WHEN house prices in their area doubled, designers Cris Edwards and Bryh Joy found a simple solution.
Bryh had worked as an interior designer for 25 years and Cris was her assistant – and they felt tiny homes were the way forward.
After designing for other people for years, they were “just dying to” create their own visions.
Living in Queensland, Australia, house prices hugely increased when Covid hit, with many people renovating caravans to curb costs.
But instead of caravans, Cris and Bryh saw huge potential in tiny homes – and these are no garden shed.
Having not heard of tiny homes before, Bryh through Cris meant doll furniture when she suggested the idea.
But once the pair “took a deep dive into the tiny house community which is fully of beautiful people”, they solidified their decision to start a tiny house company, shaking on it over a cocktail.
They set up Big Life, Tiny Home Australia shortly afterwards.
The pair say their tiny homes come “without a huge mortgage, without the stress of dealing with builders who don’t listen to you or live through messy renovations, leaving you more time and money to enjoy life.”
They are “affordable, with no… expensive maintenance, [they are] super quick to clean and leaves you more time and money for the fun stuff.”
“Less is more,” they say.
With tiny houses, people can have “more financial freedom, something beautiful and things that they might not be able to afford in a larger home.”
And although tiny homes are much cheaper than other detached properties, Cris and Bryh are still proudly high-end.
“Everybody has a different level of rustic,” they say.
“Our tiny homes are for people who maybe want to have a spectacular view and go hiking, and then have total comfort and luxury once they close their front door.
“Which I’m going to venture is a lot of people. It’s not about roughing it.”
Their homes are for people who want a adventure that comes with a tiny house life but also “luxury when they close their back door.”
They even call their lavish houses “Tiny Mansions.”
Cris and Bryh sell their houses for anything between £55,000 and £120,000 – with home offices coming in the cheapest.
But some customers pay £4,000 just for a toilet, while solar power infrastructure can cost anywhere from £4,000-10,000.
Two of their 2023 designs even included double-sided fireplaces for indoor and outdoor fires.
They say “you can splurge because it’s tiny so you’re not feeling [the financial impact of owning] a five-bedroom house.”
Speaking on the Off Grid Traveller podcast, they described the move towards tiny homes as a “revolution”.
The pair say it is because people are beginning to “think of time as precious.”
They are “questioning the entire western materialist consumerist life” and asking “how much do I need?” they add.
CONVERTING an existing shed or outbuilding into a self-contained living space will usually require you apply for planning permission.
However, there is a “loophole” Brits can use to convert outbuildings into a tiny home without permission.
Planning expert Martin Gaine from Just Planning warned the conversion process is far easier than you may think.
Speaking to The Sun, the Chartered Town Planner of 14 years’ experience explained: “An outbuilding can be built using ‘permitted development rights‘, meaning it does not need planning permission.
“As long as you comply with the various restrictions and conditions.”
One of these is that the outbuilding can only be used for something ‘ancillary’ to your main living accommodation – examples include storage, a gym or a pool room.
If the outbuilding is existing, converting it then into primary living accommodation IS allowed.
Martin explained: “This is because internal changes to an existing building are not considered to be development at all under the Town and Country Planning Act.
But like anything, there is one catch.
The new living accommodation must still have some connection with your use of the main house.
For instance, if your gran is living out there, she must still come into the house to eat.
“It is not about living without cups [for example]; it’s about living without 48 different cups… now apply that to a house.”
They think peoples “brains are cluttered because their houses are cluttered.”
Cris and Bryh say all houses should be made like tiny homes where your house gets delivered, hooked up to plumping and waste, and is finished a week later.
“Every square centimetre in your home should be justified,” they add.
Cris and Bryh say their largest demographic of buyers are middle-aged women looking for a “forever home.”
The next biggest group are Airbnb hosts.
Tiny homes are such popular destination that the Airbnb website even has a section solely dedicated for people looking to holiday in one.
Cris and Bryh add that some “people [even] want to retire in them”.
Tiny homes are getting increasingly popular in the UK, especially in the cost of living crisis when first-time buyers are struggling to get on the property ladder or current homeowners are having to pay ridiculous interest rates on mortgages.
But Rebecca Miller, Fabulous’ Associate Editor, has shared why living in a tiny home would be her idea of a nightmare.
“I’m currently in the process of selling my flat and buying a house, and as I pack up all my belongings, I’m worried where it is all going to go – there is so much stuff!
Fortunately, I’m very privileged to be buying a house with more square feet than my current flat.
But it got me wondering, could I ever live in a small space? And the answer is no.
Living with another person immediately cuts down on personal space, but remove several rooms, and I’d be left with only the bathroom as my sanctuary. I’m not sure I’d be able to cope!
I’m like a magpie, I like collecting pretty things, and I like my belongings to be organised. With limited storage space, I’d find it really hard to keep everything neat and tidy.
One of the joys of being an independent adult is being able to host – friends, family, overnight stays, and dinner parties. Where would I gather everyone for a Sunday lunch if my table only sat two? Not to mention, how would I cook a Sunday lunch?
Both as an individual, as part of a couple and also my hobbies, can be restricted by physical space. When I first moved into my flat, I was overjoyed at having my own balcony, and it has been a space where my love for gardening has grown. Five years on, my balcony is now overflowing with plants, and I’ve had to set up a mini propagator in the living room!
