There are Minitopia villages across the North Brabant region of the Netherlands. Samira Kafala for BI

Buying an apartment seemed my best option. Visiting a tiny home village showed me another way to live.

There are Minitopia villages across the North Brabant region of the Netherlands. Samira Kafala for BI

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2026-04-26T09:27:01.292Z

Five years ago, I used a small inheritance and the savings from moving back in with my parents to buy a modest apartment in the suburbs of London.

It was extremely dated: popcorn walls, threadbare carpet, a full-blown 1970s time capsule. I drained most of my savings on the deposit and spent what little remained on the renovation, but I was thrilled to have achieved the zillennial dream: homeownership.

Now, roughly 30% of my salary goes toward the mortgage. In a good month, I can save about a third of my income. I know I'm one of the lucky ones.

As a zillennial — too old for Gen Z, too young to count as millennials — we exist in a generational limbo.…