The idea of micro condominiums, condos that are under 500 sf in size, is not new in densely populated cities such as New York or Tokyo, where sub-500-sf homes are not created to be hip and trendy, but, instead, are created out of necessity.
And while a city like Houston, and its population of just under 2.2 million certainly doesn’t categorize it as small, it also doesn’t make it a very dense city, either, especially when you take into account it is spread across 599.6 square miles (making it the ninth largest U.S. city by land area, ahead of New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago).
And yet, new home developer and builder Surge Homes has just announced its plans to deliver the first micro condos in Houston in 2017. The Hadley Building, part of the Parc at Midtown development, will include 14 micro condos among its total of 28 homes. The $21.6 million, 80-home community, Parc at Midtown, will mark the first Houston development with micro condos available for ownership.
All of the floor plans for Surge Homes’ micro condos will range from 414 sf to 498 sf. Although small, each condo will feature a closed master bedroom, space for entertaining in the living areas, and windows on the front and back exterior walls, providing a wealth of natural light.
While Houston may not be in need of micro condos, market research collected by Surge Homes of nearly 3,400 Houstonians gave some insight into the growing demand among Houston residents for these tiny homes. By being the first developer in Houston to offer micro condos, Surge Homes hopes to parlay its forward-thinking bet on these European-inspired floor plans into increased sales.
And they may already be seeing the payoff. The Parc at Midtown development, which features more traditionally sized homes, as well, has sold 55 percent of its homes in 120 days, making it the third fastest-selling residential subdivision in Houston for the first quarter of 2016, according to Meyers Research LLC.
A typical Hadley Building condominium kitchen featuring optional integrated refrigerator. Image: PRNewsFoto/Surge Homes
Related Stories
| Apr 19, 2012
KTGY Group’s Arista Uptown Apartments in Broomfield, Colo. completed
First of eight buildings highlights unique amenities.
| Apr 6, 2012
Batson-Cook breaks ground on hotel adjacent to Infantry Museum & Fort Benning
The four-story, 65,000-ft property will feature 102 hotel rooms, including 14 studio suites.
| Mar 27, 2012
Precast concrete used for affordable, sustainable housing in New York
Largest affordable housing development in the nation will provide housing for close to 500,000 people.
| Mar 19, 2012
Mixed-use project redefines Midtown District in Plantation, Fla.
Stiles Construction is building the residential complex, which is one of Broward County’s first multifamily rental communities designed to achieve LEED certification from the USGBC.
| Mar 6, 2012
Country’s first Green House home for veterans completed
Residences at VA Danville to provide community-centered housing for military veterans.
| Mar 1, 2012
Reconstruction of L.A.’s Dunbar Hotel underway
Withee Malcolm Architects’ designs for the project include the complete renovation of the Dunbar Hotel and the Somerville Apartments I and II.
| Feb 15, 2012
NAHB sees gradual improvement in multifamily sales for boomers
However, since the conditions of the current overall housing market are limiting their ability to sell their existing homes, this market is not recovering as quickly as might have been expected.
| Feb 10, 2012
Atlanta Housing Authority taps Johnson Controls to improve public housing efficiency
Energy-efficiency program to improve 13 senior residential care facilities and save nearly $18 million.
| Feb 8, 2012
Nauset completes addition and renovation for Winchester senior living community
Theater, library, fitness center, and bistro enhance facility.
| Jan 3, 2012
Rental Renaissance, The Rebirth of the Apartment Market
Across much of the U.S., apartment rents are rising, vacancy rates are falling. In just about every major urban area, new multifamily rental projects and major renovations are coming online. It may be too soon to pronounce the rental market fully recovered, but the trend is promising.
