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Thursday, March 28, 2024
A 314-square-foot unit is for sale for $199,000 in Porter Square.

A 314-square-foot unit is for sale for $199,000 in Porter Square.

No need to look into the future to see how those trendy micro-units will work once they’re built in Cambridge. The micro-unit is already here – and in a basement.

And it’s available for purchase as a condo for $199,000 and has showings this weekend.

The 314-square-foot Porter Square home is described by Coldwell Banker’s Nancy Dixon as follows:

Charming, versatile lower-level studio offers a flexible layout for your pied-à-terre or investment property. Right in Porter Square across from the shopping center, red line T and the commuter rail near Lesley University and Harvard Law. Fully functional kitchen tucked in a corner, sleeping alcove and still room for a love seat, dining table and chairs. Hardwood oak floors, track lighting, full-sized windows, situated on the quiet side of the building. Last tenant paid $1,400 a month. This is a Mighty Mouse!

The unit, at the 1920 brick building at 1800 Massachusetts Ave., comes with annual taxes of $116 and an association fee of $149 that includes heat, hot water, water and sewer and use of laundry facilities.

“It’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. It doesn’t feel 314 square feet,” Dixon said, calling it “somewhat unique … it’s even the smallest unit in the building.”

Micro-units have been mentioned at nearly every development proposed for Cambridge within the past year, especially in those toward the eastern end of the city, and many point to the development of smaller apartments as a way to get younger residents to leave larger, family-sized units to actual families.

“I expect it’ll go into under agreement after the weekend, a factor of how little inventory there is and how much pent-up demand,” Dixon said of the Porter Square unit.

Tip of the hat to Charles Marquardt for spotting a real, live micro-unit – uh, pied-à-terre.