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    On the Market

    This near $1 million home in West U creates an open house frenzy: Peek inside a red-bricked stunner

    Barbara Kuntz
    Barbara Kuntz
    Mar 28, 2014 | 10:01 am

    Editor's Note: Houston, the surrounding areas and beyond are loaded with must-have houses for sale in all shapes, sizes and price ranges. In this continuing series, CultureMap snoops through some of the best and gives you the lowdown on what's hot on the market.

    No wonder more than 80 interested people attended the recent open house at 4134 Swarthmore in West U: The property is a stunner.

    An option to buy is pending, so let's take a quick look at this sought-after home.

    Walk through

    The two-story, red-brick traditional house in the Colonial Terrace neighborhood features mature trees and manicured lawn. A step inside quickly reveals just some of its charms: Refinished hardwood floors and custom molding and millwork complemented by a designer paint palette in varying neutrals. To the right sits a light-filled living room, and to the left, the dining room with butler's pantry easily accessible.

    From the pantry or more graciously from the entry, the floor plan takes owners and guests to the completely renovated kitchen with granite counters, marble backsplash and stainless appliances. The island counter serves dual-purpose as a breakfast bar. Morning meals — or informal dinners — can be served in the cozy breakfast nook just off the kitchen.

    The kitchen opens into a wonderfully appointed family den with gas fireplace in marble surround, ebony hardwoods and, possibly most enjoyable, a private bricked patio revealed by French doors.

    Up the enclosed stairwell located just off the kitchen are the four bedrooms. The new owners can take in quiet treetop view through a picturesque custom window in the master bedroom. The master bath, with soaking tub and shower, showcases many updates: New flooring, granite counters, lighting, brushed nickel hardware and two walk-in closets.

    Three other bedrooms rest on the second floor, one with an en suite bath and the other two sharing a Jack and Jill bath.

    Step outside
    In addition to the lovely patio and beautiful front lawn, 4134 Swarthmore gives owners a gated driveway leading to a two-car detached garage. Within walking distance is Colonial Park Pool, where the new owners and children or grandchildren can spend outdoor time in the pool and on the rock wall and playground.

    Square footage: 3,085

    Asking price: $999,000

    Listing agent: Lee Kaplan, Greenwood King Properties

    A third bedroom shares a large Jack and Jill bath with the fourth bedroom.

    On the Market 4134 Swarthmore March 2014
    Photo by © Tad Krampitz TK Images
    A third bedroom shares a large Jack and Jill bath with the fourth bedroom.
    unspecified
    news/real-estate

    apartment boom

    40-year apartment boom fuels soaring demand for self storage in Houston

    Amber Heckler
    Sep 15, 2025 | 9:30 am
    Self storage units
    Photo by Adam Winger on Unsplash
    Self storage facilities have become a 'quiet companion' for Dallas' renter market to make up for apartment shrinkage.

    Apartment construction has been booming in Houston the last 40 years, fueling a surge in the number of self-storage facilities across the city, too.

    According to a new analysis from national storage space marketplace StorageCafe, Houston had No. 1 highest rate of new apartment construction nationwide over the past four decades. During that same period, Houston also topped the list with the highest supply of self-storage space in the U.S.

    The report says self-storage facilities in places like Houston have become "an essential support system" for the city's rental market growth. Everybody's got to have a place to put their stuff.

    The experts at StorageCafe analyzed apartment growth in 130 of the largest U.S. cities from 1985-2024, then compared it to the supply of self-storage facilities that were developed over the same 40-year period. The report also analyzed population growth, renting trends, and the prevalence in remote work over the past decade to provide additional context regarding the demand for storage space across all 130 cities.

    Houston's skyrocketing apartment growth has drawn national attention over the last several years. And from 1985-2024, a total 240,659 apartment units were developed in the city. That's nearly half (48 percent) of the total apartment inventory in the city, the report found.

    The rise of self storage in Houston
    StorageCafe's analysis has revealed Houston apartments are getting smaller and smaller, thus leading to the surge in demand for storage solutions.

    "[Houston] apartments built from 2015 onward have shrunk by 44 square feet on average — roughly the size of a walk-in closet — while 5.3 million square feet of storage were added locally," the report said.

    A 2025 rent analysis from sister site RentCafe found that Houston renters on a $1,500 budget will be able to afford a 972-square-foot apartment, but folks who are on a tighter budget will have to make do with a smaller space.

    Apartment shrinkage isn't just a problem in Houston: Apartments throughout the U.S. that were built within the last decade are about 75 square feet smaller on average than those that were built in the early 2000s.

    "Coupled with the rise of remote work, which is blurring the lines between home and office, this steady loss of space is leaving many renters feeling the squeeze," the report's author wrote. "That’s where self storage steps in – not as a luxury, but a necessity... Behind every sleek new high-rise is a storage unit, holding the things that no longer fit but still matter."

    More than 20 million square feet of self-storage space was developed in Houston from 1985-2024, the report found. The total amount of self-storage space in the city adds up to 27.6 million square feet.

    Houston's senior population may also be contributing to the rise in self-storage usage. A separate Point2Homes insight report determined Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land saw a 60 percent increase in senior renters nationwide from 2013 to 2023, with many seniors abandoning the "burdens" of homeownership to live closer to family, downsize, or cut costs to simplify their standard of living.

    Considering that the average Houston renter needs to make nearly $68,000 a year to live in the city, it's no surprise people keep flocking to the suburbs instead.

    Apartment growth elsewhere in Texas
    Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio all joined Houston among the top five U.S. cities with the highest apartment growth rates over the last four decades.

    Austin ranked second nationally with 189,438 units and about 7.5 million square feet of self-storage space built during the 40-year period.

    Dallas claimed the No. 3 spot with more than 158,000 apartments built within the last four decades, and nearly 7.76 million square feet of self-storage space.

    San Antonio ranked No. 5 with 134,871 units developed and nearly 13,42 million square feet of self storage space built.

    Meanwhile, Fort Worth ranked 20th on the list with 101,729 apartments built between 1985-2024, and more than 7.82 million square feet of self storage space developed during the same time.

    The top 10 cities that have built the most new apartments since 1985 are:

    • No. 1 – Houston, Texas
    • No. 2 – Austin, Texas
    • No. 3 – Dallas, Texas
    • No. 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
    • No. 5 – San Antonio, Texas
    • No. 6 – Charlotte, North Carolina
    • No. 7 – Los Angeles, California
    • No. 8 – Orlando, Florida
    • No. 9 –Manhattan, New York
    • No. 10 – Las Vegas, Nevada
    apartmentsreal estatereportsself storage facilitieshouston
    news/real-estate

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