A COUPLE have revealed that they ditched their home to live in a tiny shed with five children.
When Sarah and her family first decided to leave their 2400 square foot home behind them and build a 1000 square foot shed, many people thought they were crazy.
Sarah and her husband ditched city life to live in a shed
They built the shed themselves, with no experience
However, instead of seeing it as downsizing, the family say they upsized, as their shed is on a whopping 35 acres of land.
11 years ago, Sarah and her husband found their dream plot of land in , and spent the next five years building the shed they now call home.
When they finally moved in, the shed still wasn’t ready, with no running water or a flushing toilet.
“The goal was to get a lot more done before we moved out here, but it just wasn’t happening”, Sarah told Tiny Home Tours .
“So we ended up doing a lot of projects while we lived here.”
The initial plot that the family bought was on 10 acres of land, and was purchased by for £44,000.
They also built a well for £7,000 and had a septic tank installed for £5,000.
Thankfully, the family were able to use the money from the sale of their home to buy the land and build the shed, so they didn’t need to take out a loan to achieve their dream.
However, after befriending their elderly neighbours, they were incredibly grateful to discover that the couple had left them their 24 acres of land after their passing.
“We are just honoured to have that, and we will keep building the homestead in honour of their memory”, Sarah said.
Sarah and her family were able to save plenty of money on building the shed by doing it themselves, despite having no experience.
They also decided to quit their jobs, and now homeschool their five children from the shed.
“Having the smaller home allowed us the flexibility to leave those everyday jobs, that grind, and open up the door for more opportunities”, Sarah said.
Do I need planning permission to convert my shed?
CONVERTING an existing shed or outbuilding into a self-contained living space will usually require you apply for planning permission.
However, Brits can use to convert outbuildings into a tiny home without permission.
Planning expert Martin Gaine from Just Planning warned the conversion process is far easier than you may think.
Speaking to The Sun, the Chartered Town Planner of 14 years’ experience explained: “‘, meaning it does not need planning permission.
“As long as you comply with the various restrictions and conditions.”
One of these is that the outbuilding can only be used for something ‘ancillary’ to your main living accommodation – examples include storage, a gym or a pool room.
If the outbuilding is existing, converting it then into primary living accommodation IS allowed.
Martin explained: “This is because internal changes to an existing building are not considered to be development at all under the Town and Country Planning Act.
But like anything, there is one catch.
The new living accommodation must still have some connection with your use of the main house.
For instance, if your gran is living out there, she must still come into the house to eat.
The mum of five now makes money from her Channel, Tiny Shed Life, whilst her husband sells chickens and vegetables from their farm.
The family’s previous home had four bedrooms, however, despite the ample space, Sarah found that her kids always wanted to be constantly next to her.
So, when they moved in to the shed, they decided to have all of the kids sleep in one bunk room, which also doubles as a laundry room.
“The nice thing about these small spaces is you can build forts very easily”, Sarah said.
“So, they fort this whole thing out, and you hear the giggles, and you hear the stories, and I just know they’re having the ultimate childhood.”
Downsizing has not only given the family financial freedom, it has also brought them closer together.
“Raising five kids in a small home is a lot of work sometimes, but I’m constantly checking in and asking them, ‘Do you still love it here? ‘Do you want to go back to the city?’ and they really can’t imagine not having a place to go play in their playhouse, go swimming in their pool or fishing in the pond”, Sarah said.
“It’s really a kid’s dreamland. And I really hope they cherish these moments forever.”
