For some, a tiny home is a conscious design decision. For others, it’s a practical necessity to make ends meet in our ever-more expensive urban landscape.
Either way, we love seeing people’s dainty living spaces. Imagine how thrilled we were when real estate site NeighborhoodX featured a handy chart comparing the ten smallest apartments and condos on the market right now by size, from a mere 268 feet up to a slightly less mere 479.
Behold:
The dollhouse-like proportions of these places are of course also some of the cheapest digs in the city, topping out at $659,000. But since it’s decidedly a quality over quantity product, that factors out to as much as $1,675/foot. As always, value is in the eye of the beholder.
Fortunately, you can check out most of these places in just one look.
Here they are, lined up according to size.
83 McAllister, #403 (268 feet, $429,000)
The ad for this 268-foot place just north of UN Plaza suggests that it’s "maybe a loft," but doesn’t commit to any particular terms. The 13-foot ceilings mean that if you turned it on its side, it would probably become the second smallest home on the market instead (but good luck getting permits for that).
520 Natoma, #12 (330 feet, $379,000)
This SoMa speck is a tenancy-in-common unit at the top of a circa 1911 building. Not the biggest charmer on the list, but other than the single BMR unit it’s the least expensive, and the 18th cheapest home selling citywide.
625 Divisadero, #6 (353 feet, $449,000)
The soft pastel colors take a bit of the edge off of having to put your sleeper couch right next to the stove. Oddly, the bathroom is rather spacious, with even room for a clawfoot tub.
388 Fulton, #606 (354 feet, $587,000)
388 Fulton is an entirely "micro home" building in Hayes Valley, built on the remains of the old Central Freeway spur that used to be such an eyesore. This is one of the smaller offerings, but even the two beds are decidedly snug.
574 Natoma, #402 (370 feet, $495,000)
This one comes with a "luxurious, Italian imported Murphy bed," which is the single fanciest description of a hideaway bed ever composed. Still, that’s smart use of the space, and very SoMa-like.
750 Van Ness, #602 (391 feet, $519,888)
No, they’re not asking $520,000. It’s $519,888 or bust for this one, because value matters down to the dollar. (That comes out to $1,329/foot, an equally messy number.)
60 Ora Way, #203 (409 feet, $237,536)
Courtesy of a BMR sale by the Mayor’s Office of Housing, this Diamond Heights home is the cheapest on offer. Maximum income for a single occupant: $90,500.
451 Kansas, #538 (453 feet, $589,000)
Note that the Potrero is actually the name of the building in this case, rather than just an offhand descriptor of the neighborhood. The ad cites the proximity to Whole Foods, because admit it, you were wondering.
15 Red Rock Way, #210 (474 feet, $458,000)
The wall-length mirror is working overtime in this petite Diamond Heights number. The itty bitty kitchen still has room for a wine fridge, an oddly adorable detail.
11 Franklin, #704 (479 feet, $659,000)
The biggest smallest home in the city, as well as the priciest on the list (you get what you pay for, in this case an extra five to 211 feet). Another Hayes Valley offering, which, like SoMa, is in the mood lately to maximize efficiency when putting up new development.
- Smallest SF Apartments [NeighborhoodX]
- Show Us Your Tiny Home [Curbed SF]