HOUSE THAT
I built an entire off grid tiny home for just £4k – I have to shower in a bucket and wee in the woods, but I’m so happy
Scroll down to find out whether tiny homes are legal in the UK
A WOMAN has revealed that she built an entire tiny home for herself, by hand for just £5,000.
Brooke Whipple is a lover of the great outdoors, and wanted to challenge her DIY skills, by building the off-grid home.
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She is extremely proud of her home, but said that people always assume that her husband built it.
"I don't think they quite believe me sometimes, and they're kind of taken aback," she said.
Brooke underwent many challenges during the building, and learned many new skills such as fitting the round roof and round window.
However, she powered through and remained committed to building the home entirely herself.
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To begin her project, Brooke bought a trailer for £13000, and then built a 70 square foot wooden structure on top of it.
Brooke can easily tow the home with her Chevrolet, meaning that she can take it with her wherever she pleases.
She has decked out the trailer with bargains from Arizona, and has painted murals of herself on the side, to give the tiny home a unique look.
When it comes to washing and showering, Brooke has gone back to basics, and bathes herself in a bucket.
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She even does wild wees in the woods, and keeps herself warm using a cosy stove.
Brooke's home is completely off-grid, and she has installed solar panels on the roof, which she uses to generate electricity.
"It's my only little space that I can take anywhere.
"It's super cosy, and just a joy."
Living in a converted shed is a great way to save cash for a house, whilst still having your independence.
As the cost of living crisis continues to bite, more and more adults are struggling to get on the property ladder and are choosing to live in their family home for longer.
Tiny Homes FAQs
The tiny house movement began in the USA before gaining popularity in the UK.
What is a tiny home?
Tiny houses are small, fully-equipped living spaces designed to lead a more sustainable, off-grid lifestyle. Although they vary in size and shape, tiny homes tend to be between 15 and 50 square metres in capacity, made of sustainable materials and are easier — and cheaper — to maintain than traditional brick homes.
Are tiny homes legal in the UK?
As long as the tiny house doesn't exceed 19.8m x 6.7m in size, it is defined as a caravan in UK law. Therefore, tiny houses are classed as legal additional living space.
Can you get a mortgage for a tiny home?
The small size and relatively low cost of tiny houses means they’re not generally considered eligible for a mortgage. However, there are plenty of options to take out a loan to fund your dreams of the perfect, moveable home.
The 2021 census revealed that over half of people aged 23 and under still live with their parents.
The average price of a house in the UK was £285,000 as of March 2023, and this rises to a whopping £735,254, which is completely unaffordable for many.
Moreover, research from the Resolution Foundation found that the average first time buyer deposit tripled from 5 per cent of the property price in 1989 to 15 per cent in 2019.
This means that buyers have to save for far longer and use up a larger percentage of their earnings to get on the property ladder.
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Recent research by property site Zoopla found that 42 per cent of adults under 40 who do not already own homes have given up, due to the astronomical cost of buying a property.
This included 38 per cent of people earning over £60,000 (almost double the average salary for the UK).
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