Living Tiny Living Free
ISSN 2631-326X
SEPTEMBER 2020
Tiny Living Magazine Follow us at
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SEPTEMBER 2020
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Contents 03 Live Tiny- Live Free! … Page
Home - A Permanent Place to Live with Tiny Eco Homes UK … Page
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Bats... The Mysterious Creatures of the Night! … Page
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On the cover:
An idyllic cabin in the forest, photo by Jo Crebbin.
Published by: Tiny Living Productions Ltd Editor: Pamela Palongue Design by: Gilmour Graphics Email: info@tinylivingmagazine.co.uk
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Live TinyLive Free!
Building a tiny house does have its
challenges, but so do most things in life that are truly worthwhile... If you’ve decided to make the move towards living more independently in a tiny house, you’ve no doubt ran across the widely reported obstacles designed to stop you dead in your tracks – planning, financing, and where to place your home. There is more than one road that leads to Rome, and there is certainly more than one way to living tiny legally. Let’s look at that first obstacle.
Planning
The UK is legendary for an abundance of planning restrictions. Try to keep in mind, they are there to protect you from living in an unsafe house, and remain calm while breathing deeply…
Many people begin looking at tiny houses without having a specific area in which to site it. This is a bit backwards and will lead to lots of frustration. Find where you want to live first, then approach the local council regarding the planning permissions, asking important questions, such as “What is the minimum amount of square metres for a home within the district?” Even if the council does not allow houses under a certain minimum, they may be able to guide you toward other areas that are a little more relaxed. The important point is that each area is different with a different set of rules. So choose the place first, and then work to their planning requirements.
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Another viable option is to consider a renovation, rather than a new build. Planning permission was not widely required in most areas until after the 1930s. As you may have noticed, homes built before the 1940s tended to be much smaller. If you buy an older property, you may be able to renovate it without planning permissions, so long as you do not increase the footprint of the property. When you renovate, you may be saving a gem of the past, while ‘recycling’ the home, rather than using new materials. Scotland offers many opportunities in this area as well with former crofts which have been ‘decrofted’ and come with a crofter cottage on the land.
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Another good solution is to choose a professional tiny house builder who has advisors on hand to ensure planning requirements are being met. Although this may add an extra charge of a few hundred quid, how much more expensive will it be to build a £25,000 house only to find you cannot live in it? One way to avoid planning altogether is to build a mobile tiny house. As long as it fits within the maximum towable limits, your house will be classed as a caravan. You’ll be welcomed at most parks where caravans and motorhomes are located. And there are a plethora of apps (most of which can be downloaded for free) to tell you where they are located and what amenities they offer.
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Land
If you’re planning on going mobile, you won’t need to worry about land, because as mentioned above, you’ll be able to park at most caravan and park home sites. But moving your home may not work for you if you have children in school, or need to be near relatives or a specific work location. One option is parking the home in the garden of an existing property. For example, if your parents have a home with a large garden, you may be able to park your home there without planning restrictions. This too will depend upon your local council who may have maximum limits on how large a structure can be parked in a garden. So check with them first! Or maybe, check with your parents first -and then the council. Another option is the use of derelict land. Councils are usually anxious to see unsuitable land put to good use,
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so this may help smooth the bumps in the road a bit. You can search derelict properties on both private and government websites. Caveat emptor! The property is derelict for a reason and may have contamination issues, or a chequered past. But in some cases the property only requires the removal of an existing building that is beyond repair. Many people will pass over a property like this because of the extra step. However, you may be able to recycle some of materials from the demolition, which could save you money in the end. A property may have also been passed over because the location is too remote to be commercially viable. In this case, the possibility of having the land rezoned is far more feasible. Another problem with some plots is that they may be too small for a conventional house. This however, could be the perfect situation for a tiny home builder, as you may only need about 30 metres square for the siting of a tiny home! Be sure to research the property thoroughly!
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Financing
And last, but certainly not least, the subject of money. Where will you find financing for your micro build? One point in your favour is that tiny homes tend to be less expensive, with some about the same price as a car, with a longer period of repayment. So your dreaded monthly payment may not be so dreaded anymore, and may even be less than your rent. To increase your chances of getting that loan to start, make sure you have 10% of your home’s overall cost in savings, and 20% is better. This will lower your monthly payment which you will thank yourself for every month, and it also shows the bank that you can manage money and are serious about the project. Another factor is to have an experienced, reputable builder on the project. Your bank will not want to loan money on a house that doesn’t meet safety standards or is not built to last. With regards to financing, this is one area where a mobile tiny house may be a bit harder to secure a loan with a conventional bank than a static one. You have to think like a bank. The bank’s main concern is that if you default on the loan, they must sell the house to recoup their losses. Even though tiny houses are becoming more popular every day, they are still not mainstream. And if your home does not have conventional plumbing, you subdivide that category even more. For this reason with a mobile tiny house, you will likely fare much better with a company that finances caravans and motor homes. Also, some tiny house builders work with a particular financial institution and can help you secure that much needed loan. The keys to building your dream home are to do your research, and don’t be afraid to ask for help from the professionals. Building a tiny home does have its challenges, but so do most things in life that are truly worthwhile.
Photography: Page 03, House in the Forest by JacobH. Page 05, Craighead Howfs, Scotland, Ian and Heather Keir. Page 06, recycled Tiny House by Matt Banks. Page 07, A mobile tiny home by Tiny Eco Homes UK. Page 08, tiny home interior by Andrea Davis. Page 09, tiny house by Wee House Company, Scotland.
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MAY 2019
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JUNE 2019
JULY 2019
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A Poet’s Tiny House On Wheels!
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FEBRUARY 2019
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MARCH 2019
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Live Small Dream Big!
Plankbridge Shepherd’s Huts
Life on a Boat
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Van Decor Venture!
Spend Less, Live More!
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AUGUST 2019
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Fairytale Tiny Houses Come to Life
Tiny Houses for Joyful Living
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Living Tiny on the Water
A Life That Moves!
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NOVEMBER 2019
JANUARY 2020
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FEBRUARY 2020
Cosy Tiny Houses
In Love with Tiny Houses!
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When Less is More
Anything But Ordinary
CARAVAN ROMANCE
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Living Spend some timeTiny in our Magazine world where less is more.Online Available here
Spring is On Its Way!
MAY EDITION 2018
The Freedom of Living Simply
The Freedom of Living Simply
AUGUST EDITION 2018
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SEPTEMBER EDITION 2018
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NOVEMBER 2018 JUNE EDITION 2018
The Freedom of Living Simply
The Freedom of Living Simply
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APRIL EDITION 2018
The Freedom of Living Simply
OCTOBER 2018
Home is Where Your Story Begins
Beautiful Small Spaces!
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Roulotte Retreat
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JULY EDITION 2018
Small Space Inspiration Where Less is More!
A Tiny Living Promotion
Home - /hōm/
1. A permanent place of residence. As anyone who’s ever moved their place of residence can tell you, moving house is a time of uncertainty and major stress. Wouldn’t it be great to never have to move again, unless it was your choice? -To never have to face that time of confusion, trying to figure out where you will go next? -And that uneasy feeling after signing the lease when you wonder if you picked the right flat or chose the right neighbourhood? These major upheavals when you change your place of residence are a huge source of stress, and inevitably lead to at least a short period of feeling a little lost. It’s part of what makes home ownership so attractive. You never have to worry about someone raising your rent or keeping your expensive deposit. If you own your home or have a really low mortgage payment, you can sail through rough financial times feeling more secure with a bit more control over your destiny.
A house truly becomes a ‘home’ when all the walls are painted your favourite shade, the plug-ins are in just the right spot, your familiar pictures are on the wall, and your favourite jeans are in the cupboard you designed. A customised home is truly yours in every way. Tiny Eco Homes UK is not just building affordable houses, they’re creating homes – homes that are specially designed for the way that you want to live. You can choose to incorporate solar and wind power options for an economical source of energy, and a greener future for our planet. And if you need financing, they can help you to get the affordable loan you need. With prices starting at just £26,000, your mortgage may actually be less than the rent you’re paying now. Visit their website and see what home is all about: www.tinyecohomesuk.com
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The Mysterious Creatures of the Night!
Bats have long been associated with Autumn. Samhain, the ancient Celtic harvest festival was celebrated with massive bonfires by the Druids. The night time fires drew insects and bats soon followed, sweeping in and feasting on the insects. Another association with Autumn and Halloween is the Vampire Bat, which sucks the blood from its prey. Fortunately (or unfortunately if you’re a fan of vampires) these types of bats only live in Central and South America. The UK has 18 known species of bat, all of which feed on other things such as insects. These fascinating creatures may lack great vision, but they make up for it with incredible hearing, such as the Brown Long-Eared Bat which can detect the gentle footfall of a ladybird on a leaf. Bats also have the unique ability to echolocate by the use of sonar (sound navigation and ranging) by producing sounds from their larynx which bounce off
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of solid objects such as cave walls. This provides sort of a “mental map” to the bats of their surroundings and possible prey. Some bat species can fly up to 60 miles per hour and live for more than 30 years! Bats can eat up to 1200 mosquitoes per hour, which makes them particularly handy to have around. The Pallid bats of North America eat scorpions and appear to be immune to the venomous stings. Bats frequently only have one pup, so they are especially vulnerable to extinction. In the UK, the Bat Conservation Trust is working to preserve these amazing creatures. You can help by donations, volunteering and even planting a bat-friendly garden with night scented flowers. For more information on bats and the work of the Trust, visit their website at www.bats.org.uk That’s all for now Bat-Fans!
Even Super Heroes take time out to read Tiny Living Magazine. *NOTE- Never attempt to read our magazine while flying. Follow us on www.facebook.com/tinylivingmagazineuk and www.instagram.com/tinylivingmaguk
32-PAGE AUTUMN PRINT AUTUMN 2020
ISSNÂ 2631-3251
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Living Tiny Living Free
Tiny Living Magazine Email: info@tinylivingmagazine.co.uk www.tinylivingmagazine.co.uk