JULY EDITION 2018
The Freedom of Living Simply
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JULY EDITION 2018
Contents
Shepherd Huts - Not Just For Glamping Anymore! … Page
3 7 09 12
Tiny House Dreams Coming True … Page
Stunning Student Accommodations … Page
Crofter Cottage – A Recycled Home … Page
Published by: Tiny Living Productions Ltd, Glasgow UK Editor: Pamela Palongue Design by: Gilmour Graphics Email: info@tinylivingmagazine.co.uk On the cover: Green wooden painted house, Bonaventure Island, Canada Photograph by Ablokhin
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Shepherd Huts -
Not Just For Glamping Anymore!
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Lots of people are buying them. -David Cameron has one as his office. Elizabeth Hurley bought one for her son. They can be an art studio, a meditation or yoga space, a holiday home, or a private place to practice your musical instrument - particularly if you’re not that proficient at playing yet. But a new trend is emerging with the huts being used as an extension of a home’s space to afford a private area for an elderly family member, or a returning student from university. With some recent graduates, educational debt combined with entry level pay, makes the idea of purchasing a flat unthinkable for the immediate future. A hut offers a great deal of privacy, but it is much more affordable than a home. A shepherd hut can be as simple as a sleeping space, but it can also be plumbed and equipped with bath fixtures and wired for electricity, with a fully functioning kitchen. But before you get the idea of moving into mum and dad’s garden, however, check with your local planning council first. Planning consists of approval of the structure, and approval of its use as well. Each city is different with its own unique planning restrictions, but in some cases, planning permission may not be required at all. Check first!
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Riverside Shepherd Huts, based on the border between Worcestershire and Warwickshire, has been building huts long enough to have seen some unusual uses for the structures. One gentleman purchased a hut for the sole purpose of housing his electric toy train! This family business deserves highlighting because their huts come with the option of using solar power! The roof of a shepherd hut is rounded, which makes the installation of a solar panel a bit more difficult. However, a solar panel can be placed separate to the structure, and in this way can be more hidden with foliage or by other means. They’re very familiar with this process and have helped several clients who have opted for solar power. Another interesting variation on their huts, is that it is constructed with a steel frame, making it very sturdy, and the exterior walls are made of corrugated tin. The tin exterior can be covered with latchwood or even highly durable cedar if the client prefers a different look. But the corrugated tin is available in 26 different colours, and lowers the amount of wood needed to construct the hut. The finished product weighs about 3.5 tonnes, so they are not intended for frequent movement. If the hut is to be placed in a garden where there is not enough horizontal width to allow it to be towed into place, they can crane lift it into the garden, which helps makes more places accessible for a hut.
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The photos on these pages are from Riverside Shepherd Huts and their customers. To see more photos, please visit the gallery at www.riversideshepherdhuts.co.uk
IWA Festival of Water
A Word of Thanks.. ‌ Tiny Living Magazine would like to thank Santander for the recent award received from Santander Universities Entrepreneurship Awards. It is helping us as a new entrepreneurship to achieve our goals for the magazine and for our community.
25th August to 27th August Don’t miss this festival in beautiful surroundings at St. Neots, Cambridgeshire! There will be activities for all ages, and for all who love spending time on the water. For more information, visit the Events page at
www.waterways.org.uk
Narrowboat Helmsman Course The Narrowboat Skills Centre, located at Debdale Wharf Marina in Leicestershire, offers RYA-recognised training courses, including a 2-day Helmsman Course on a regular basis. They also offer a more advanced course for experienced boaters, and have classes on boat maintenance. To access a complete list of their courses, visit www.nbsc.org.uk
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Tiny House Dreams Coming True The biggest obstacle to living tiny, may be first conquering your own fear. News articles ominously warn of people who have tried going tiny and failed, and TV reality shows highlight the drama of a man, tearfully having to part with his collection of over 2,000 T-shirts. But one important thing to remember is that thousands of people are already living tiny. According to a 2012 article by the British Property Federation, around 170,000 people were living in student accommodations and that number has almost certainly climbed in recent years. There are also people living in studio flats, at least 15,000 people living on narrowboats, and still others in small terraced houses, and former crofter cottages. A record 8,000 micro-homes were built in the UK last year To be sure, living small may not be for everyone in every situation. But to find out if it’s the right choice for you, why not try living tiny for a weekend or a holiday? There are plenty of ultra-small cottages which are available as holiday lets for a weekend getaway. There is an increasing number of narrowboat ‘hotels’, and camping opportunities abound in the form of shepherd huts and caravans. If you find on your holiday, that you think you may actually prefer living small, the next step may be to rent a studio flat, which will allow you to downsize, and learn strategies for making small spaces work well while saving money. If you feel you’re ready for a more permanent arrangement, it may be time to look into ownership of a tiny house, narrowboat, shipping container conversion or other small living options. Tiny living can be many different forms of housing, including those mentioned above. It’s important to be honest with yourself about what type of lifestyle you’re looking for. Maybe you would like to downsize, but you prefer an urban environment to a more pastoral setting. If this is the case, you may be more suited to a studio flat in the city than a tiny house. Do you have a bit of the wanderlust? It could be that what you’re actually looking
for is life aboard a narrowboat, which can be moved much more easily and frequently than a tiny house on wheels. Do you enjoy being on your own in the country? Then a tiny house or a former crofter cottage may be perfectly suited to your needs and wants. Do you love the idea of living in your own tiny house, but don’t particularly enjoy the idea of being isolated from community? Then one of the many community led housing groups that are springing up around the UK may be the best possible arrangement. These groups generally number from about 20 to 200 people who are developing entire neighbourhoods of separate small-house dwellings, with a centralised gathering place, community gardens and group activities. These neighbourhoods will give individuals and families privacy when needed, but will allow for social interaction and task sharing as well. These intentional communities also generally embrace solar and wind power, recycling, and environmentally friendly practices. Small space living should not equate to depravation. In fact, it equates to abundance. You’ll have more free income to travel and engage in other interesting activities. You’ll have less time and money spent on home upkeep, cleaning, and utilities and more free time for friends and family. Remember to set your sights on the possibilities, not the obstacles. Be sure to see our statistics on page 11 about those already living tiny in the UK.
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Stunning Student Accommodations
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In a few weeks, it will be time to head back to uni. Though student accommodations are only a temporary home away from home, your environment is very important. It can be a welcoming place to rest and study, or it can be a source of stress if it’s dysfunctional and disorganized. Here are some quick, inexpensive ways to make your accommodation your home, with accessories that are totally portable, and that can be used in next year’s accommodation, or perhaps even your first flat! One problem with a small room is that it can create a feeling of being too much in one space. You can create a separate little nook by using a room divider. This can be as simple as some lightweight material such as tulle, or drapery sheers. One clever way to create a separate space is the use of a bookshelf. It provides shelving for decorative items, books, a charging station, sports equipment, caps, and photos. Try to choose one with open shelves that will provide a division of space, without closing it off entirely. You can purchase one from a second-hand shop, then paint it a nice colour and add some fairy lights! Another problem with any rented accommodation, is that your walls will most likely be stark white, or boring beige. You can overcome the bland expanse of white, by choosing accessories with bright pops of colour. A company we love, which offers special discounts to students is Shared Earth. Their items are featured on the facing page, and are unique and energising. The stores are located in York and Liverpool, but if you’re nowhere near either place, they offer a plethora of items online. They’re committed to selling products which are eco-friendly, and their items are made with recycled fabrics, and fastgrowing sustainable woods. Visit their site at www.sharedearth.co.uk Another fun way to make your space your own is to try creating your own original artwork! It needn’t be a Picasso to add dimension to your room. Simple shapes or stripes in bright colours, can lift your mood and add loads of colour. An old, unused frame from home can be used to hang it, or just hang it directly on the wall, poster-style. Another way to fill a wall is by employing the use of a colourful wall hanging. These are generally lightweight, inexpensive, and easy to hang. In a small space, they can function almost like wallpaper, adding atmosphere and charm. The mandala pictured here was found at www.Royal Furnish.com By filling your student accommodation with colour and positive images, you’ll find it a place you enjoy coming home to.
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Big Facts About Small Spaces The average size of a home in the UK is 76 square meters, which is the smallest national average in Europe Over 15,000 people in the UK live on the water on narrowboats and canal boats, with several thousand in London alone A shipping container home can be converted into a permanent dwelling with building regulation compliance for around ÂŁ15,000 + VAT There are now over 80 companies building shepherd huts in the UK, with an increasing number of them used as granny (or grandpa) annexes for aging parents According to the British Property Federation, a record 8,000 ‘micro homes’ were built in the UK in 2017 11
Crofter Cottage –
A Recycled Home
While many people view tiny houses as a new age style of living, it’s roots are actually quite ancient. Just as shepherd huts used to dot the countryside, tiny crofter cottages stand as a reminder to our ancestor’s simple way of living, that was more about being a part of the land and the community, than wealth and possessions. Many examples of this beautiful tiny house architecture still exist today in England, particularly in the Lake District, and in Scotland in the Highlands and Islands. A croft actually refers to a tract of land, rather than the cottage. They are typically about five hectares in size.
Many people who purchase a croft will use the land for a vegetable garden or chickens as a way of sustainable living. Present-day croft owners are frequently engaged in careers where they can work from home, such as IT, writers, graphic designers, or owners of cottage industry businesses. Many crofter cottages are derelict and in need of repair, but when renovated can make a lovely home!
Watch our magazine this Autumn for a more in-depth look at crofter cottages and one family’s journey in renovating theirs.
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Boat Rally and Canal Festival! 28th and 29th July, 10a.m. – 4 p.m Help celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Pocklington Canal’s opening! This is a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors with boat trips, and wildlife activities with Natural England and Eco Sapian. Visitors can also participate in an active archaeological dig at Denison’s Warehouse. There’s also live music and great food! The festival is located at the Canal Head off 1079 and Melbourne Arm. For more info on the Pocklington Canal Bicentenary Festival & Boat Rally, visit: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk
Tiny House Building Course Tiny ECO Homes UK, offers a 1-day building course in which you can learn the basics of frame construction. There are also 5-day courses which cover different types of building code regulations, and the installation of electrics, plumbing and off grid systems. Their workshops run from August to November and will book up quickly. For more information on reserving a space, visit mobilehouses.co.uk or call 01434 673 798 / 07833 045540
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