Maggie Hildebrand's first apartment in Toronto had a kitchen, a dining table, a workspace and a bed – all in the same 300-square-foot room.
It was a decent home at first, close enough to her job downtown and with all the bare necessities for daily living.
But it didn't take long for the 28-year-old to feel boxed-in. "It was so isolating in that tiny space," she told the BBC. "It definitely feels like it's just somewhere to put worker bees during the night."
Ms Hildebrand lived in one of the city's micro-condos, a once rare sight in Canadian real estate that has become ubiquitous in the last decade thanks to fast-growing, high-rise developments in major cities like Toronto and Vancouver.
But - as Canada's condo market sinks to lows not seen in decades due to a series of market pressures - the value of these micro units is cratering faster than any others.
