KNOW YOUR DEALS
Just not enough
R. BALAJI
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Can you live in a 200 sq.ft. Nano house?
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After the launch of the Nano car, it seems to be time now for a Nano house. Before assessing its viability, we must understand what a Nano house entails. The area assigned for each unit under this proposal is about 200 sq.ft. This raises the issue of a minimum space required by a family to live comfortably.
A Nano house may be a suitable option for economically weaker sections, or even specific segments such as the elderly or for single occupancy. But the middle and lower middle class families targeted here have a certain lifestyle that requires a minimum level of space to make the dwelling liveable.
A 200 sq.ft. unit will be highly constrained for space, disallowing even simple elements like a large wardrobe. Personal space, especially if it is a family of four, will be a casualty.
It can be argued that cities such as Tokyo manage with small spaces. But the differences in lifestyles as well as availability of technology have to be kept in mind. It is true cities such as Mumbai manage with small dwellings because of paucity of space. Yet, even here, the minimum size of a liveable dwelling is taken to be 300 to 400 sq.ft.
It is important to keep in mind the liveability factor before addressing affordability. While the concept may sound exciting from the price perspective as well as the opportunity to own a dwelling, the actual experience of living in such a place may be a far cry from that expected.
One way of making it liveable to a reasonable degree would be to design the unit in a way that proves to be most efficient, especially if aided with the latest technology and gadgets. However, whether such technology and gadgets would fit into the small budget is debatable.
A more practical solution would be to target such units at specific segments. Otherwise, increasing the size to a more practical level would be the best option so as to ensure the interest so far evinced is not temporary but long standing, which would in turn prove to be a sound solution to address shortage in housing.
(The author is CEO, Propmart, an end-to-end property solutions provider)
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