Micro apartment
A micro-apartment or micro-apartment , also known internationally as a microflat , is a self-contained, very small one-room apartment . Typically, they offer around 14–32 square meters of space for living room and bedroom, a bathroom and a kitchenette . In contrast to a traditional studio apartment, residents can also have access to a communal kitchen, a bathroom or shower, a terrace and a roof garden.
Micro-apartments are becoming increasingly popular in the densely populated urban centers of Europe, Japan , Hong Kong and North America , maximizing profits for builders and landlords and offering relatively inexpensive accommodation.
history
Even if the term “micro-apartment” has only been used increasingly since the 2000s, similar concepts have been around for a long time. One example of this is the Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo with its small, originally portable living capsules. The forerunners of the modern micro-apartments are the apartment hotels , which were originally intended for longer business trips. The guests live in small apartments that are looked after by the hotel staff ( housekeeping ). This living concept was then transferred to regular apartments .
background
Due to the high demand, land prices and apartment rents are particularly high in global cities such as Tokyo, New York and London . In addition, more and more people are living alone, so that small apartments are particularly in demand. These trends can also be seen in major German cities. Micro apartments are also interesting for investors , as they can generate higher income per square meter than larger residential units.
Equipment, furnishings and service
Micro-apartments are often rented out furnished and are usually equipped with futons or with pull-out beds, fold-out tables and particularly small or hidden devices. In some cases the costs for electricity or internet are already included in the rental agreement. Often there are also common areas such as fitness rooms, roof terraces or sports fields.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ Jonathan Glancey: 'Micro flats' may be solution to rising house prices . In: The Guardian . August 27, 2001, ISSN 0261-3077 (English, theguardian.com [accessed January 17, 2020]).
- ↑ Viktoria Bolmer: Micro apartments - living in a shoe box. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung . January 26, 2017, accessed January 17, 2020 .
- ↑ Vikram Barhat: Live small, be happy? The next new big thing. April 21, 2015, accessed January 17, 2020 .
- ↑ Annemarie Ballschmiter: Apartments in the big city: The trend is towards micro-apartments . June 22, 2016 ( welt.de [accessed January 17, 2020]).
- ↑ Alexandra Jegers: Real estate market: micro apartments - less is more. In: Capital.de. November 28, 2017, accessed on January 17, 2020 (German).
- ↑ Judith Görs: How many square meters do we need? Retrieved January 17, 2020 .