I couldn’t pay the rent so I moved into my dad’s old barn – it’s freezing cold in there
A WOMAN who found it too expensive to even rent shared accommodation tells how she converted her father’s old barn into her tiny home.
Ten years later, Catrina Davies still lives in her tiny shed, which she describes as “freezing cold” due to the lack of insulation, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
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She said living in shared accommodation was super ‘stressful’ as she was only working to pay her rent and not enjoying life, when an idea struck her.
Catrina remembered the ‘hut’ her father used as an office in Cornwall in the 1990s and decided to move there to ‘catch his breath’.
But nearly a decade later, Catrina still calls it home, she told The Time.
She said it was particularly hard spending the winter in the small shed as the space inside was small and uninsulated, leaving her cold.
But after purchasing an indoor wood stove, she fell in love with the simple lifestyle that allowed her to write and sing her songs undisturbed.
Despite the device’s small size, Catrina admitted she still had plenty of room for a kitchen: she bought a camping stove for £20 ten years ago and still uses it.
She stands on a wooden bench and uses the lower half as a pantry to store fruit and vegetables.
She said it’s “the little things in life that matter,” like good coffee and spending time in nature, which is something that surrounds her home.
Since there is no sink or toilet, Catrina always goes outside to brush her teeth or go to the toilet. She also has her own vegetable garden on the property.
“I feel like I’m part of an ecosystem,” she says of living in the middle of nowhere.
To support herself, Catrina works all kinds of jobs, from teaching children to writing books.
The clip went viral, racking up over 600,000 views on their YouTube account, and people were quick to share their thoughts on Catrina’s living situation.
Someone wrote: “I love her little shed. She looks so healthy too – a beautiful glowing complexion. A sign of happiness and lots of fresh air.”
Another commented: “It’s a shame that people are being priced out of the market and it’s amazing how often this happens.”
Do I need a building permit to convert my shed?
If you want to convert an existing shed or outbuilding into a self-contained living space, you will usually need to apply for a building permit.
Planning expert Martin Gaine by Just plan Be warned: the conversion process is much simpler than you might think.
The Chartered Town Planner with 14 years’ experience explained in an interview with The Sun: “An annexe can be built using ‘permitted development rights’, which means no planning permission is required.
“As long as you adhere to the various restrictions and conditions.”
One of these is that the outbuilding may only be used for something that is ‘subordinate’ to your main residence. Examples of this are storage, a fitness room or a billiard room.
If the outbuilding already exists, it IS permitted to convert it into a primary residence.
Martin explains: “This is because internal changes to an existing building are not considered development at all within the meaning of the Spatial Planning Act.
But as with everything, there is one catch.
The new living space must still be somewhat in line with your use of the main home.
For example, if your grandmother lives somewhere else, she still has to come over for dinner.
“What a joy. It took me years to come to the same conclusion, the little things have value, nature, peace of mind, friendship, everything else is varnish,” wrote a third.
Meanwhile, a fourth said: “Just because you don’t have a home doesn’t mean you’re homeless. She definitely has a home.”
“Catrina looks healthy and happy and that is a great basis to enjoy life. I wish her all the best,” claimed a fifth.
Someone else added: “She is independent and self-reliant. God bless her always!”
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