A COUPLE told how they abandoned their nine-to-five jobs and built their own self-sufficient off-grid paradise.
Hoppie and Tao were fed up with the constant rat race of mundane, traditional life and took the bold jump into homestead living in Pembrokeshire.
The pair were caught up in a bitter planning war for four years but have now called their off-grid cabin home in the Lamass Ecovillage for over a decade.
Lamass is described as a “collective of smallholdings and eco-dwellings in Preseli hills, North Pembrokeshire”.
As well as a main house, the unique property consists of several tiny cabins, animal barns, vegetable gardens and a water supply.
Tao said on YouTube channel FLORB: “I grew up in the mainstream, in suburbia. My dad was an accountant. My mum was a housewife.
“I had a very ordinary upbringing but I never really felt rooted. It wasn’t until I started living on the land that I discovered roots.”
Praising life off-grid, he added: “You’re not constrained by heavy mortgages or nine-to-five jobs. You’ve just got a lot of space to explore.”
Before moving to the rural south Wales village, Hoppie ran a therapy business.
She said: “One day out of the blue, around my 40th birthday, I just suddenly felt [something] like a bell, going ‘ding’, saying it’s time to go to Pembrokeshire.”
Speaking about the couple’s lifestyle now, she continued: “I don’t think I’ve ever felt more empowered. My supermarket is a garden and my pharmacy is my herb garden. I love that.”
As they embarked on their journey, the dynamic DIY duo started off without WiFi, toilets, and water.
Their determination and hard-work saw a “bunch of small fields” and three small caravans transformed into their impressive functioning home within a year.
The main house is chalet-themed, with light-coloured wooden beams, and shelves filled with homemade jams, ointments and “potions”.
The pair furnished the house as cheaply as possible, finding crockery and furniture – including a Moroccan sink – from charity shops and eBay.
Its architecture is simple – a deck, raised off the ground on 15 pillars, with four flat walls, a rafter system on the roof and wide-set eves to ensure the water doesn’t get inside.
Hoppie said: “If this building were taken away, all that would be left would be 15 little circles. That really would be it.”
As well as growing fruit and vegetables, the couple use milk from their goats, which they keep in a barn on-site.
Water is sourced from a spring, shared with local farms, while waste is either turned into compost or fed to the pig.
They power their set-up with a passive solar heating system.
Meanwhile, other elements of off-grid living sound less appealing, like the toilet where waste is stored in a barrel for two years at a time.
Tao and Hoppie originally planned to live in another building, which is still under construction.
However, as they made progress with their other small cabins, they decided to turn the structure into The Lammas Earth Centre for Transformation and Healing.
There will be a wrap-around hall, sound healing temple and ceremonial space above.
It comes as many others are choosing to live a self-sustainable lifestyle.
A family who ditched their posh flat, fast supercars and successful property empire say they “love” living off-grid.
Rob, Amy and adorable little Casper made the life-altering move 50acres off-grid in the Scottish Highlands after tiring of relentless stress.
The dad-of-one had served in the air force before starting his property career in London – where he met wife Amy who was working as a musician.
They realised they both had talent in the real estate industry and teamed up together to buy a block of 18 flats in the capital.
After working tirelessly for 10 years, building and completing construction work themselves, the couple had grown a profitable empire.
Meanwhile another couple who were fed up decided to pack up and jump into vanlife.
Dave and Emily felt disillusioned with the monotonous routine of waking up early, stressing about work, and skyrocketing bills.
A man who made the bold move said he loves the freedom of going off-grid – and escaping the cost of living crisis.
Paul, aka, The Off Grid Nomad, was fed up being left with just £100 to play with at the end of every month amid soaring bills.
The proud “lorry life” community member now travels across the British countryside in his ex-military converted truck.
We break down exactly what you need to do to live off grid
Find a plot with woodland, so you can make fires in the winter, arable land, optimal for growing food and raising livestock, and a water supply, because there’s no life without water!
Get planning permission if you’re planning on making big changes to a building or changing its use
Acquire a power source, whether its solar panels, wind turbines or water power
Think about insulation, so your hard-earned heating doesn’t disappear in an instant
Start planting your own fruit, vegetables and grains so you have ingredients to cook with
Make sure you have an effective drainage and waste system, before things turn ugly!
