The notifications sent me a smattering of ground floor (sometimes underground) flats that ranged from 12 square meters to 25 square meters. In the larger ones I could see potential but when I visited them, I discovered a quirky historical remnant: the toilet was in the kitchen next to the stove and the shower was often on the opposite side of the room next to the sink.

This struck me as odd, and none of my Hungarian friends believed me when I told them it was true. But, if you've ever been to Versailles, and remember the lack of bathrooms in that huge building, you'll understand that in these old 19th century buildings, bathrooms were still rare. I'm not sure what the bathroom setup was back in 1890 when most of these buildings were built, but surely, they were rare.

In those days, wealthy land owners built luxurious and ornate compounds for themselves complete with inner yard and long light filled rooms. Servants and staff were housed in small quarters probably on the ground floor or outside the main building. Later, during the midcentury, these buildings were divided up into small rooms to house lots of people. One common bathroom could support an entire floor. The apartments ended up in 27-30 square meter boxes: One main room and a sliver containing a sink and food prep area, where later, some people added toilets.

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