Shoebox To Let- Suit Professional Small People

Myself and my lovely boyfriend are hunting for private rented accommodation at present. We want a bit of privacy (pleasant but audible food muncher flat mates are outdated) but the present market in Cork is not very friendly. There seems to be little out there. Everything seems overpriced from a few months ago average €800 to €900 and now minimum €1000. We viewed an "apartment"(Shoebox) in "Blackrock" (Mahon). The rent at least wasn't too bad and everything was new. However, there is something so unsavoury about these new pint sized apartments with purpose-shrunk furniture to glaze over the fact that the space is tiny. The sad fact is that when we rang the agent back to say that we had reconsidered because it was too small he said there would be no problem. "There's a queue of people to take it" and I don't doubt it. But I don't actually have that much crap and neither does my boyfriend. We are not hoarders (well, I'm not)But I was just left wondering, who can live comfortably in a place like that? Unless they are leprachauns. Space is an expensive commodity nowadays. Where are my false teeth?