And you thought your condo was small…

Yes, it is true, Toronto is allowing the development of more condos that are just under 500 sq ft. But it could be worse. You could be forced to live in an unbelievably small space and make it all work. After seeing these units, I assure you, your 500 square foot space will seem unbelievably hopeful.

Take this 340 square foot apartment for example:

If you are having trouble picturing 340 sq ft – think of an average sized two car garage. Thanks to the resident’s well placed Murphy bed, this space appears much larger than it actually is, but somehow he makes it all work. With just 340 square feet the owner was able to arrange a full living room setup for day use and then rearrange some furniture so as to accommodate the murphy bed at night. Side note: Have you ever used a Murphy Bed? If so, are they heavy? (I’m curious)

Or how about this tiny luxury RV?

Handcrafted in Portland, Oregon, Tiny Heirloom creates these little luxury homes on wheels that meet your every day basic living requirements, and some. These mobile homes start at $65,000. The exact square footage of these luxury homes are not listed by its manufacturer, but it is definitely smaller than your average Toronto Studio space. Just compare the size of the average looking human beings sitting beside their itty bitty home (and when I say average looking I mean height wise, they are probably quite attractive people, hence why they were selected to model for this mobile home)

Lastly, how about this 183 square foot home?

I almost couldn’t believe it, 183 square feet – One hundred and eighty-three!!! The Pod Indawo, created by architect Clara de Cruz Almeida is a two-story loft style home that can also be used as a mobile home or permanent residence. If you include the side deck, the net area of the pod is a total of 221 square feet but custom sizing is available. Thanks to its translucent side, the limited space is full of natural light, which I have said countless times, allow a space to appear larger. A ladder leads to a sleeping loft and below sits a spacious kitchen that exits to the side deck with fold out couch and table.

As much as these examples all look pretty and liveable, I picture myself, an average height female who is relatively organized with my belongings in these small spaces, and I don’t like it, nor would my guests. So, I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling a bit more at ease about these slightly smaller than 500 square foot condo units coming up on the market, especially since most will generally have seven or eight foot ceiling heights.