Cornered
She had to act fast. But it was dark, she couldn’t see a thing. Suddenly, she heard a sound. She froze as her heart began to pound. She tried to disappear into the corner of the room but it was no use.
Oblivious to her presence, he carried on with what he was doing. With no way out, she shrieked in horror.
Mila Huett
54-year-old, Mila Huett was delighted when someone finally bought the old, empty garage site opposite her house at the end of her neighborhood.
As a retired woman who lived in a big house alone with her two cats, she welcomed any potential for gossip and drama in her small neighborhood. But she was about to bite off way more than she could chew.
Neighborhood Watch
Mila was the head organizer of their neighborhood watch so she took it upon herself to introduce herself to the new garage owner, and try to get the inside scoop of what his story was.
His name was Barry and he seemed nice but he was much too quiet for Mila’s liking. Something seemed odd about him but she wasn’t sure what.
A Quick Exit
Mila lived in a relatively sleepy neighborhood, so a new landowner was big news for her. The garage Barry bought had been up for sales for years, and honestly, it was rather unappealing so Mila was eager to know what he wanted it for.
However, just as she asked, Barry politely excused himself. It was a move that seemed calculated.
Acting Aloof
Since introducing herself, Mila hardly ever saw Barry, even though his car was often parked outside. It was like he spent the whole day there. Was he living there?
It became the neighborhood scandal, thanks to Mila. Some neighbors laughed at him for the garage but others, like Mila, thought this guy meant bad news for their neighborhood. And they were right.
Odd Behavior
At first, it was the anti-social behavior and unwillingness to meet his neighbors that irritated Mila. Then it was his bizarre visiting habits, now more and more odd behaviors started to show and Mila wasn’t liking any of it.
It wasn’t long before her suspicions of this man became more and more prevalent, and his actions, more and more secretive.
Strange Noises
Mila began to hear strange noises and thumps coming from his garage in the dead hours of the night. Often, it would wake her up from sleep.
Then one night, the noise was so bad that she got up to look out her window, but what she saw sent a cold and ominous shiver down her spine.
Alarming Scenes
Mila looked out in the middle of the night to see Barry, wearing all black, hoodie up, gloves on, carrying something from his garage.
He hauled it with tremendous difficulty to his car boot, then hopped in his car and drove off. Where was he going? What was he doing?
Acting Fast
Mila couldn’t sleep, worrying about the strange aloof man with the creepy, odd habits who lived right beside her.
Acting on impulse, she got dressed and mumbled ‘it’s now or never’ as her heart pounded and yearned for the truth. She knew he was up to something bad, she just had to find out what so she could report him.
Breaking In
Mila ran across the road and tried to open his garage door. It was locked. She sneaked around the side, looking for open windows. Finally, she found one and tiptoed in.
She had to snoop around quickly. She wasn’t sure if a garage had the same trespassing rules as a house. Probably less, she thought. But the garage was dark, she couldn’t see anything. Suddenly, she heard a sound.
Caught Rotten
Mila froze. Her heart began to pound. He turned on the lights and entered the room with his strange tools in hand. He didn’t notice her there at first, but when he did, she shrieked in surprise and terror.
She saw exactly what he was doing! And she knew there was no way out of this. She was a deer caught in headlines.
Renovation
As Mila’s eyes adjusted to the light, she saw one of the coolest interior designs she had ever seen. He was remodeling the garage into his home.
He worked tirelessly day and night to build, tidy, organize and clean the garage space. It was almost complete and looked like something out of a magazine cover. Mila was shocked, as was Barry.
Apology
After the initial shock, Mila apologized profusely, but he didn’t accept it, of course. She was trespassing on his property after all.
Eagerly, Mila told him that she thought he was a criminal and explained what she just saw and how he made her feel over the past few weeks. Barry couldn’t help but laugh and posted his crazy story online. The post went viral, what did people think?
Legal Consequences
Some users commented and told Barry she was right to check it out if she thought he was doing criminal acts. But most others commented to say that they thought her actions were completely unacceptable and illegal and told him to press charges.
He thought about it seriously, but Mila wasn’t finished with her apology yet.
Peace Offering
The next day Mila knocked on his door with baked goods, wine, and flowers, as well as a small housewarming gift. She was mortified and explained herself some more.
She also explained how impressed she was with how he designed and remodeled the garage. In the end, Barry decided to let it slide, trusting it would never happen again. “Want a tour?” he asked, grinning.
Explanations
Barry introduced Mila to his wife and young son, and she sheepishly introduced herself.
It turned out that Barry and his family had been living here while he waited for construction to finish on his new house, just on the other side of town.
Brilliant Plan
Instead of paying an exorbitant amount on rent while they waited for their dream home to be built, Barry had seen something online that had inspired him.
It was a show called “Tiny House Nation.” And then he'd come across the old garage that was for sale and had a brilliant idea.
A Tiny Home
The entire home was divided into four sections, which are situated on four different levels of the tiny home.
And what Mila found even more surprising was that a family of three and a small Jack Russel were able to live in this tiny space comfortably. Barry had made good use of every single inch of the garage when he planned out this outrageous DIY project.
Multi-Leveled
Down one level off the kitchen is a living area -- which is fitted with a three-seater sofa. And, as clever use of space, there is a small shelf in front of the lounge that has a compartment that is big enough for a computer screen.
There are two vents for fresh air -- one in the kitchen and one in the bathroom -- but the front door can also be opened for ventilation. But how could a space so small house a family of three?
A Growing Movement
Tiny houses are stripped-back, downscaled versions of regular houses. Ready-made — or “turnkey” — tiny homes are on the US market and since last year, DIY tiny home kits are even available to buy on Amazon.
And more and more people, reluctant to get into the vicious cycle of debt that owning a home can bring, are giving tiny houses some serious consideration.
A Trend
The tiny house movement originated in the 1970s but took off after the 2008 financial crisis, when many young people decided to build affordable compact homes.
Tiny houses are particularly popular in the US, Australia, and New Zealand, with growing communities in Fresno, California, and Spur, Texas. So, how did Barry’s DIY micro home compare to a “regular” house?
Fully Functional
The micro house is fitted with all the necessary amenities. There is a full kitchen with a single sink, a decent-sized fridge, a small gas stove, kettle, pantry cupboard, and a few other kitchen appliances.
The area under the floor of the kitchen is used as a storage space and also houses a small washing machine. But what about the bathroom?
A Full Bathroom
Inside Barry’s house is a bathroom with a sink, combined shower, and toilet. The ceiling of the bathroom serves as a platform for a home entertainment system, which is easily viewed from the bed.
The loft sleeping area, or bedroom, is accessed from stairs in the kitchen and even has a small balcony so that Barry and his family can relax outdoors.
Clever Design
Barry used traditional timber framing construction methods and a multilayered design to ensure that he and his family were able to live comfortably in the tiny space…
All things considered, what he achieved is not bad for around 57 square feet per person! But what about heating the home in the cold weather? Barry’s got that covered, too.
Insulation
The tiny home uses natural gas and electricity for heating. The house has mineral wool insulation, vapor barrier sheets, and laminate flooring to make sure that the tiny home is warm inside all year round.
Barry also installed OSB sheathing and PVC roofing membranes to regulate the house’s inner temperature -- and, best of all, it costs a small amount to heat the space.