Florida man who built ‘bad house’ towers over neighbors – and he likes it

On the quiet, sandy streets near Jacksonville Beach, a 10-foot-wide home stands as a bold middle finger to the neighborhood.

Built on a plot of land for pure indignation, this eyebrow-raising property has become the talk of the town – and its owner, Mike Cavanagh, 51, couldn’t be prouder.

But this is not just a narrow house. It is a structure born of challenge.

Developer John Atkins, the man behind the project, refused to sell the awkwardly sized lot to the persistent neighbors.

Instead, he was determined to squeeze a house into the tiny space — just to prove he could.

Atkins originally dreamed of a 15-foot-wide house, but city officials shut down his plans. Not one to back down, he scaled the design down to just 10 meters wide.

Now, the 138-foot-tall house looms over the surrounding yards and pools, casting literal and figurative shadows over neighbors who once opposed its construction.

“I think the fact that my house was featured on Zillow Gone Wild and used to have a ‘For Sale’ sign in the yard got a lot of attention,” Cavanagh wrote in a Business Insider essay.

Curious bystanders still slow down to cheer. “Even I still have jokes. Some friends introduce me socially as ‘the guy who bought the skinny house’.

But what started as a bad project turned out to be a golden opportunity for Cavanagh.

Buying the home for $619,000 in June last year, he calls it a “solid investment” and the perfect fit for his single lifestyle.

“If I was 40 years old with small children, it wouldn’t have worked,” he wrote in the essay. But for him, the controversial design just works.

“Despite the cramped layout, the exterior has great appeal. It has a modern feel inside, with beautiful floors and tile work.”

Designed to make the most of its slim frame, the 1,547 sq ft home features smart built-in storage and furniture.

“The upstairs bedroom has a built-in platform where my mattress sits, so I don’t need a bed frame,” Cavanagh wrote on Business Insider.

Even the dining table tells a story, crafted from wood salvaged from a local pier destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

Flooded with natural light through perfectly placed windows, the home feels more spacious than its footprint suggests.

“The builder did a great job positioning the windows to create a bright and inviting atmosphere,” Cavanagh said. He also invested in custom designs, including a white oak built-in sofa. “It was a bit pricey, but totally worth it because it’s so cozy and has an artsy vibe.”

But make no mistake – this home wasn’t built just for comfort. It is built to send a message.

Neighbors who once tried to buy the land from Atkins found themselves looking at a massive, modern structure.

After the city shot down the initial designs, he went home to comply.

“That’s how his unique design came about,” Cavanagh explained after meeting the challenging builder. And while some residents may still complain, Cavanagh is laughing all the way to the bank.

He sees property values ​​only increasing as Jacksonville Beach continues to grow.

“Compared to other cities in Florida, Jacksonville Beach has been slow to develop, which helps keep it affordable — especially compared to other beach cities,” he noted.

If he ever gets tired of the house, he can easily rent it out or sell it to the next brave buyer.

For now, Cavanagh has no plans to leave his regret-filled slice of paradise.

“Overall, I think buying the house was a good decision,” he said. “Smart people don’t just buy real estate to make money; they buy to have a great place to live – and to avoid losing money.”