Tiny Living February! by Tiny Living Magazine UK

In Love with Tiny Houses!

ISSN 2631-326X

FEBRUARY 2020

“Dare to be Different!” Tiny Living - For those who live outside the box. Follow us on www.facebook.com/tinylivingmagazineuk and www.instagram.com/tinylivingmaguk

February 2020

Contents Florry – An Exceptional Lorry! … Page

“ The impossible is possible. -Just build!”

03 12 13 14

Change of Address … Page Financing the Dream … Page Create A Dragonfly Oasis … Page

Published by: Tiny Living Productions Ltd, Glasgow UK Editor: Pamela Palongue Design by: Gilmour Graphics Email: info@tinylivingmagazine.co.uk Cover photograph: Idyllic Summer house., photograph by a40757.

Florry –

An Exceptional Lorry! Though Florry is a converted truck, she probably feels like a real, living soul from all of the thought, feeling and work that went into her design and conversion by her creators, Catherine and Chris. Catherine (Cat) has travelled far and wide, including mainland Europe, Australia, and lived in New Zealand for two years. When she met Chris, they formed a blended family with children from previous marriages. With seven people, it was far too extravagant to stay in hotels on holidays, and dine in expensive restaurants every night – not that it would have appealed to them much anyway. Cat and Chris were much more at home in the wilderness, camping and exploring nature together. So they bought a Bongo campervan, which they would fill with the five children and head to little weekend adventures in the UK and sometimes mainland Europe. Chris’ children lived with their mum, so the weekend holidays gave them a unique way to spend time with their dad. Later, Cat and Chris eventually bought a motorhome for a bit more space… But all of the road trips taught the kids a lot about the world and learning to think outside of the box. They were able to have some great times camping, and learned to make things from wood, and to use tools. The children have been to festivals, and enjoyed holidays in Wales and France. Cat says, “I believe children benefit

hugely from learning to play through exploration, outdoor life and experiencing new cultures and understanding there are many different ways of life”. Chris’ 12-year-old (the youngest) still comes and travels with them on all the school holidays. The children all have wonderful memories of those amazing times they shared on the road together. In recent years, Cat and Chris have worked crazy hours to maintain their bricks and mortar residence in London. Chris’ job in IT was demanding and high pressure, and the price of things increased every year with the work/life balance, tipping heavily towards the work end. It didn’t seem like a healthy lifestyle when he was left mentally and physically exhausted. The timing seemed right for a BIG change to a SMALL home. They were invited to a friend’s place for a few beers in Menorca. The friend lived in a lorry, and Cat and Chris were amazed at what could be done to turn a simple box truck into a home. This sparked the idea, which developed over time, and they decided to do their own lorry conversion. It was a pretty brave step, considering that they were both completely new to self-builds, but they actually embraced the challenge of it. It would also be a much better way of living than trying to maintain their house. Cat explains, “Life is short and this was a way for us to keep healthy, lead a simpler and less stressful life.”

They came up with the design for this beautiful conversion over many hours spent at a kitchen table drawing and re-drawing. They even made a little mini cardboard cut-out which was made to scale. Finally, they used a software programme called Sketch Up. (having a partner who’s worked in IT can sometimes come in handy) Little by little, Florry began to take shape with Cat’s planning and Chris’ vision. It took them about 18 months to complete, but it should be noted that they were only able to work on it every-other-weekend, and occasionally a late evening through the week. They were both working full time jobs and many times, felt like giving up, but each time they would motivate each other, and they got through it. The beautiful result (and their healthier, more peaceful life) made the all the grueling hours worth it.

“ Life is short and this was a way for us to keep healthy, lead a simpler and less stressful life.”

They did all of the conversion work themselves, aside from the tricky installation of a gas tank which was done by a qualified person with a proper certification for gas installations. They used many types of wood, including 50mm pine for the structure, and then recycled old pallet wood, tongue and groove bits and bobs for shelving and other features. The home has a proper kitchen and plumbing system, a comfortable bed, and solar panels for energy! Even though they’ve been together for years, Cat was surprised at the level of her husband’s talents. “I still find it amazing when I look around our little home, after having done this.

Building a home on wheels is harder than a [static] tiny home, as we had to always consider the weight…and a lot of movement… I think I’m very lucky to have a man with so many talents and I know we can build anything we like now after having done this”. This year, Cat and Chris spent eight months in their home living abroad. They’ve been able to find places to park fairly easily in Europe, as there’s more sites available. They were able to park in France in exchange for helping out on a family’s barn conversion to a holiday home. When in the UK, they have family members where they can park, which is a big help.

“ We’re happy with the richness of nature and the outdoor life and the benefits this brings to our life.”

Cat does caution that this lifestyle is not a way to escape your problems, because the problems will still be with you on the road. But overall, she finds it a vast improvement over the fight to maintain a large house. “Life on the road is often over-glamorised…It’s hard but it’s still been so much better for us than life in a city working all hours trying to keep up with the payments and the life we had”. They take joy in a beautiful sunset in the countryside, or a charming medieval village they find along the way. “We’re happy with the richness of nature and the outdoor life and the benefits this brings to our life”. They don’t miss anything from not living in a house (apart from a bath). And despite being away, they’ve managed to see their family every holiday. You might say they’ve bonded with Florry

- that familiar bit of home, no matter where or how far they travel. “Lorry life is definitely simpler and less stressful, and I recommend it if you’re realistic about the lifestyle, and love an outdoor life.” If you’d like to see more of Cat and Chris and their adventures in Florry, visit the following websites… *Note, florrythelorry.com is still under development at this time. www.instagram.com/florrythelorry www.facebook.com/florrythelorry www.polarsteps.com/florrythelorry www.florrythelorry.com ”A special ‘thank you’ to Cat for the fantastic photos on these pages! @catcarltonphotography

“ Lorry life is definitely simpler and less stressful, and I recommend it if you’re realistic about the lifestyle, and love an outdoor life.”

‘Books on the Hill’ Hosts Sustainable Author ‘Books on the Hill’ is a charming book seller in St. Albans with a cosy atmosphere that will entice you to stay a bit longer. On 7th June, they will be hosting author, Jen Gale to speak about her book, “The Sustainable-ish Living Guide”. In it, she makes the point that individuals making small, meaningful changes, can have a profound effect on the planet. It’s a realistic and achievable guide to living a more sustainably conscious lifestyle. For tickets to this event, click here…

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St. Albans

Sustainability Festival! ‘Tiny Living’ was delighted to write an article for ‘Permaculture Magazine’ on finding land for a tiny house! The beautiful cover is an ensemble designed by Linda Thomas, who creates fashion from waste recycling! Visit Permaculture.co.uk Permaculture.co.uk for more...

St. Albans is a lovely town, steeped in history and located about 20 miles north of London in Hertfordshire. The city and its neighbouring villages, will be the site of a sustainability festival, held from 23rd May – 7th June. With two weeks of events planned, which will focus on the health of our planet, you’re sure to be inspired by SustFest2020! For more information and updates as events are added, visit sustfest.org

A Tiny Living Promotion

Change of Address Life is always changing… We grow up and leave home, finding a place of our own. Then, sometimes we find a partner and everything changes and we morph into a family. Sometimes we have to travel for work, but if our job changes, we may find we need to settle into one spot. Then when we retire, we may suddenly hear the call of the open road again, and want to explore new places. -Instead of buying a new home every time our lifestyle changes, we need homes that can transition with us. Tiny houses can fit a variety of lifestyles, with options to be either mobile or static. A tiny house that has spent years on the road, can be sited on a foundation, and fitted with

conventional plumbing. A tiny house that was once a primary dwelling, can become a family holiday home when children are growing and need a place to play in the countryside. It’s important to purchase a house that is of quality construction that can last throughout the years for all the things that you need your home to be. Tiny Eco Homes UK can work with you to design a home that’ll give you the versatility you need to live your life, whatever your situation. There are also finance options available! To see the online gallery of homes, visit www.tinyecohomesuk.com/contact-us

costs 25,000, you’ll want to have £2,500 in your savings. Having this money up front will lower your monthly payments, and you’ll be glad every month when you make your mortgage payment that you did. But the other important function of this 10% is that is shows the bank that you are capable of saving money, and that you are disciplined in your finances. If you find that you just don’t have any extra money at the end of the month to put towards your savings, here’s another idea. Moving to a smaller space will require downsizing anyway, so why not take some of those extra items and sell them online, or take them to a car boot sale? Most people are exhausted at the end of the work week. But could you possibly work an extra four hours per week to put toward your savings? Thinking of your new home can help get you through the extra hours. Is there some craft that you can do, such as needlepoint, felting, woodworking, or do you have an artistic talent for painting or pottery? Just because you haven’t done this in the past, doesn’t mean that you can’t learn a new craft now. And these types of “jobs” allow you to work on your projects when you have the time and energy.

Financing the Dream -

a Dream + a Plan, can = Reality One major motivation for going small is a smaller mortgage every month! You can purchase a new tiny home for around £25,000, or purchase a narrowboat for about the same price. A lorry conversion may even cost less, with many homes coming in around £10,000. But it’s still £10,000, and few people have those kinds of funds to hand in their bank account. So that means financing will be a necessity, even with a very economical home. Here’s one important tip to help you get the loan that you need. Whether it’s a tiny house, a lorry or a boat, most banks like to see a savings of 10% down for the purchase price. If your tiny home

Once you have your savings in place, it’s time to start looking for a lender. Some tiny house builders may have a relationship with a particular lender. And while they don’t get involved in the application process, they can recommend a financial institution. If not, search for a lender who finances leisure vehicles, park homes and caravans. Many specialise in this field. Just search for ‘caravan lenders in the UK’ and you may be surprised at the number that pop up. With narrowboats, there are marine finance institutions which also specialise in this. If there is a lender which advertises loans for leisure boats, they will also likely finance narrowboats as well. If you purchase your boat from a dealer, they may do their own financing, or be able to help you with the loan application. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and to make sure you understand exactly what you’re committing to on the loan. And let us know how you’re doing. a Dream + a Plan, can = Reality.

Create A Dragonfly Oasis It won’t be long till the weather warms up a bit with the return of spring, which also means the return of the dragonflies. You will be able to see them for about eight months, beginning in April. They’re not quite as flashy as their fellow garden dwellers, the butterflies, but they’re easily as fascinating. When the moonlight catches them just right, their wings will glisten with a silvery, iridescent shimmer. They are ancient creatures that have been around for about 300 million years, leaving their fossilised imprint as a testament of their Mesozoic existence. They co-existed with the dinosaurs and were giants compared to their modern counterparts, with a wing span of approximately 30 inches, or 76cm! The dragonflies of today, help to keep certain insect populations in check, such as midges and mosquitoes. As the wetland habitats are disappearing however, so are the dragonflies. Water is a life-sustaining resource for them, for living, feeding and laying eggs for future generations. You can help the populations by putting a small pond in your backyard. Even the space of a metre or more will help support them. Submerged and floating plants which are native species make your pond a dragonfly oasis.

The dragonflies are so important to our entire eco-system. In the UK, you can visit the British Dragonfly Society, for more information. www.british-dragonflies.org.uk In mainland Europe, registration is now open for the European Congress on Odonatology 2020, www.ecoo2016.wordpress.com Dragonfly photograph by Andre Iv

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