The rise of the tiny home has been gaining traction over the years and it’s little surprise why. These innovative living solutions are the only solution for many young people today. According to the BBC, a whopping 40% of young adults cannot afford to buy one of the cheapest homes in their area in the UK, but are also facing unaffordable rents across most of Britain.
Many young people are embracing the creative nature of the tiny house boom. Alongside the financial appeal, alternative living is an enticing fantasy for those feeling more and more disillusioned by modern living, the rat race and the system at large. The pull of living a self-sustainable, off-grid life might even lower your carbon footprint too.
Here are some of the coolest tiny living solutions…
Canal Boats
The trend of trading city life for a home on the water is one solution several young people have taken up, but it seems particularly popular with Londoners. Also known as narrowboats or houseboats, living in a canal boat is a viable option. If you choose to continuously cruise, it only costs £800 a year for your insurance and boat licence and you can moor up wherever you want as long as you stay no longer than 2 weeks. This has led to people like 24-year-old Matthew Winters living in some beautiful parts of London including: Broadway Market, Angel, Camden, and Little Venice, for a fraction of the price.
Van Life
Another popular option for the nomads among you is to live life on the road. There are some pretty cool options out there from vans to converted library buses and even double decker buses. This is definitely something to look into if you like the traveling lifestyle and want to see more of the country, or even the world. It’s very common to see little log burners for that cosy experience and ingenious space-saving ideas in action.
Check out the story of Meg, Josh and daughter Marlowe who are living off solar power in their 6.9m by 2m Mercedes Sprinter.
Converted Shipping Containers
If you want a bit more space, have a bit of land you can put it on and are looking for a more stationary option, converting a shipping container could be the option for you. It gives you that little more space and width to add homey touches, while keeping costs low. If you have D.I.Y skills, this is a project to get your teeth into, but there are companies converting ready-to-use tiny homes which still cost considerably less than a conventional home.
Aubrey and Clare Fry live with their dog in a shipping container on a piece of family land. They spent up to £30,000 creating the entire home.
Need more inspiration? Check out these YouTube channels:
NEVER TOO SMALL https://www.youtube.com/c/NEVERTOOSMALL/videos
Living Big In A Tiny House https://www.youtube.com/c/livingbig/about
Wherever you live and whatever size your home, keep cosy in winter, breezy in summer, and looking cool always with the latest vegan threads from Blind Maggot.
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Sarah Rachel
