Either-Or: A Cape Cottage vs. a Charlestown Condo

Two listings. The same price. What's worth it?

All Photographs Courtesy of Elyssa Cohen (Truro) and Adam Geragosian/Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty (Charlestown)

276 Shore Road, #8, Truro$399,00031 Brighton Street, #2, Charlestown

420 square feet
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Size
Bedrooms
Bathrooms
585 square feet
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Living small means mastering the art of downsizing, whether you’re located by the water or near an I-93 overpass. The first compact abode sits among the Outer Cape’s oft-photographed Days’ Cottages, on Route 6: Named for flowers, the historical row of identical white cabins was built before tiny houses became cool. “Peony,” at a diminutive 420 square feet, is one of the last remaining cottages on the market of the 22 that were listed in 2014, squeezing in two bedrooms, a galley kitchen, and a living room with large windows looking out to the bay. But the best feature may be what waits outside: a sandy stretch of private beach just steps from the front door.

For the same price, you could also snap up a brand-new Sullivan Square condo with 165 more square feet—but one less sleeping spot. All the more room for the sleek kitchen equipped with quartz countertops, a built-in breakfast bar, and doors that open to a private deck, not to mention the most premium of luxuries for a small condo: a walk-in closet in the bedroom.