H.K. Developer Says Tiny Flat Plans Aren’t Current
Flats the Size of Two Kingsize Beds Are Being Built in Hong Kong
(Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong’s biggest developer said plans lodged with the government to build tiny apartments don’t reflect the project’s latest designs.
Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd. lodged plans for units with as little as 8.2 square meters (88 square feet) of usable space at its Sai Sha project in the New Territories, according to a government document published last week. That’s about the size of two king-sized beds and doesn’t include the kitchen and bathroom.
“Since the Sai Sha project is very large in scale, with different phases offering some 9,500 units, SHKP keeps revising the General Building Plans,” it said in a text message on Thursday. “The one currently filed with the Buildings Department does not reflect the latest design.”
The smallest apartments for sale in the project will be around 300 square feet and will only be a small percentage of the total, the company said.
Hong Kong’s crammed living space and stratospheric housing costs have been under the spotlight recently as top Chinese officials urged the local government to make homes more affordable. But as prices remain out of reach, so-called nano apartments -- units that are smaller than 260 square feet -- continue to attract buyers with tight budgets.
A total of 8,550 nano apartments put on sale between 2010 and 2019 were examined by a report from Liber Research Community published in January. Of those, 85% didn’t have a separate bedroom, and 70% lacked a window in the bathroom. Almost all had an open kitchen.
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