A Cape Breton couple is living large in a tiny home overlooking Kelly’s Mountain.
Nicky Duenkel and Judy Pratt are the proud owners of a 175-square-foot, mobile and eco-friendly home nicknamed ‘Tiny.’
It's roughly the size of a large walk-in closet, but the couple says it’s their dream home.
The pair moved in two weeks ago and say so far there is one thing that has really stood out.
“How normal it feels,” says Pratt. “People have been talking to us for a long time about ‘how can you live in such a tiny space?’”
In a home the size of Tiny, conserving space is crucial.
“You need to use the space really well. So every stair somehow has access to space inside of it,” says Duenkel.
The less-than 200 square foot home has hidden storage virtually everywhere, but there is still only space for life's necessities.
“Everything is really close at hand,” says Duenkel. “We don't miss the extra space. It's not taking very much to heat or to power her.”
The home, which is less than one-tenth the size of a typical suburban house, will allow the pair to have a newfound sense of financial freedom. The couple expects to spend about a $100 a month in utilities.
It only takes twelve paces to walk across the house, but the couple says it will have all of your run-of-mill amenities, including a kitchen, living room, bathroom, as well as guest and master bedrooms.
The home’s most unique feature is a doggy elevator, delivering their pooch Shanti upstairs to bed.
The couple may pack Tiny up and move elsewhere next year, but for now, they’re living little and loving it in Cape Breton.
“All of the space we think we need, we don't really need. That what makes life rich and fulfilling has nothing to do with space,” says Pratt.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Ryan MacDonald
