A single mother living in Silicon Valley has told how she 's been forced to move into a single garage measuring around 250-square-feet as rent continues to skyrocket . Nicole Jones now pays $ 1,000 per month - around one-fourth of the average San Francisco rent - to live in the tiny space with her 18-month-old daughter and she also has a son on the way . The converted home in suburban San Mateo includes a central space which is utilized as a living room , kitchen , bedroom and dining room . In the back , there is a toilet and stand-up shower . 'There 's no playing sports or little soccer games down the hallway , because this is it . What you see is what you get , ' Jones half-jokingly told CNN . Scroll down for video . Home , sweet home : A single mother living in Silicon Valley has told how she 's been forced to move into a single garage measuring around 250-square-feet as rent continues to skyrocket . Temporary solution : Nicole Jones now pays $ 1,000 per month - around one-fourth of the average San Francisco rent - to live in the tiny space with her 18-month-old daughter and she also has a son on the way . Using the space : The converted home in suburban San Mateo includes a central space which is utilized as a living room , kitchen , bedroom and dining room . In the back , there is a toilet and stand-up shower . Sadness : 'There 's no playing sports or little soccer games down the hallway , because this is it . What you see is what you get , ' Jones half-jokingly told CNN . She explained that she used to live in a normal apartment but was forced to downgrade after losing her job . The Californian has since found employment , but with rental prices continuing to creep up , she has decided to stay put for now . In a bid to make the garage cosy she has installed a gas fire and dark wood flooring . A microwave grill perches on top of a clothes cabinet , and a stroller sits next to the television . Jones ' bed doubles up as a couch . The other downside to Jones ' abode , along with the lack of space , is that there is no easy way to get inside . Each time she enters , she must crane up the entire garage front door , with all of her possessions on show . Although , she is still paying a substantial amount of rent , Jones compares herself to a homeless person . Cramped : Jones ' garage includes a small toilet space with cleaning products tucked into alcoves . Rub-a-dub-dub : There is also a stand-up shower but no bathtub - Jones says the wash area is 'very small ' Frugal living : Jones adds that along with rent she has to fork out for transportation and daycare which leaves her with little spare at the end of the month . ' I did n't know much about homelessness before , ' she said . 'Honestly , I thought homeless people were panhandlers or people on the street that were hungry and cold and drug addicts and alcoholics who did n't want to do anything for themselves . ' Jones adds that along with rent she has to fork out for transportation and daycare which leaves her with little spare at the end of the month . Touching on the birth of her second child , she added : ' I am nervous , excited , frightened , sad . ' The expectant mother remains hopeful of finding a more manageable living situation . The average property rent in San Mateo is now $ 3,608 , according to the real estate firm Zillow.com . It jumped a staggering 14.9per cent from 2014 to 2015 .
Nicole Jones lives in the tiny space with her 18-month-old daughter and she also has a son on the way . The converted home in suburban San Mateo includes a central space which is utilized as a living room , kitchen , bedroom and dining room . In the back , there is a toilet and stand-up shower . Jones says she used to live in a normal apartment but was forced to downgrade after losing her job . Although she has found work , she is going to stay put for now . The average property rent in San Mateo is $ 14.9per cent , according to the real estate firm Zillow.com .