Is a 700 Sq Ft Apartment Small? The Truth About 2BHK Spaces

Evan Willoughby

Ever walked into an apartment and wondered if you're getting enough room for your stuff—or your sanity? A 700 sq ft apartment sounds tight, but the reality depends a lot on what you need and how the space is set up. For most modern 2BHK layouts, we're talking about squeezing in two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and at least one bathroom.

Urban renters know that 700 sq ft is pretty common, especially in crowded cities where every foot comes at a premium. But here's the thing: it doesn't have to feel shoebox-small unless you let clutter take over. Smart storage, multi-purpose furniture, and a layout that puts every corner to use can make a huge difference.

If you're used to bigger suburban homes, 700 sq ft will feel like a big shift. But if you want less to clean and a lower rent bill, that size starts to look pretty good. The trick is knowing how to use each area—like mounting shelves up high, picking a sofa that also sleeps guests, or even turning a balcony into a work nook. These aren't just ideas, they're how city folks make it work every day.

• How Big is 700 Sq Ft on Paper?
• Living Standards: Different Views on Space
• Layout Magic: 2BHK in 700 Sq Ft
• Making Small Spaces Work: Tips and Tricks
• Is 700 Sq Ft Right for You?
• Stories from Real 700 Sq Ft Dwellers

How Big is 700 Sq Ft on Paper?

Let's get real about what 700 sq ft actually means. If you spread it out on a flat piece of land, you’re looking at a rectangle that's about 25 feet by 28 feet (give or take). That’s a little bigger than two standard one-car garages side-by-side. Put another way, it’s roughly the size of a tennis court with the baselines trimmed off.

When property listings say "700 sq ft apartment" for a 2BHK, that square footage includes everything—walls, closets, and sometimes even a tiny balcony. Don’t expect the actual usable space to be the full 700. After accounting for walls and nooks, you might end up with 600 or so square feet you can walk around in.

These are rough numbers, but they show how quickly that apartment size gets divided up. A big living room often means giving up bedroom space, or vice versa. In newer city builds, bedrooms might get even smaller to leave more space for an open living and kitchen area.

Now, is 700 sq ft small for a 2BHK? Compared to big homes, for sure. But in cities, especially places like Mumbai, New York, or Singapore, this is a sweet spot for singles, couples, or even a small family just starting out. It sometimes helps to visit a model apartment or look at floor plans—what looks compact on a blueprint might actually feel pretty open with the right layout.

Living Standards: Different Views on Space

What feels tiny to one person can feel just right to another. In some places, a 700 sq ft apartment is considered the sweet spot for a young couple or even a small family. In Mumbai or New York, it's not weird at all to find a 2BHK apartment just around this size. But if you ask someone from a small town, they might laugh and say that's the size of their garage.

The optimal living space isn't the same worldwide. According to a 2023 Housing Association report, the average apartment size in Tokyo is just 538 sq ft, while in Houston, it's over 860 sq ft. Different cities push people to rethink how much room they really need. Here’s a quick comparison to give you perspective:

How much space is "enough" has a lot to do with lifestyle, income, and your expectations. Some folks are happy trading space for location—they'd rather walk to work than drive for miles each day. Others want room to spread out, even if it means living farther from the city action. You’ll even find people who brag about how little space they need, turning minimalism into a badge of honor.

Even experts get in on this debate. The Architect’s Journal once put it this way:

“The quality of a home is not measured by its size, but by how usable and comfortable it is for everyday life.”

If you think about it, a well-designed 2BHK in 700 sq ft can still give you all the basics—just in a tighter package. The key is making every inch count. It’s less about size and more about how you live with what you have.

Layout Magic: 2BHK in 700 Sq Ft

Getting a full 2BHK out of just 700 sq ft apartment space may sound tricky, but it's totally doable if you know the main moves. The way a flat is designed makes all the difference between feeling boxed in or actually comfortable. In most cases, we’re talking about two smaller bedrooms (sometimes one is a real "bedroom" and the other is sized more like a home office), a compact kitchen, a combined or separate living and dining area, and one bathroom—sometimes two if the developer really gets creative.

One big trick? Open-plan layouts. Knocking down unnecessary walls or using a see-through divider instead of a hard wall can give the whole area way more breathing room, especially for 2BHK apartments. Sliding doors are another game changer. Need privacy sometimes, openness other times? Easy.

Here’s a common split for a 700 sq ft 2BHK:

If you want to really stretch the potential of a small place, use furniture that’s built to multitask. Things like fold-down tables, stackable chairs, and beds with storage underneath save space big time—and make your small apartments feel less cramped. Built-in wardrobes make better sense than chunky standalone ones.

• Stick to light colors on the walls; dark paint makes rooms feel smaller.
• Go vertical with shelving—walls can hold a ton of stuff and keep surfaces uncluttered.
• Glass and mirrors can give the illusion of a bigger area without changing the physical space.
• If you get a balcony or a little curve in a window, turn it into a breakfast nook or mini workspace instead of letting it go to waste.

The key is to be a little ruthless with layout—make sure every single part of the floor plan earns its keep. When you get it right, a 700 sq ft apartment can actually feel way bigger than it looks on paper.

Making Small Spaces Work: Tips and Tricks

Just because a 700 sq ft apartment isn’t massive doesn’t mean it has to feel cramped. It’s all about using what you have in smart ways. The difference between cluttered and cozy comes down to choices you make in layout, storage, and furniture.

• Go Vertical: When floor space is limited, think upwards. Wall-mounted shelves, tall bookcases, and cabinets that reach the ceiling give you loads of extra storage without crowding your living space.
• Multi-Task Furniture: Look for pieces that earn their keep—sofas that pull out into guest beds, coffee tables with hidden storage, and ottomans that open up for extra blankets or board games. In many big cities, almost every small apartment uses these to stay organized.
• Declutter Ruthlessly: If it doesn’t make you happy or serve a purpose, it’s got to go. Living in a small apartment means you’ll need to say goodbye to stuff you rarely use. Donate or sell these things regularly—your space (and mind) will thank you.
• Mirror Magic: Big mirrors bounce light around and make tight rooms look almost twice their size. Hanging one across from a window works wonders if natural light is limited.
• Create Distinct Zones: Even open rooms feel bigger if you define spaces. Use rugs, curtains, or bookshelves to break up your main living area into a lounge, dining spot, or work desk. Designers often recommend this in 2BHK homes to add privacy too.
• Use Sliding or Pocket Doors: Swinging doors eat up precious room. Swapping them for sliding or pocket doors frees up wall space and keeps everything feeling streamlined.

Some numbers to put things in perspective: In Mumbai, around 60% of new “affordable” 2BHK projects come in under 750 sq ft. Real estate pros say residents in these units report 25% fewer complaints about space when they follow these layout tricks.

One bonus hack: Use lighter paint colors. Whites, beiges, and pastels reflect more light, so the place doesn’t just look bigger—it actually feels airier too. In a 700 sq ft apartment, every trick counts. Try just a few and you’ll see the difference right away.

Is 700 Sq Ft Right for You?

You’re probably asking yourself, is a 700 sq ft apartment going to work for my lifestyle? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. It depends on how many people will live there, how much stuff you own, and whether you actually use your living space or just sleep there between work and your social life.

If you’re single, or a couple without kids, 700 sq ft for a 2BHK is often plenty. You get two bedrooms—use one as a guest room or home office, and the other for yourself. For roommates, it’s cozy and cheaper than splitting a bigger place. But if you have a bunch of gadgets, fitness equipment, or piles of clothes, you’ll have to get serious about storage—or be ready to let stuff go.

Families with a small kid can make it work, but you need to plan smarter layouts and keep things organized. The reality is, many people in big cities like Mumbai, New York, and Singapore live comfortably in apartments this size. In fact, the average apartment in Manhattan is around 740 sq ft, according to a 2024 Urban Land Institute survey. So a 700 sq ft apartment isn’t tiny by city standards.

Here are a few signs a 700 sq ft apartment will work:

• You value location over space (think less commute, more city life).
• You prefer a streamlined, simple lifestyle—less stuff, less hassle.
• You’re okay with some creative storage tricks and smart furniture picks.
• You’re focused on saving money over having huge square footage.

If you need a full dining room, garage, and a separate playroom, you’ll probably feel squeezed. But if you’re okay trading extra space for convenience, lower rent, and amenities, 700 sq ft fits the bill for modern 2BHK living.

Stories from Real 700 Sq Ft Dwellers

If you want a real feel for what it's like to live in a 700 sq ft apartment, skip the glossy brochures. Everyday people are figuring out how to make a 2BHK in this size actually work for them. Their stories show that size is only part of the equation.

Take Priya and Arjun, a young couple in Bangalore. They moved into their 700 sq ft apartment last year, thinking it would be temporary. One year later, they’re still there and happy about it. Their hack? No “dead space.” They got a bed with drawers, kept their wardrobe to a single sliding-door closet, and replaced their coffee table with an ottoman that stores all their board games. Priya says, “We just stopped buying things we didn’t need. Suddenly, the place felt bigger.”

Another example: Sasha and Alex, graphic designers in Mumbai, turned their second bedroom into an office/guest room. They installed a wall-mounted desk and a Murphy bed. During lockdowns, both worked from home and learned to use vertical space—not just with shelves, but hanging plants and fold-down tables. “Our apartment is small on paper, but we each have our own working space,” Sasha says.

Singles also make clever use of every inch. Rahul, who works in Hyderabad, turned his 2BHK into a 1BHK-plus: one bedroom is his sleep space, the other is a gaming and hobby room. He switched out a sofa for beanbags, freeing up precious living room space.

Data backs this up—according to a 2023 Mumbai rental survey, 58% of renters in 700 sq ft units reported that layout optimization (like modular furniture and wall storage) made their home feel 20-30% roomier than when they first moved in.

Most of these folks don’t want to move anytime soon—they’ve tweaked their 2BHK just enough to really work for their lifestyle. The common thread is smart choices and a willingness to rethink what they really need. 700 sq ft isn’t huge, but it’s nowhere near unlivable if you play it smart.