DC’s One-Room House

• May 2, 2013
• 9 Comments

by Shilpi Paul

For those with the budget for a studio but the hankering for a house of their own, a one-room studio house just appeared on the market on Capitol Hill.

With 371 square feet, 1349 C Street NE (map) doesn’t quite dip into “micro-unit” territory, and is spacious in comparison to the Tiny Houses in Stronghold. But the one-room, narrow layout and lack of side windows may make some feel a little hemmed in.

The block of C Street NE is full of similar homes. A century ago, they were houses for workers in the area, sources tell UrbanTurf. After that, they became commercial properties, and most recently, they were all part of a church. Now, after being sold off one house at a time, they are serving again as single-family homes. A few properties on the block have been joined together.

We see a few benefits to this studio alternative: no neighbors stomping around overhead, no condo boards to negotiate with, and an outdoor space, with a square of green grass and a brick patio, all to yourself. Of course, the home appeals to a very specific buyer pool.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/dcs_one_room_studio_house/7015

9 Comments

1. Wills said at 3:45 pm on Thursday May 2, 2013:

   The 3 photo virtual tour just about sums it up. How convenient!

1. Christine said at 10:33 am on Friday May 3, 2013:

   A Murphy bed would work really well in the space.  It’s kind of cute.

1. jj said at 10:38 am on Friday May 3, 2013:

   If it were in Dupont/Logan, I’d buy it in a heartbeat. Definitely murphybed/couch combo material.

1. zcf said at 3:09 pm on Friday May 3, 2013:

   It’s super cute. I’d buy it if I were in the market, though I’d redo it a bit and make the kitchen take up less space.

1. Lavar said at 3:20 pm on Friday May 3, 2013:

   I would pay $30,000, nothing more.

1. leo said at 7:59 pm on Friday May 3, 2013:

   I kind of like it as well, although doesn’t $670 psf seem a bit…aggressive? More power to the sellers if they can get it, which they probably can.  Seems like it might be expandable as well, with yard in the back and maybe above too.  Not exactly sure about that stuff though…

1. PCC said at 3:43 pm on Tuesday May 7, 2013:

   Glad to learn the back story on these! I did a triple-take when I first saw this listing.

   The long-and-thin layout is better than the usual studio, but yeah, it absolutely doesn’t justify $670/foot (37% above the Hill average), especially 1 mile from Metro and 1/2 mile even to H St. Cute, but not terribly convenient.

   And besides, microunits aren’t really a long-term life decision—like dorm rooms, they’re probably best rented rather than owned.

1. ME said at 12:48 am on Thursday May 9, 2013:

   Why not switch the bed to where the table and chairs are? And, make the bed into a daybed? I can’t for the life of me understand why the owner hasn’t thought of this already:D

1. Trelane said at 4:02 pm on Thursday May 23, 2013:

   Who on earth would pay $250K for that?  You would be better off living in a high rise condo.  It’s not even near a metro!