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05th Apr 2024

‘I live in a shed in my parents’ garden which I bought for €1,800’

24-year-old Veerle Veldhuis lives in her very own tiny home at the end of her parents’ garden, which cost her just €1,800.

Nina McLaughlin

garden

The housing crisis has gone wild.

For one 24-year-old, the spiralling cost of rent and mortgages means she had to get creative. Veerle Veldhuis lives in her very own tiny home at the end of her parents’ garden.

One of the best parts about her humble abode, though, is that it cost her just €1,800.

“I moved back into their home in March 2022 after living at university for about two-and-a-½ years,” she explained to Insider.

“I had been struggling with my mental health and came to realise that staying at university wasn’t beneficial anymore and that I was pushing myself far beyond my limits. It was time for a change.”

When making the move, Veldhuis first looked at other houses near her home in the Netherlands, but found that they were all too “pricey.”

So, she took it upon herself to find a tiny home, after staying in a similar construction while on holiday in the UK.

Her secondhand hut cost her €1,800 and then she went about “cheaply renovating” the space.

“I don’t have to worry about not having enough money to pay rent,” she explained about her situation.

“Having my own space has been helpful for my mental health because I don’t have to always pay attention to who’s around me and I can do whatever I want.

“Overall, I’m comfortable. I created my own space and renovated it, so it really feels like my house. Living in a tiny space feels so cosy and safe.”

There are some drawbacks to her lifestyle, though. One of the main negatives is that there is no room for her own bathroom, and so she has to dip into her parent’s house whenever she needs to use the toilet or have a shower.

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