There’ssomethingenduringlyfascinatingabouttinyhouses.Whetherit’sthefairytaleelementoflivinginHobbit-likequarters,theromanticismoflivingoffgrid,orthepracticalityandsimplicityofdownsizing,miniaturehomesarepopular,withsocialmediaaccountsandTVprogrammesdedicatedtothemovement.
Someonewho’sbeenchampioningthesediminutivedwellingsandthepeoplebehindthemisarchitectandTVpresenterGeorgeClarke,who’scurrentlyfilmingthetenthseriesofAmazingSpacesforChannel4.
“I’vealwaysbeenobsessedbythefactinsmallspacesyouhavetobemorecreativebecauseeverysquareinchcounts.Youseepeoplebeingamazingwithdesign,andinventiveabouthowit’sgoingtoworkandusingmultifunctionalfurniturebecauseyouneedeverythingtoworktwiceashard,”saysSunderland-bornClarke,who’sexploredmanytinyhouses,gardenstudios,treehouses,campervansandcaravansoverthepastdecade.
“Therearelotsofpeoplewhowanttobemoreenvironmentallyfriendly,nomadicandmobile.”
“Therearealotofthingsthathavegoneonoverthelast10yearsthat’smadepeoplereallyconsiderbeingpartofthetinyhousemovement.Oneisaffordability.Ithinkpeoplearereallyworriedabouttakingontoomuchdebt,andobviouslyifyoubuildsmaller,it’scheaper,asthematerialcostisgoingtobealotless.Therearealsolotsofpeoplewhowanttobemoreenvironmentallyfriendly,andtobequitenomadicandmoremobile,whichiswhyyougetpeopleconvertingvehiclesandbusesintohomes.Thatalsomeanstheyavoidtheplanningpermissionrequiredforapermanentstructure.”
AccesstolandisthenumberonebarriertotinyhouselivinginBritain.Itgoessomewaytoexplainingthatwhiletinyhouseshavegainedplentyofpublicityinrecentyears,thenumberofpeoplelivinginthemintheUKremainssmallcomparedwiththeUS,Australia,andNewZealand.
“It’sreallyjustahandfulofpeople,”saystinyhousebuilderChrisMarchofTinyEcoHomes,basedinNorthumberlandandCountyDurham.“It’ssohardtodobecauseofalltherulesandregulations.It’svirtuallyimpossibletogetplanningpermissiontoliveinthemfulltimebecauseitdoesn’tfitanyofthecriteriaofastandardhouse.”
Ofthe20to30clientshemeetseachyear,mostareturningtotinyhomesasalifestylechoice.“They’reactuallysellingtheirhouseanddownsizing.It’sadifferentwayofliving,butalsopeoplefallinlovewithtinyhomesaswell.They’reallsouniqueandhavesomuchcharacter,”notesMarch,who’slivedinonehimselfforthepasttwoyears.
“They’resocosyinside.Forasmallplace,itjustworksperfectly.I’vealwaysbeenabuilderandspecialisedinbarsandcateringtrailersandhadabackgroundofmoveablestructures,soIusedmyexperiencetobuildtinyhomes.IalwayshadtheideaI’dliveinsomethinglikethatoneday,soeverythingfellintoplace.”
Onaverage,tinyhousesare8ftby20ft,includeakitchen,bathroom,atleastonebedroomandseatingarea,andcostfrom£40,000.
“It’seasytodesignsomethingonpaperbuttherealityofbeinginoneisprobablythebestwaytodoit.Onceyougetinsidethespace,youcanusuallyvisualisethings,makealterationsandcomeupwiththebestideas.Withitbeingamovablestructure,youcan’tjustbuildanythingyouwant,butthere’ssomuchwecando,andbeingmobilemakesiteasiertogettosite.You’vealsogotalittlebitmoreofaresalevalue.Obviously,youdon’twanttobebuildingsomethingpermanentonsiteifit’snotcompliantwithintheplanningregulations,andifpeoplemove,theycantaketheirassetwiththem.”
Althoughmostpeoplealreadyhaveasitelinedup,heandtheteamdohelppeoplefindrentalsitesifneeded.“Somewheretheycanliveallyearroundonholidayhomesitesandplacesthathavegotpermissionforresidentialuse,butsitesareprettyhardtofindatthemomentaroundthecountry,”saysMarch,who’salsobeenworkingwiththelocalcounciltogetcommunity-basedhousingprojectsoffthegroundfortinyhomes.
“Landreallyisthebiggesthurdle.Ifitwerepossibletogetplanningpermissionforthem,you’dseethemalloverthecountry.”
Someoneelsewho’scampaigningforchangeisAliceWilson,fromYorkUniversity,who’sresearchingtinyhousesforherPhD.She’sco-founderanddirectorofasocialenterprisecalledOpHouse,whichisseekingtobringthefirsttinyhousedevelopmenttoYork.
“Thereisalreadyawealthofevidencethattinyhousescanbeaneffectivesocialinterventionandthere’sreallylittletonoexcusefornotpushingthisforward.It’snotasolutionforeverybodybutthehousingcrisisandpovertyaresuchenormous,complicatedproblemsweneedmanydifferentsolutions,andthisisoneofthem,”saysWilson.
“Butthereticenceandbureaucracythatpreventsthistypeofverycheapandsimpleinterventionfrombeingrolledoutinmoreplacesreallyspeakstotheseemingabsenceofpoliticalwilltodosomethingaboutit.”
OneofthethingssheandherteamareconsideringiscreatingaNationalTinyHouseAssociationtotrytopushforupdatestoplanningpolicyandbuildingregulations,sotinyhousesarerecognisedaslegitimateprimaryresidences.
“Accesstolandisreallythecorecatalystforthehousingcrisis.Attemptstochangeaccesstolandandlandrightshavebeenonthepoliticalagendasforalongtime,certainlysincethe1980swhencommunallivingstartedtobecomemorepopular,buttheentrenchedchannelsthroughwhichdecision-making,moneyandpowerflowsaredeepandbuttressedanddifficulttochipawayat,”saysWilson,whoseinterestintinyhouseswaspromptedbyherexperiencegrowingupinaworking-classfamilywhere“terrorandanxietysurroundingthemortgagepaymentswasaperennialfeatureofourhousehold”.
“Wewereraisedtounderstandmoneyandtheimpactofhousinginfacilitatingorconstrainingadecentandsafehappylife,andtheolderIgrew,themoreinterestedIbecameinpowerdynamicsandhowtheyaredistributedsocially.
“Itbecomesincreasinglyobviousthathousingisakeychannelthroughwhichpowerflows–who’sallowedaccesstohousingandwhoisn’t,howthepricesarecontrolled,andhowthatisrelatedtoincome.Tinyhousingwasareallyinterestingmeltingpotofallofthesedifferentjusticeangles.”
Themovementmayappeartobearelativelynewphenomenon“butinthebroadesthistoricalsense,tinyhousesareancient”,sheadds.
“There’sbeenpovertyaslongasthere’sbeenpeopleandbecauseofthattherehavebeenpeoplelookingforwaystoliveascheaplyastheypossiblycan.”
ShesaystheresurgenceofinterestintinyhousingcanbeattributedtothelikesofHenryDavidThoreau,authorof1854’sWaldenand“thisromanticidealoftakingyourselfawayoffintoaleafy,bucolicscenetofindyourself”,aswellasJayShafer,themanwholaunchedtheTumbleweedTinyHouseCompanyinthe1990sandiswidelyconsideredthefoundingtinyhousefigureintheUS.
Morerecently,promptedbyfinancialorsocialreasons,peoplearere-evaluatingtheirprioritiesandchoices,andreassessinghowtheywanttoleadtheirliveswhentheynolongerwantorneedtobechainedtotheirdeskallweek.
“FromthepeopleI’vespokento,themostoverarchingmotivator,itseems,isadesireforasenseofautonomyandfreedom,”saysWilson.
“Peopledescribefeelingtrappedbyeitherhowmuchtheyhavetoworktopayforahousethey’reneverinbecausethey’realwaysatworkortrappedbytheactualcontentoftheirjobandfeelingit’spointless.They’realsofeelingtrappedbyhavingtoharmtheenvironmentbecauseofthewaysocietyissetuptoperpetuallyconsumegoods,sopeoplearelookingforwaystoextricatethemselvesfromallofthesecyclesandtinyhousesofferawaytodothat.”
Clarkewarnsit’simportanttoremainrealisticaboutwhatyou’retakingon,fromtheseeminglyimpossibleplanningrequirementsforpermanentdwellingstotheuniquechallengesposedbylivingoffgridinamovablehome.
“Livinginatinyspacehaslotsofbenefits,andifyoucanadapttoitanditsuitsyourwayoflife,it’sfantastic,butitcanalsobereallytoughandit’snotforeveryone.I’veseenpeopleliveonnarrowboats,whichisgreatfortravellingtodifferentlocationsandcanbeamazinginthesummer,butmygod,spendawinterinoneofthemwhentheheating’snotworking,andyou’vegotcoldwater,andit’snoteasy.Alotofpeoplebailout,”saysClarke.It’swhyhe’dalwaysrecommendstriallingitfirst.
“Ifyouwanttoliveinavehicleforafewyears,hireoneandgoonaroadtripforafewweeks.Ifyouliketheideaofatinyhouse,liveinastaticcaravanforsixmonthsandseewhatit’slikebeforeyoujumpinwithbothfeet.”
GraceStringer,25,livesinhertinyhomeinWorcestershirewithherpartnerCraigJukes.
“I’vealwayslikedsmallspaces,butitwaswhenIcameacrossBryceLangston’sYouTubechannelthatmyobsessionwithtinyhomesstarted.Iwasalsokeentomoveoutofthefamilyhomeanditseemedthemostaffordableoption,althoughIdon’tthinkIwould’vedoneitifIdidn’thavemyfamily’slandtousebecausefindinglandisacompletenightmare.
“Ispentsixyearsresearchingandpreparing.IthinkI’vewatchedeverytinyhousevideoonline,andthenfoundTinyHouseNationandthemoreIwatched,themoreIdevelopedwhatmyperfectplanwouldbe.Imappedeverythingoutonthefloor,clearedoutmybelongingsandputthingsinboxestofigureoutwhereitwasallgoingtogo.
“Storageiskeyandeveryinchmatters.Iboughtthehouseshell,whichwasalreadybuiltonaroadlegaltrailer,fromeBayfor£20,000inSeptember2019,startedworkonitinMarchandspent£10,000fittingitoutbeforemovinginlastSeptember.
“LivingwithnothingbutwhatIneed,andhavingthatminimallifeisareallynicefeeling.Idon’tspendmyweekendscleaning–20minutesandit’sdone.Ialsolikebeingabitmoresustainable.Idon’tusealotofwaterandI’mwiredintotheelectricsofthemainhouseusinga16ampplug.IalsohavetheabilitytogetmoresolarpanelswhenIhavemoremoney.
“It’snotastandardhome,soyouhavetotreatitwiththatcampingormotorhomefeelandputthingsawayassoonasyou’veusedthem.Youalsohavetobecarefulaboutthedampduringwinters,andIdomissabathtubbutthat’saboutit.
“Idoloveit,especiallywakingupinthebedroomloft,whichwepaintedadarkcolour.That’snottypicaloftinyhouses,butitfeelscosyandhasviewsoffarmland.Iimaginewe’llstayforanothertwoyearsbeforemovingouttostartafamily.Havinganewbornbabyintherewouldstressmeoutbecauseofthestairsmorethananything,butforme,itwasnevergoingtobeaforeverthing.Itwastogetofftheground,getoutofmyparents’houseandtoexperienceitreally.”