You’ve probably seen the viral TikToks or the grainy Zillow screenshots. It’s a house. But it’s barely a house. It’s a sliver of architecture wedged so tightly between two towering neighbors that you wonder if the residents have to walk sideways just to get to the kitchen. People call it the house in between 2, the "skinny house," or more formally, a spite house.
Honestly, these buildings are fascinating because they shouldn't exist.
Most of the time, they’re born out of pure, unadulterated petty rage. Imagine a family feud in the 19th century where one brother inherits a tiny strip of land and decides, "Fine, I’ll build a house here just to block your sunlight." It’s a level of commitment to a grudge that we just don't see anymore. But beyond the drama, these homes are masterclasses in tiny living and urban density. They challenge everything we think we know about "livable" space.
The Most Famous House in Between 2 and How It Got There
Take the Hollensbury Spite House in Alexandria, Virginia. It’s legendary. John Hollensbury was tired of people using the alleyway next to his home for horse-and-buggy traffic and loitering. It was noisy. It was annoying. So, in 1830, he just... built a house in the alley.
It is only 7 feet wide.
Inside, the walls still have the brick gouges from where the original wagon wheels used to scrape against the neighboring buildings. It’s two stories of "get off my lawn" energy. When you stand inside, you realize that the walls of the neighboring houses are actually the interior walls of this house. It’s efficient, sure, but it’s also a structural nightmare if one of the neighbors decides to do a renovation.
Then you have the Skinny House in Boston’s North End. Legend says it was built after the Civil War. Two brothers inherited land, and while one was away serving in the military, the other built a massive home that took up almost the whole plot. When the soldier brother returned, he found only a tiny sliver of land left. He didn't sue. He didn't move. He built a four-story spite house just to block his brother’s view of the harbor. It’s about 10 feet wide at its widest point and tapers down to about 6 feet in the back. Talk about a cold family dinner.
Why Architects Are Actually Obsessed With Narrow Lots
It isn't just about spite anymore. In 2026, as urban real estate prices have spiraled into the stratosphere, the house in between 2 has become a legitimate design trend. We call it "infill housing" now, which sounds way more professional than "alley house."
👉 See also: Black Red Wing Shoes: Why the Heritage Flex Still Wins in 2026
Architects love the challenge. How do you fit a bathroom, a bedroom, and a kitchen into a space narrower than a Chevy Suburban?
- Verticality is king. Since you can't go out, you go up. Often, these homes are three or four stories tall, with a single room on each floor.
- Light wells are non-negotiable. Without windows on the sides (because, you know, there’s a brick wall three inches away), you need massive skylights or central atriums to keep the place from feeling like a coffin.
- Storage is hidden. Every stair riser is a drawer. Every wall is a cabinet.
Look at the Keret House in Warsaw, Poland. Designed by Jakub Szczęsny, it’s arguably the narrowest house in the world, measuring between 92 and 122 centimeters wide. That’s roughly 3 to 4 feet. It’s squeezed between a pre-war apartment building and a modern apartment block. It represents the "in-between" of history, but it’s also a fully functional (if claustrophobic) workspace for traveling writers. It proves that a house in between 2 doesn't need to be big to be significant.
The Zoning Nightmare
You can’t just go find a gap between two buildings and start laying bricks. Believe me, people try.
Zoning laws in most modern cities are the biggest hurdle. Usually, there are "setback" requirements that mandate a certain distance between structures for fire safety and privacy. To build a house in between 2 today, you usually need a variance from the city. This involves public hearings where your neighbors will almost certainly complain that you’re "ruining the character of the neighborhood" or "blocking their breeze."
If you're looking at a historic one, the maintenance is a whole different beast. If the roof leaks on a 7-foot-wide house, where do you put the ladder? Often, repair crews have to access the structure from the neighbors' roofs. It requires a lot of "baked-in" diplomacy with the people living on either side of you.
Realities of Living in a Sliver
What’s it actually like to live there? It’s not for everyone.
I’ve talked to people who have toured or lived in these spaces. They all say the same thing: you have to be a minimalist. There is no room for a sectional sofa from Costco. You aren't buying a 75-inch TV unless you want it to be the only thing in the room. Furniture has to be custom-built or modular.
✨ Don't miss: Finding the Right Word That Starts With AJ for Games and Everyday Writing
Then there’s the "pathway" problem. In a narrow house, the hallway is the room. If someone is cooking in the kitchen, and you need to get to the back door, they have to press themselves against the counter so you can squeeze past. It’s intimate. Maybe too intimate for some.
But the upside? They’re incredibly easy to heat. You’re essentially insulated by two other heated buildings. Your energy bills are tiny. Plus, there is a weird, cozy security in being tucked away like that. You feel like you’re living in a secret part of the city that everyone else just walks past without noticing.
How to Find or Build Your Own Narrow Gem
If you’re obsessed with the idea of a house in between 2, you’re probably looking at high-density older cities. Think London, New York, Philadelphia, or Tokyo. Tokyo, in particular, has mastered the "Kyosho Jutaku" (micro-homes). Because land is so expensive and taxed heavily, people build on tiny, odd-shaped plots that Westerners would consider "unbuildable."
If you’re seriously considering this lifestyle, here is the reality check you need:
1. Check the Title and Easements
Before buying a narrow lot or an existing skinny house, you need to know exactly where the property lines are. Sometimes, the "walls" of your house are actually owned by the neighbor. This is called a party wall agreement. If that wall needs repair, who pays? If the neighbor wants to tear their building down, does your house fall over? You need a lawyer who specializes in weird urban property law.
2. Measure Your Life
Measure your current bed. Your desk. Your favorite chair. If they’re wider than 6 feet, they might not even fit through the front door of a classic spite house. Many of these homes have "winding" stairs that make it impossible to move standard furniture to the upper floors. Everything has to be taken apart or hoisted through a front window.
3. Embrace the "Fishbowl" Effect
Because you lack side windows, the front and back of your house will likely be almost entirely glass to let in light. This means people on the street can see everything you’re doing unless you have some high-quality blinds. You become a local landmark. People will stop and take selfies in front of your door. You have to be okay with being "the person who lives in that weird skinny house."
🔗 Read more: Is there actually a legal age to stay home alone? What parents need to know
4. Structural Integrity Check
In older cities, these houses often rely on the surrounding buildings for lateral support. If a vacant lot opens up next to a skinny house because a building was demolished, the skinny house might start to lean. Always get a structural engineer involved before buying one of these architectural oddities.
Future of the In-Between
As we move further into the 2020s, the "missing middle" of housing is becoming a crisis. We have giant apartment complexes and we have single-family suburban homes. We don't have much in between. The house in between 2 is actually a functional solution to urban sprawl.
It uses land that is already serviced by city utilities. It doesn't require new roads. It creates a "walkable" density that keeps neighborhoods vibrant. While they started as acts of spite or historical accidents, these narrow homes are now being seen as a sustainable way to live in crowded cities.
Building one today requires a mix of 3D modeling to maximize every inch and a very patient contractor who doesn't mind working in a space where they can barely swing a hammer. But for the right person—the person who hates clutter and loves a good story—there is nothing better than a home that fits perfectly in the gap.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into this world, start by researching "Infill Architecture" projects in your local city planning office. You might find that the tiny gap in the street you walk past every day is actually a permitted building site just waiting for someone with enough vision (and maybe a little bit of spite) to fill it.
Check your local zoning maps for "non-conforming lots." These are often the birthplaces of the next generation of skinny homes. Look for lots under 20 feet wide. If the price is low enough, and the zoning allows for a variance, you might be looking at the foundation of your own architectural landmark.
Contact a specialized architect who has experience with "Micro-architecture" or "Small Footprint" builds. They’ll know how to navigate the specific fire codes that apply to buildings with zero-lot-line clearances. Most standard builders will be overwhelmed by the logistics, but a specialist will see it as a puzzle to be solved.