I won’t pay a penny in rent after transforming a trailer at the bottom of my parents’ garden into a tiny home
A MAN has revealed that he transformed a trailer at the bottom of his parents garden into a tiny home to live in, for just £5,000.
Jack Mckenna, 22, bought the old trailer from a farm auction for £60 and decided to turn it into a little house, after being inspired by other people’s tiny homes.
All of the materials he used to create the tiny home are recycled and reclaimed and most of which he got for free from his uncle’s building site.
It took Jack, who lives in Colchester, Essex, three years to build the 16ft by 8ft house, and he worked on it with his Dad when he was home from university for the holidays.
Jack’s house, which cost him £5,000 to convert, has two levels to it, with a compact kitchen situated above his bed.
The bed can fold down into a sofa, and he even has a tiny log burner to keep him warm in the winter.
In one corner of the room is a desk which doubles as an entertainment centre, so he a space both to work and to relax.
He has also lined the walls with floor to ceiling shelves, giving him plenty of space to store his books and knick knacks.
Jack has even created storage space inside the stairs, and has a fold out table, which he can eat his dinner on when he needs to.
In the bathroom is a compost toilet, and a teeny, tiny sink, to save space.
Despite the home’s tiny size, Jack’s girlfriend will soon be moving into the trailer with him.
He said that building the home has come at the right time for him, as many of his friends are struggling to get on the property ladder, due to the cost of living crisis.
Speaking to the Living Big In A Tiny House Youtube channel, he said: “Being able to do this with my dad has been an amazing project.
“I’m very proud of it.
“This house has taught me that I’m stronger than I thought and I can do anything if I put my mind to it.”
YouTube users have flooded the comments section of the video, praising Jack over his ingenious design.
One person said: “This is, by far, one of the best tiny homes that I have seen.
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.
Source: The Qube
“Jack is brilliant”.
Another person added: “The raised kitchen with the double bed sliding underneath and doubling as a sofa, and the fold out table with the hook on folding chairs is absolutely ingenious.
“Well done Jack!”
A third said: “What an intelligent, determined and delightful young man. His home is so incredibly attractive and practical.
“Kudos to him, his supportive dad and family for achieving this dynamite result.”
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