RENT a house can be expensive, and one woman has told how she found a very clever solution: building a small house in her parents’ garden.
Mckean Matson, 25, from Texas, told how she didn’t have to pay a penny in rent for five years and it helped her save enough money to buy her own house and some horses.
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Mckean had the idea to build a small house after finishing school in 2018, and was looking for expensive places to rent while studying at university.
Her parents offered to help her build a small, rent-free house in their large garden, and it seemed like a tempting proposition.
Speaking with Business Insider, she said: “I remember it being an offer I couldn’t pass up. I really didn’t want to pay for an expensive apartment and share utilities with roommates.
“Living in my parents’ backyard was also convenient and allowed me to save money for the house I have now.”
Mckean shared how the project was a labor of love for the family and she built the tiny house with her father.
Luckily she didn’t have to start from scratch as she already had a 3 x 3 meter fort that they built when she was younger.
However, it needed plumbing, molding, furniture and to increase its size to about 350 square feet.
When they were finished, Mckean’s new house had a kitchen with plenty of storage and a bathroom with a shower.
Meanwhile, he also had a staircase leading up to his bedroom and a dresser for his belongings.
Due to limited space, Mckean had to evaluate how much he could store in the small house, especially since he had “a lot of shoes” and had to get rid of items he hadn’t worn in a while.
The project cost a total of £55,997 ($70,000), but the family saw it as a long-term investment.
Living in such a small space was a positive experience for Mckean, as she said it taught her to be less materialistic and need fewer belongings.
And of course, without paying rent, Mckean managed to save some money.
She added: “When I lived in the little house in my parents’ backyard, I saved my money. I also spent it on my two horses and traveling.
“Saving my money allowed me to buy a house and see the world. It also allowed me to consider what is important to me. I don’t want to get attached to the materials.”
The experience also brought her closer to her family, as she got to see them every day – and also gained perks like raiding the fridge for food and having 24/7 help.
Living in my parents’ backyard was also convenient and allowed me to save money for the house I have now
McKean Matson
However, she admitted that it was difficult to receive guests because there wasn’t much space.
Instead of playing in or cookingany visitors would have to stay on the porch or on the family’s 11 acres of land.
Although Mckean loved her apartment, she shared how people could judge her unusual space.
Some would call her small houses they were for “poor people” and others assumed she couldn’t afford a “normal house.”
Are tiny houses legal in UK?
TINY homes can be from the UK regardless of whether they are on a trailer or not. The legality of tiny houses has everything to do with where they are and what you use them for.
If you want to place your playhouse in the back garden of your house and the total size of your playhouse does not exceed 19.8 m x 6.7 m (65 ft x 22 ft), then good news! You do not need planning permission.
Tiny homes that fit these dimensions and are built on trailer bases are legally classed as caravans, meaning you can legally park them within the grounds of your home without planning permission.
If this is your plan, then it is a legal requirement that you use the tiny house only as additional space, such as an office, gym, or studio, but you cannot rent the space to a tenant.
For those who live on farmland, what is defined as curtilage can be complicated. In these cases, and in any circumstances where you are unsure, we recommend that you speak to your local planning officer.
You can place a small house on your land as a temporary structure for 28 days, but for longer we recommend you speak to your local planning officer as different permissions will be required.
Source: The Qube
However, she called her compact home “amazing” and insisted it set her up “for success”.
After saving money by not having to pay rent, she finally moved out after five years and said she was ready to prove she could be successful on her own.
Although his new home is a little bigger, Mckean said he has continued to live minimally.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
