The tiny house in Garfield, a much-talked-about 350-square-foot dwelling, has found a buyer.
The sale closed Friday, about six weeks after developers put the North Atlantic Avenue home up for sale.
A couple paid the asking price of $109,500, said Eve Picker, founder and CEO of cityLAB, a nonprofit that oversaw the home's construction and sale.
“They decided pretty soon after the open house that they wanted to buy it,” she said.
Picker will partner with the Bloomfield-Garfield Corp. to build three more tiny homes in the East End neighborhood. Each will be about 600 square feet and built on vacant lots.
Picker has identified the lots on which she wants to develop and said she is in the process of acquiring the property from the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh. Garfield has from 300 to 400 vacant lots. Developers hope to fill them with small, affordable houses.
“Garfield needs help, and I hope that this helps,” she said.
Tiny houses are springing up across the country as more people look to save money and simplify their lives. Neighborhoods of miniature homes have emerged in Portland and Seattle, and owners created a community of tiny houses on wheels in Washington.
The miniature dwelling in Garfield was the first tiny home built in Pittsburgh, Picker said. It has a kitchen, a bathroom and a combination bedroom-living space. A basement is accessible through a trapdoor and ladder.
The project had several investors, including Neighborhood Allies, a Downtown-based community development group.
“We couldn't be more pleased with the outcome,” said Presley Gillespie, the group's president. “It represents a 21st-century approach to affordable housing.”
Tony Raap is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 412-320-7827 or traap@tribweb.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
