The real estate market in Washington D.C. is in a bit of chaos right now. Many people in the city have good incomes, and a lot of them already bought houses with low-interest loans a few years ago. When a single-family home or condo goes up for sale, it gets sold quickly. Plus, building new homes fast enough to keep up with demand is tough because of the high density and city rules about zoning.
That’s why this narrow house was built in a driveway. Every bit of land that can be used is being developed, even parking spaces are being turned into homes.
This house has one bedroom and one and a half bathrooms. It was recently built and put on the market for $799,000, but the price dropped to $581,903. Originally, the plan was to make the house 15 feet wide, allowing for four stories. But the city said it could only be six feet wide and two stories tall. The architect had to come up with 24 different designs before finding one that worked.
Even though the lot is only 700 square feet, the finished house is pretty cool. The kitchen and bedroom stick out a bit from the foundation to make room for a small eating area and a big bed. They managed to fit a two-level home, a small deck, and space for parking. It even has a washer and dryer, air conditioning, and solar panels on the roof. It might be small, but I think it would be nice to live there. Plus, it’s close to the metro, so you wouldn’t have to drive much.
Houses like this show what might happen in the future of American cities. If we don’t change the rules about zoning and stop building so many big houses outside the city, homes will get even more expensive, and tiny houses like this might be the only option for some people.
