Inside the tiniest homes on earth

Tiny apartments
Tiny apartments

Think your place is small? These small spaces will put your 500-square-foot studio to shame. Small spaces are trending in real estate these days, and these folks are grabbing the bull by the horns.

Here are some of the smallest homes we could find: they may make you feel claustrophobic, but their owners have found them to be quite livable.

Size: 250 to 370 sq. ft.

Location: New York, NY

Last January, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg finally revealed the design of the studio apartments that will be no more than 370 square feet.

These apartments would be an affordable housing solution for young professionals and will be able hold a kitchen, bathroom, living area, and sleeping area.

The affordability is debatable, however, as the micro apartments will still cost between $940 and $1,700 a month to rent.

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Size: 330 sq. ft.

Location: Hong Kong, HK

Gary Chang, an architect in Hong Kong, turned his family’s tiny 330-square-foot tenement apartment into a sleek and efficient living space with 24 different room combinations, including bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms, and even a guest bedroom area.

So, how does he do it? Chang installed a number of sliding panels which he can move around the space to reveal hidden areas and storage. It’s a system he calls the “Domestic Transformer.”

Size: 300 sq. ft.

Location: San Jose, Calif.

In August 2012, the San Jose Department of Housing built a development of 42 affordable single-room-occupancy apartments, each one 300 square feet or less. Designed by Studio E Architects, each unit measures about two parking spaces and includes a full kitchen, a bathroom, and a combined living/sleeping area.

There is a long wait list for one of these studios, but at a price of $650 a month, the wait may well be worth it.