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Jeffrey Campbell, 65, a dual US-Swiss citizen, has long wanted to replace his four-room apartment in Zurich for 1,750 francs with something smaller and has registered with the city and cooperatives.
«I don’t need that much space for myself and that’s why I wanted to reduce my living space. But it took a lot of patience until I found what I was looking for,” says the divorced retiree and father of two grown daughters and a grandfather.
Apartments for tenants over 55 years old
He participated in many apartment inspections and was on waiting lists in cooperatives and in the city of Zurich. He found what he was looking for in the ABZ housing cooperative and was able to move into a 31 square meter studio in Zurich-Oerlikon two years ago for 647 francs a month.
The apartment building, dating from 1970, has 32 small flats. Mostly people over the age of 55 live in the centrally located house. Campbell lives in his home on the property’s top floor, which has an elevator.
Living like in a museum
The small entrance area features built-in wardrobes. The 65-year-old man’s clothes and underwear are there. He keeps some of the clothes he doesn’t need for the season in the basement closet.
Campbell also placed the living room door and kitchen door in the basement. “I don’t have any doors anymore except the bathroom. Open spaces are in fashion. I also have a little more room. “Especially on the walls,” he says with a laugh. In fact, there is almost no free space left on the walls. “I feel at home here. It’s a real gem, furnished like a small museum with many works of art and antiques,” says the art lover.
The sofa turns into a bed
You won’t find a bed or a dining table in a retirement home. He sleeps on one of the two couches in the living room, which he converts into a bed every evening.
“I paid a little more to get quality sleep,” says Campbell, demonstrating how easy it is to use. The comfortable sofa bed is also Campbell’s favorite spot during the day.
Common areas and rooms for guests
Jeffrey Campbell loves to cook. There is enough space for this in the modern kitchen. He also found room for a small desk where he writes emails or reads emails on his laptop.
Meals are eaten at a small side table on the sofa in the living room. “If family, relatives or friends come to visit, I can reserve and use the shared kitchen along with the ground floor dining area,” explains Campbell.
Guests wishing to spend the night can also book a room in one of the cooperative’s neighboring houses for 35 francs per night. “This is very practical, for example, when my sister from the USA visits me,” says Campbell, who has lived in Switzerland for 35 years.
Joint activities of tenants
The neighborly relations at home are pleasant. Jeffrey Campbell: “When I travel, my neighbor has the key to the apartment and waters my plants.” Some of the residents communicate via an app and occasionally organize events in the common room or have barbecues together in the garden during the summer months.
In the summer, Campbell likes to be on her balcony overlooking the street. Campbell’s studio has access to the small balcony from both the living room and the kitchen. «The balcony is only small but important to me. In summer there are always flowers in flower boxes.
Central location close to nature
He barely hears the sound of the busy street in his apartment, but occasionally he hears the nearby school building. But that doesn’t bother him. “For the first two years before moving to Switzerland, I lived in Manhattan with my Swiss wife,” Campbell explains. He appreciates the proximity to the train station and shops, as well as the opportunity to take long walks in the countryside.
Campbell, who suffered from chronic kidney failure for years, has a good quality of life after his kidney transplant. He walks miles every day and does almost all his work on foot or by public transportation. «The location of the apartment is ideal for me. “It’s central but still close to nature,” he says with excitement.
Artwork sold due to lack of space
Even though Campbell only has 31 square meters of living space, it doesn’t lack anything. “I have everything here. “Sometimes the only thing I miss is the fireplace in my old apartment,” he says.
It was difficult for him to sell the numerous antiques, some of which he brought from travels or found in Brocken homes, before moving due to lack of space. He kept things he couldn’t part with in the basement. It is impossible to stop the art lover when Campbell talks about the paintings, antique furniture and unusual lamps in his collection.
Save costs and time
Despite the limited space, the advantages of his studio outweigh the disadvantages for Campbell. On the one hand, he saves about 1000 francs a month. He also needs less time for his home. “I’m a little obsessed with cleanliness, but it’s less bad than my ex-wife,” he admits with a wink. A passionate collector and obsessed with cleaning, he is content to dust himself even in his small apartment, despite all his art objects and antiques.
Source : Blick
I am Dawid Malan, a news reporter for 24 Instant News. I specialize in celebrity and entertainment news, writing stories that capture the attention of readers from all walks of life. My work has been featured in some of the world’s leading publications and I am passionate about delivering quality content to my readers.
