Tiny houses are the epitome of affordability when it comes to having a roof over your head, but they also come with one question: Can you really squeeze in there and be happy? For Jacqueline Urick, who lives in a 540-square-foot home in Sturtevant, Wisc., with her dog Spice, the answer is a resounding yes. Her house is definitely one of a kind. The house was originally built as a storage unit for the military during World War II. Today, only a handful of the tiny buildings remain, and they’ve been converted into residential housing. When Urick first saw the 2-bedroom, 1-bath tiny home perched on a tenth of an acre, she was intrigued, particularly since it was priced at a mere $35,000. She also saw that the property had been lingering on the market because it was run-down and in need of a lot of work. Urick decided to buy the house and fix it up. She says the biggest advantage of living in a small space is that it’s not a lot to clean and maintain. Another huge plus is how easy it is on the utility bills. Urick says the tiny house forced her to curb clutter and change her shopping habits. Her closet is so small that she says the only way to get a new outfit in is to get rid of something first. The 63-year-old says she paid cash for her tiny home, but then put another $110,000 into renovations. Her house is estimated to be worth between $150,000 and $180,000 now. She also owns a 1,000-square-foot loft in Lowertown, a suburb of St. Paul, Minn. Even though she's completely happy with her new, smaller home, she can't see herself living there permanently. “The property taxes and upkeep is low-cost, and there is some peace of mind in knowing I have this place to fall back on no matter what,” she says.
