Sunday Times

Honey I shrank the house — and our costs

When millennial­s look for homes, small is totes beautiful

- By SUTHENTIRA GOVENDER

Jolene Durrheim lives in a 12m shipping container with her husband and two sons.

It’s been seven months since the family of four moved into the tiny abode after their home on a smallholdi­ng in Plettenber­g Bay was razed by the fire that ravaged the seaside town in June.

Until they are able to rebuild, the little container — which was meant to be rented out to holiday-makers — is home for the Durrheims.

Whether by design or necessity, “tiny living” is catching on in South Africa as the average three-bedroom brick-and-mortar home makes way for nano-pods, shipping containers and compact apartments little bigger than a parking space.

The global trend towards smaller living spaces is starting to take off locally as millennial­s who value location over space are embracing micro-luxury living.

Soaring property prices have put even entry-level homes and apartments beyond the means of many people, persuading prospectiv­e homeowners to be satisfied with far less space than previous generation­s thought normal.

“We actually bought the container to rent as an extra source of income, but for now it’s our home,” said Durrheim.

“Tiny homes have become quite a trendy movement, and we thought it would be nice to give people the chance to experience it for themselves for a weekend or a holiday.”

The container — with the permission of the local municipali­ty — is on the property where their house once stood.

“It is very deceptive. If you were blindfolde­d and put inside the cottage, you would never guess that you were actually inside a single 12m container,” Durrheim said.

“It is small but actually quite spacious. It has everything you need, except perhaps a dishwasher.”

According to property investment company IP Global, millennial­s are opting for “an ‘on-demand’ lifestyle that delivers on location over space”.

George Radford, head of the company’s Africa division, said: “Younger demographi­cs — including students, young profession­als and start-up entreprene­urs who aspire to live in large cities as a lifestyle choice — find micro-apartments attractive because they are more concerned with getting out and exploring new places than spending time indoors.”

Harry Smith*, 34, a first-time homeowner, was shut out of the Cape Town property market because of exorbitant prices.

But hope for Smith came when the Dogon Group launched a micro-living developmen­t in Woodstock. The group is offering units from a 21m² studio at R799 000 to a 75m² two-bedroom apartment at around R950 000.

Dogon Group MD Rob Stefanutto said 70% of the scheme had already been sold. “The apartments offer a complete integrated living solution with every possible space being used,” he said. Included in the deal are integrated beds, 40-inch smart TVs and kitchen appliances like “Smeg toasters and kettles”.

Container-homeowner Finton Cassidy, of Tzaneen, said his little home had allowed him to enter the property market without actually owning real estate.

“I live in a luxury container that will pay for itself in three years. Container housing used to be for weird students, but now profession­al people and the more eco-conscious are embracing it.”

Berman-Kalil Housing Concepts, a Cape Town company that specialise­s in converting containers to homes, has sold more than 120 fully fitted containers locally and internatio­nally. They range from 6m bachelor pads to 12m units, with prices ranging from R139 000 to R229 000.

“We have spent a lot of time refining our processes and materials so it doesn’t feel like living in a shipping container,” said Bradley Berman, co-founder of the company.

One of South Africa’s first nano-pods — a prefabrica­ted home offering 26m² of living space that can accommodat­e two people — is being used as an artist’s residency unit in Muldersdri­ft.

Architect Clara da Cruz Almeida joined forces with product design company Dokter and Misses to create nano-pods that potentiall­y open the property market up to young South Africans.

“It’s an ideal starter home or getaway; it sleeps two in the mezzanine,” said Almeida.

“Downstairs can accommodat­e a guest and doubles as a studio or laundry room. The outdoor deck encourages indoor-outdoor living.

“Complete with custom-made furniture, delivered with all finishes and services installed, on-grid or off-grid, the non-permanent structure can be moved to any other site in the future as long as you have 64m² of open space,” she said.

FNB property analyst John Loos said there had been a gradual increase in creativity “when it comes to affordable housing alternativ­es”.

“It’s an increasing­ly constraine­d household financial situation for the country, and as these constraint­s intensify, smaller units are more sought after,” Loos said.

* Not his real name

 ??  ?? The 12m container that Jolene Durrheim and her family live in, in Plettenber­g Bay. It has everything they need, she says.
The 12m container that Jolene Durrheim and her family live in, in Plettenber­g Bay. It has everything they need, she says.
 ??  ?? Tiny homes are designed to make every square centimetre count.
Tiny homes are designed to make every square centimetre count.

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