Florida homeowner who built his skinny home 'out of spite' reveals why it's a great investment

A homeowner who bought a narrow house which was 'built a house out of spite' on a small sliver of land between other properties has said it's been a 'solid investment'. 

Mike Cavanagh, 51, said his friends have introduced him as 'the guy who bought the skinny house' since he purchased the 10ft wide property for $619,000 last year.

The two-story home was built by developer John Atkins, who was hellbent on constructing on the small land parcel despite fierce opposition from neighbors.  

Less than one mile from the golden sands of north-east Florida's Jacksonville Beach, the house caused chaos in the peaceful area. 

Framed by a white picket fence, the narrow property is 138ft tall, looming over surrounding family residences, pools and backyards. 

Floor blueprints reveal its open-plan design, with the garage opening out into an entryway with a toilet room, followed by a dining room, kitchen and living area. 

A central stairway emerges into a vaulted 10ft loft area with two bathrooms flanked by two double-bedrooms at either end of the property. 

Cavanagh, who works for a medical device company, said that as a single man, the controversial home is the 'perfect size' for him. 

'If I were 40 with young kids, it wouldn't have worked,' he wrote in a Business Insider essay about his home. 

'Despite its narrow layout, the exterior has great curb appeal. Inside, it has a modern feel, with beautiful flooring and tile work throughout.'

'I've definitely acclimated,' he added. 'It doesn't feel small; its bumped-out walls give the house an almost container-like feel, reminiscent of an RV from the outside.'

Cavanagh praised the design of the 1,547-square-foot property for making it feel larger than it is - including 'built-in nooks' for furnishings. 

'The upstairs bedroom has a built-in platform where my mattress sits, so I don't need a bed frame,' he wrote. 

The property also features a built-in dining table carved out of reclaimed wood from a local pier which was destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in 2016. 

Cavanagh also hailed the home for its abundance of natural light which floods through windows set into the nine-foot-high walls on the first floor, and 10-foot-tall walls on the second.  

'The builder did an excellent job positioning the windows to create a bright, inviting atmosphere,' he wrote. 

Cavanagh also hired a local designer to add his own touches to the place last year to make it a peaceful haven for working from home, and the occasional dinner party. 

'We added a built-in white oak couch in the living room with custom cushions,' he wrote. 

'It was a bit pricey but totally worth it because it's incredibly comfortable and has an artsy vibe.  

'By the TV, we also installed built-in shelving and cabinets made from white oak.' 

Cavanagh said his skinny house remains a 'solid investment' because even if he decided to leave, he could rent it out on AirBnB, and Jacksonville's gradual population growth means it would be easy to sell. 

'Compared to other cities in Florida, Jacksonville Beach has been slow to develop, which helps keep it affordable — especially relative to other beach towns,' he wrote.

'As more people discover it's a fantastic place to live, there's been an influx of movers from the Northeast, some from California, and many from the Midwest.

'But I plan to continue living in the home. It's my only property, and my job is based in the area, for now at least.'

'Overall, I do think buying the home was a good decision,' Cavanagh concluded. 

'Smart people just don't buy real estate to make money; they buy to have a great place to live — and to avoid losing money.'

However, the controversial home still attracts comments. 

'I think the fact that my home was featured on Zillow Gone Wild and that there used to be a 'For Sale' sign in the yard both drew a lot of attention,' Cavanagh admitted. 

'It's more subdued now, but I occasionally notice random people driving by or walking past and making comments.

'I still get jokes, too. Some friends introduce me socially as 'the guy who bought the skinny house.'

Cavanagh said he first came across the property amid plans to downsize after his kids moved out of their family home. 

He sold his 3,700-square-foot home back in 2020 and started renting a townhouse, hoping the market would adjust. 

But after years of spending money on rent, Cavanagh decided it was time to invest in property again. 

In June last year, he called a real-estate friend in Jacksonville Beach and they toured three homes. 

'None of them felt right,' Cavanagh wrote. But when they found the skinny house, they called him back and said: 'I've got something you need to see. It's really unique.'

'The moment I walked into the house, I turned to my real-estate agent and said, 'I'll take it,'' Cavanagh recalled. 

'The same day I toured the home, I made an offer. It was accepted, and we closed in just 30 days. I purchased it in early June for just over $600,000.'

Cavanagh said he was attracted to the 'quiet and peaceful' surrounding neighborhood. 

He eventually also met the home's builder John Atkins, who explained that he had owned the land parcel for a long time. 

Neighbors had wanted to buy the land from Atkins, but he refused, originally eyeing up plans to create a 15-foot-wide home. 

The city shot down his first round of blueprints, so he scaled it down to fit requirements. 'That's how its unique design came to be,' Cavanagh said.