’m paying $30/mo for internet even though the plan was not to have that expense. I definitely will be saving on utilities which is mostly heating and because there is no A/C here.
Cost Of Moving When You Don’t Own A Car
How much did my move cost me? Well, I took great care of the old apartment so I won’t lose any money from the deposit. I didn’t have carpet so no money should be taken out for cleaning though I’m willing to accept up to $40 since I didn’t do the best job of cleaning it. I didn’t rent a truck, I didn’t get movers, I didn’t even use a car. The new apartment was 2-3 blocks away. I packed everything up in 7 boxes I got from the grocery store and put some things in backpacks and one by one I moved everything on foot. Took about 10 round trips. I’ve managed to not accumulate too much unnecessary stuff but once again I am reminded that I have bought things that I didn’t need to… it’s OK, I’m still learning!
Here are some photos of my 200 sq-ft apartment in San Diego.
200 sqft. Lots of Light.