Florida man who built ‘spite house’ towers over neighbors — and he’s loving it

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

Built on a sliver of land out of pure spite, this eyebrow-raising property has become the talk of the town — and its owner, Mike Cavanagh, 51, couldn’t be more proud.

But this isn’t just any narrow home. It’s a structure born from defiance.

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

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

Atkins initially dreamed of a 15-foot-wide home, but city officials shut down his plans. Not one to back down, he scaled the design down to a mere 10 feet in width.

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

“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 wrote in a Business Insider essay.

Curious passersby still slow down to gawk. “I still get jokes, too. Some friends introduce me socially as ‘the guy who bought the skinny house.'”

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

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

“If I were 40 with young kids, it wouldn’t have worked,” he wrote in the essay. But for him, the controversial design just works.

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

Designed to make the most of its slim frame, the 1,547-square-foot home features clever 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 in 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 an excellent job positioning the windows to create a bright, inviting atmosphere,” Cavanagh said. He also invested in custom design touches, including a white oak built-in couch. “It was a bit pricey but totally worth it because it’s incredibly comfortable and has an artsy vibe.”

But make no mistake — this house wasn’t built for comfort alone. It was built to send a message.

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

After the city shot down the initial blueprints, he scaled the home to meet the requirements.

“That’s how its unique design came to be,” Cavanagh explained after meeting the defiant builder. And while some residents might still grumble, Cavanagh is laughing all the way to the bank.

He sees the property’s value only going up 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 relative to other beach towns,” he noted.

If he ever tires of the home, he could easily rent it out or sell it to the next bold buyer.

For now, Cavanagh has no plans to leave his spite-fueled slice of paradise.

“Overall, I do think buying the home was a good decision,” he said. “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.”