SAVVY SAVER
I built a tiny home in my parents’ garden & lived rent-free for 5 years – I had to bin all my shoes but saved for a home
Mckean shared how much her tiny home cost to construct
RENTING a home can be expensive, and one woman shared how she came up with a very savvy solution - building a tiny home in her parents’ garden.
Mckean Matson, 25, from Texas, shared how she didn’t need to pay a penny of rent for five years and it helped her save enough cash to buy her own home and some horses.
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Mckean first had the idea to build a tiny home after she finished school in 2018, and she was looking at pricey places to rent while studying at university.
Her parents offered to help her build a tiny rent-free home in their large garden, and it sounded like a tempting proposition.
Speaking to , she said: “I remember it being an offer I couldn't pass up. I really didn't want to pay for a pricey apartment and split utilities with roommates.
“Living in my parents' backyard was also convenient, and it allowed me to save money for the house I now have.”
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Mckean shared how the project was a labour of love for the family, and she built the tiny home with her dad.
Thankfully she didn’t have to start completely from scratch as she already had a 10ftx10ft fort that they had constructed when she was younger.
However, it needed plumbing, framing, furnishings and to be increased in size to around 350 square feet.
When they were finished, Mckean’s new home had a kitchen with plenty of storage and a bathroom with a shower.
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Meanwhile, it also had a staircase leading to her bedroom and a dresser for her belongings.
Due to the limited space, Mckean did have to assess how much she could store in the tiny home, especially as she had "a lot of shoes", and did have to get rid of items she hadn't worn in a while
The project in total cost £55,997 ($70,000), but the family saw it as a long-term investment.
Living in such a small space was a positive experience for Mckean as she said it taught her to be less materialistic and to need less belongings.
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And of course, without paying rent, Mckean managed to rack up some savings.
She added: “When I lived in the tiny home in my parents' backyard, I saved my money. I also spent it on my two horses and travelling.
“Saving my money allowed me to buy a home, and see the world. It also allowed me to consider what's important to me. I don't want to be attached to materials.”
The experience also made her closer to her family as she was able to see them every day - and she also got perks such as raiding their fridge for food and having help 24/7.
Living in my parents' backyard was also convenient, and it allowed me to save money for the house I now have
Mckean Matson
However, she admitted it was tricky to have guests over as there wasn’t much space.
Instead of playing games inside or cooking, any visitors would have to hang out on the porch or on the family’s 11 acres of land.
Although Mckean loved her pad, she shared how people could be judgemental about her unusual living space.
Some would tell her tiny homes were for “poor people” and others assumed she couldn’t afford a “regular home”.
Are tiny homes legal in the UK?
TINY houses can be UK regardless of whether they are on a trailer base or not. The legality of tiny houses is all to do with where it is and what you use it for.
If you want to put your tiny house in the back garden of the home that you own, and the overall size of your tiny house does not exceed 19.8m x 6.7m (65ft x 22ft), then good news! You do not require planning permission.
Tiny houses that fit within these dimensions and are constructed on trailer bases are legally classified as caravans, which means you can legally park them within the curtilage of your home without planning permission.
If this is your plan, then it is a legal requirement that you only use the tiny house as additional living space, like an office, a gym, or a studio, but you cannot rent out the space to a tenant.
For those of you who live on farmland, what is defined as curtilage can be complicated. In these cases, and under any circumstances where you are unsure, we recommend that you speak to your local planning officer.
You can put a tiny house on your land as a temporary structure for 28 days, but for any longer than this we recommend that you speak to your local planning officer as different permissions will be required.
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However, she hailed her compact home as “amazing” and insisted it set her up “for success.”
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After she had saved money from not having to pay rent, she finally moved out after five years, and said she was ready to prove she could be successful on her own.
While her new home is slightly larger, Mckean said she has continued to live minimally.
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