Our entire house is smaller than my parents’ kitchen
AS OUR home is just 20ft long by 8ft wide and 14ft high, there’s little danger of Craig or me mislaying our phones or car keys in it — or having to search for long if we do.
We moved in last year and it has completely changed our way of life for the better. With no room for saucepans in every size or coats in every colour, we have got rid of a lot of unnecessary stuff, including most of my once vast make-up collection.
When we met three years ago, Craig lived in a two-bedroom home in Herefordshire and I was at my parents’ five-bedroom farmhouse. Now our entire home, affectionately named Tiny Blue, is smaller than their kitchen. But I love it and am proud to own a home with no mortgage — something not many people my age can say.
After several years of watching YouTube videos about tiny homes, I was adamant I wanted one. I’ve loved the cosiness of small spaces since I was a child playing in my Wendy house — and although I liked the idea of having my own home, I didn’t want to move far from Mum and Dad. Owning a tiny house on their land was the perfect compromise. My parents — Dad is a surveyor and Mum is a retired hairdresser — had reservations at first, though. Dad said putting my money into bricks and mortar would have ‘made more sense than building a shed on wheels in the garden’.
Undeterred, in September 2019 I bought the timber frame for £25,000, using savings and a bank loan, then spent £10,000 and six months fitting out the inside with help from family and friends, including my parents — who soon became very supportive — Craig, his dad who’s a plumber, and a carpenter we know.
Downstairs is an open-plan kitchen, diner and living area, with a sofa bed that sleeps two. The bathroom has a cassette toilet like you’d get in a campervan, a shower, wardrobe space and plenty of storage for my remaining make-up. Upstairs is our bedroom with a double bed.
Craig and I don’t get frustrated with each other in our little home, probably because we’re both out working much of the time and have loads of outside space. But we recently got a Labrador puppy who comes in with muddy paws, so we are constantly mopping up.
We are connected to mains electricity and have a gas canister for our hot-water heater and oven, but we need to use everything on minimal power. For example, I have a travel hairdryer now, as it’s lower voltage than a standard one.
My biggest regret is not putting in underfloor heating. Because our home is raised off the ground on wheels, the cold gets underneath. However, we do have two lowvoltage radiators to keep it warm.
Friends who visit are always amazed that the house is bigger inside than it appears.
Being able to put the tiny house on my parents’ land meant we bypassed common problems that many owners have. We didn’t need planning consent because it sits next to my parents’ house and falls within their planning boundaries.
Craig doesn’t miss his old home, although he does nip back regularly for lads’ nights with the friends he now rents it to. And we regularly invite ourselves next door for supper, as Mum’s a terrific cook.