Exclusive | Believe it, you can buy a NYC apartment for $130K but theres 1 tiny catch

In a borough where the median price of an apartment hovers over $1 million, landing a Manhattan pad for just 10% of that sounds like a fever dream.But landing in that price range, which is indeed possible, comes with a big sacrifice in space.Fret not, it’s still easy to live a life of comfort inside them.Two of the city’s cheapest digs are pint-sized studios asking a mere $130,000 and $155,000 — measuring a cozy 364 and 250 square feet, respectively. And there’s one that’s even smaller.

A 254-square-foot abode in NoMad is on the market for a higher $320,000.Making shoebox-living work, potential buyers need to consider “what functions you want to perform in this space,” said Laura Cattano, a personal and interior stylist, and professional organizer. For instance: Do you want a big bed, a place to pray and meditate, a desk?Beyond professionally, she knows it all personally, too.“I opted for a twin-size bed because it allows me to have a dining table and proper living space and proper dressing space,” said Cattano of her own 335-square-foot studio apartment.A king-sized bed? Forget about it.“I mean not if you actually want to live in this place,” she noted.Her golden rule: get furniture up on legs and mount cabinets on walls.“When you have a small space, being able to see as much of the floor as possible makes it feel bigger,” Cattano said.

“It tricks the eye.”Here’s how three of Manhattan’s pocket-sized pads stack up — and how the pros would style them.Apartment 5D at 35 E.30th St., a 254-square-foot crib, has multiple exposures and in-unit washer/dryer hookups.

It was bought in October 2019 for $230,000 by a young couple that currently uses it for overflow storage while living in a $2.2 million three-bedroom upstairs, that’s also up for grabs.The pair plans to relocate for work.At the $320,000 asking price, the home would sell for $1,259 per square foot, according to StreetEasy.

The NoMad unit has a maintenance of $1,076 pe...