Latest news with #offgridliving
The Sun
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I live in London's posh Notting Hill but don't pay rent thanks to 30ft narrowboat – people are baffled by my bathroom
WHILST most Londoners are blowing their wages on shoebox-sized flats and sky-high bills, one savvy woman has found a genius way to dodge the capital's rental chaos. Shannon Roselane, an artist and video producer in her twenties, lives on a 30ft narrowboat moored in one of the capital's poshest postcodes. 4 And instead of handing over thousands a month like her mates, she keeps her total living costs to a jaw-dropping £500 per month. She's managed to bag one of the most enviable addresses in London 's Notting Hill without shelling out for rent because she doesn't pay any. Shannon owns her boat outright after snapping it up for £24,000 with help from a bank loan, and now her only regular payments are the loan repayments and day-to-day essentials like gas. The boat is solar-powered so she also doesn't have to pay any electricity bills. She told @joinrently "we're basically in Notting Hill and I'm paying £500 a month you'd never be able to do that". And although her entire home is barely wider than a hallway, it's bursting with charm – from a galley kitchen with a tiny gas cooker to solar-powered lights and a self-made mini version of the boat itself. She even has an open hatch where she waves at ducks and nosy passers-by. But life on the water isn't all sunsets and swans and Shannon doesn't shy away from showing the gritty side. On TikTok, where she shares her off-grid adventures under the name @thatweirdboatgirl, she's built a loyal following who tune in to watch her tackle the ups and downs of boat life. And it seems there has been plenty. We bought a mouldy narrowboat on Facebook Marketplace to live in - we slept on an airbed but save £10.5k on London rent From a toilet explosion to an incident where the entire boat "nearly sank", Shannon's had more than her fair share of drama. One mooring disaster left her in tears after a fellow boater shouted at her just for tying up. On another occasion, she returned from a short holiday to find someone had nicked part of her battery system, leaving her without electricity for weeks. And the bathroom situation isn't exactly glamorous. With no plumbing, she relies on a cassette toilet, which is essentially a glorified bucket that has to be emptied by hand. She's not shy in admitting it's "the worst part" of boat life. Her narrowboat doesn't have a proper bathroom or running water, and storage is so tight that clothes are crammed into every corner, often spilling onto her bed. Her fridge runs on 12 volts, powered by solar panels, and she heats her home the old-school way, with layers and hot water bottles. Still, for all the chaos and cramped quarters, there's one thing her floating lifestyle gives her that city flats never could and it's freedom. Because she doesn't have a permanent mooring, Shannon's required to move every two weeks – a rule that's actually become one of her favourite parts of the lifestyle. If she ends up next to nightmare neighbours or gets bored of a location, she simply casts off and finds a new view. And even with no garden or balcony, Shannon makes the most of the canal towpath, turning it into a performance space for her Tiny Boat Sessions – a project where she invites musicians aboard to film live gigs as they gently cruise through London's waterways. The Pros and Cons of Living on a narrowboat It might seem an idyllic lifestyle living on a narrowboat and taking this at a slower pace but it's not always plain sailing. The Pros Freedom – you get to choose where you stay and can move from the countryside to a city in possibly a few hours. If you don't like your neighbours you can simply move. Work anywhere – remote working has shot up with the Covid-19 pandemic and what could be better than working from a barge. Declutter your lifestyle – There's not a lot of space on a narrowboat but this can be an advantage as it forces your to get rid of things you don't actually really need. Decluttering your life can do wonders for your wellbeing. Life at a slower pace – anyone fed up of the 9-5 rat race and the pressure to earn money to pay for high-cost living can benefit from the easy-going life on a barge. More environmentally friendly – while not entirely carbon neutral, living on a narrowboat can help the environment as you use less electricity, gas and fuel. Improve fitness – living on a narrowboat doesn't suit a sedentary lifestyle. There are endless tasks that will keep you active, such as operating locks, carrying coal and gas canisters, toilets to empty, wood to chop and weed hatches to clear. Sense of community – many boaters feel a strong sense of community as they are with like-minded people to share tips and advice. Saving money – one big advantage is the amount of money you can save. Big savings can be made on monthly living costs not only from using less gas and electricity but you don't have any costly mortgage or rent payments to cover. The Cons Having to plan ahead – if you have a cruising licence you will need to move every 14 days, so you have to think about the future, where to next, do you have enough supplies to get there? Limited space – narrowboats are restricted in space and you may find you feel claustrophobic living in a confined space. Plus, you may have to chuck out some prized possessions to fit everything you need in. Lack of security – criminals may see a narrowboat as an easy target and you may need to invest in some quality security to keep your things safe. Maintenance – Beware that you will need to learn about engine maintenance, such as how to repair a bilge pump or water pump. You will also need to ensure it is properly insulated and ventilated or you could be battling dampness and condensation. The cost – while living on a boat is certainly cheaper than living in a property, it is not cost free. You have to pay for things like: a Canal and River Trust licence, insurance, engine and pump maintenance, blacking the hull, as well as running costs such as fuel and a TV licence. Her followers are obsessed with the quirky lifestyle, although many admit they had no idea quite how tough it could be. Shannon keeps it real, showing both the dreamy moments and the difficult ones. It may be wobbly and cold at times, but for Shannon, it's home and she wouldn't trade it for a pricey flat or a life stuck paying someone else's mortgage. Before now, Shannon was living in a shared house with two friends - originally paying £900-a-month until her landlord upped her rent to £1,000-a-month. The 29-year-old was having a stroll the Kings Cross canal in October 2022 when she came across a narrowboat for sale. Shannon said it was a "no-brainer" to move onto a boat and is now saving thousands a year. She said: "I saw the boat and thought 'what if?'. "I texted the owner and we set up a viewing for the following week. "As soon as I saw the boat itself I saw it was £24k and I worked out that paying my loan from the bank to afford it would be £300-a-month. "That is a massive saving from what I was paying in my house share." Meanwhile, Shannon's not the only one who's swapped a home for a life on the canal. Robbie Cumming has been living on a narrowboat for a decade and has revealed everything about his life on the new series of Canal Boat Diaries. He claims it's the best way to holiday in the UK. 4 4
The Sun
14-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
We paid £11k for a tiny house on Facebook – it costs just £8.86 a day to run, we have an en-suite & stunning views too
As I chop wood for the fire, my friends are out clubbing and eating in restaurants, but I'm looking forward to an evening in my tiny home, eating a meal I've prepared with one of my two pots on my little stove. It may be a squeeze for my boyfriend Ollie and me, but our tiny home saves us thousands of pounds a year. 5 5 5 I met Ollie in March 2019 on a night out with friends when we were both 20, and I was living with my mum Bev, 52, and dad Matthew, 53. Three years later, I was working in a medical lab and Ollie was an agricultural mechanic, and I moved in with him and his dad Terry, 60, on their family farm in West Yorkshire. Farm life I loved farm life – I had two goats as pets and used their milk to make soap, which I sold at local markets, along with honey from my dad's bees. Ollie and I dreamed of turning my hobby into a full-time business and finding our own rural home, but with neither of us earning enough to cover the £1,000 a month to rent somewhere, it felt impossible. Then Terry made us an amazing offer – he suggested we rent some land from him for our goats and, as we were agricultural workers, we'd have planning permission to create a home on the land. However, there were restrictions set by the local authority. It would have to be a very small home, no larger than 40 x 20ft, and it would be off-grid, with no mains electricity, water, gas or sewage pipes. Undeterred, we used our £11,000 savings to buy a tiny house we found on Facebook. It has a bedroom and en-suite, plus minuscule kitchen and living room. Our families were supportive, but friends thought we were mad. Living Tiny: Bresha Jeanae's Experience Why would we want to spend our time chopping logs, and how could we live without a TV? But our house was delivered by trailer, and in September 2023 we moved in. Waking up that first morning, with the sun shining in and views of the moors, I was thrilled. We did squabble as we adjusted to living in such a small, basic space together – we argued about whose turn it was to fetch wood or tidy up – but going for a stomp around the fields usually cleared the air! Our only water source is rain collected in a tank, which we use for the shower and to flush the toilet. It's connected to a septic tank that Ollie dug into the ground, and we also filter the water to drink. Six months after moving in, we got a generator, which we use for an hour a day to heat water for a shower and turn the lights on for our evening meal, otherwise we rely on solar lights. I use my phone for accessing the internet, and we don't have a TV, which I missed at first, but now I love reading books more. We gather wood, whatever the weather, for the wood-burning stove and I have thick pyjamas and hot-water bottles for colder nights. We don't have a fridge and instead use a cool box to keep milk and butter fresh and buy food daily, often from farm shops. A normal house would cost £12,000 a year just in rent. Instead, we pay £2,000 to Terry to rent the land We do need to be careful with everything we buy. We have only a few cups and small saucepans, but the kitchen is full. Our dining table only seats two, so we can't have dinner parties – a friend did stay over once, but they had to sleep on the floor as the sofa wasn't big enough. Without the financial pressure of a mortgage or monthly utilities, we were able to quit our jobs in December 2023 and commit to our business, Herd & Hive, selling goat's milk soap, raw honey and beeswax products. A normal house would cost £12,000 a year just in rent. Instead, we pay £2,000 to Terry to rent the land, and being in the lowest council tax band costs £1,000 a year. With the cost of gas for the cooking hob and the generator factored in, we live on £8.86 a day, excluding food. What I love most about living in a tiny house is the simplicity. No TV, no washing machine to load and unload – we use a launderette nearby – and peaceful fields around us. It's allowed us to follow our dreams. That's worth the wood-chopping and cold showers any day.' Visit 5 5
BBC News
03-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
'I live in a double-decker bus that's also a library' Anstey woman says
"I wanted to be a bus driver when I was younger. Then I wanted to own a bus cafe. It's always been in the back of my mind, this idea of living in a bus."Lyndzi Hargrave, 38, moved into her double-decker bus in January and now plans to tour round festivals, so people can access the library inside purchased the bus on eBay in August 2023 and said the overall cost of the project - which doubles as an off-grid home - was more than £50,000, including buying the bus and adding solar Hargrave, who grew up in Anstey, Leicestershire, said the bus had now passed its MOT, meaning she could tour it round the country, offering a free library and book swap service. She said she did not know where her desire to live on a bus came from, "but it's just always been there".Ms Hargrave said: "I've never really wanted kids or marriage or that traditional kind of life. And then I just thought, right, you need to focus on something."At the end of 2022, she said she gave up drinking alcohol for a year "to see what would happen"."That was the year I ended up getting the bus and everything just aligned for that to happen."I don't think if I wasn't drinking and I wasn't on this kind of journey, this spiritual journey, that I would have had the right mindset to complete such a huge task."I definitely feel like the more you kind of pursue your best interests, the more doors open in that area." When asked what her favourite thing about living in a double-decker bus is, Ms Hargrave said: "It's having my own space, because I've always shared. I've always had a housemate."The favourite part is definitely feeling like this is my space that I can decorate how I want and all the rest of it."I've rescued furniture from free sites and from Facebook Marketplace and upcycled it all myself."I didn't want it looking all posh and brand new because that's not the vibe I was going for."I live in a library now, so that's surely got to be the best thing ever." Ms Hargrave had the bus parked while she converted it, but is now looking for a semi-permanent base that she can return to between said living in the bus had "humbled" her and taken her "back to basics"."Every resource I bring on and every bit of wastage I take off," Ms Hargrave said. "So it's made me realise about plastic packaging and whether I really need this item and it's just really given me a wake-up call and changed my perspective." Ms Hargrave will begin touring the bus this month, with her first festival on 21 said: "I want to bring literacy to areas that no longer have libraries and also go to festivals and provide a bit of a community space for some people to connect."That's the point of the library and the books, to give people a reason to come along and then they can connect with people in the local community and with me and all the work that I do."Ms Hargrave, who worked in specialist education for 15 years, also runs a podcast talking about ADHD and autism which aims to provide an information service for well-being and mental health.
News.com.au
27-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
How to buy on the Gold Coast for under $200,000
Have you ever wondered what $200,000 will buy you on the Gold Coast? Frankly, it is not much, but if you are prepared to drastically alter your dream, you can still do it. 1. OFF-GRID LIVING Lodge 25 on Soiuth Stradbroke Island features two large bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen, living area and a sun deck overlooking the lagoon. It is also being sold fully furnichsed with offers over $175,000 considered. But there is a catch. There is always a catch. It is located in the troubled Couran Cove Resort. 'Please Note : Currently all power, water and gas has been disconnected on Couran Cove resort and the resort is closed,' the listing says, adding that despite these key features being turned off, the body corporate fees are still approximately $6500 a year, albeit they have 'dropped considerably'. The listing notes that the body corporates are working on a number of infrastructure projects. 'The home has a camping-style solar powered electrical supply with a generator for back up, has legally connected gas supply with 9kg bottles, has 4000 litre rainwater storage capacity and pump,' the listing says. 'This system is operational but should be considered a temporary solution for off-grid living.' A studio apartment in the resort is listed for offers over $70,000. 2. OVER 50s Located in Pine Ridge caravan village, this one bedroom caravan annex home is listed for offers between $79,000 and $93,000. 'Other benefits are no Gold Coast City council rates or stamp duty, and you own your home but not the land,' the listing says. 'There is a site fee of approximately $236.25 per week which includes Gold Coast water fees, and you only pay for electricity, gas if applicable and phone internet connections.' It features a small front veranda, seperate living and dining spaces, a large bedroom, bathroom, kitchen with gas cooktops, a double extended carport and shed. There is also a study nook, window awnings and front veggie gardens. Onsite amenities include a pool, BBQ area and fully maintained gardens. 3. BUY A BERTH If bricks and mortar are out of reach, there is always the option of buying a marina berth, with prices ranging from $90,000 (16m) to $250,000 (30m). Located in the Hope Island Resort Marina, the listing says that freehold marina berths on the GC are 'rare'. 'These berths are just like buying a block of land but it has water on it and of course you can moor your boat there or rent it out,' the listing says. It adds that the berths come with low body corporate fees and high rental returns making then 'better than money in the bank'. There is also an onsite manager, 24 hour security, and a protected harbour with house boats welcome. 4. RENTVESTORS LOOK HERE Single villas with solid returns are listed for sale in Merrimac, each eaqrning $580 to $590 per fortnight. 'Please note: due to the current pension scheme/DA/gov accreditation over this community, these units are for pensioner tenants to occupy and come with leases attached, sorry no owner occupiers,' the listing notes. 'Each of the single accommodations are fully resourced, servicing those looking for affordable assisted living accommodation.' Each single level villa comes fully equipped, ready for any tenant to move in, and features a kitchenette, open plan lounge area with durable flooring, a queen sized bedroom with a built-in robe, airconditioning/ceiling fans, a large bathroom/combined laundry with washer/dryer, security screen, privacy blinds and an undercover patio at the front and an open air patio at the back. 'Assisted Living at Bougainvillea Lodge & Westminster House offers your tenants a peaceful lifestyle with privacy and security, within a friendly communal environment,' the listing says. 'Virtually no vacancy, with a waiting list to live here, so you can enjoy the secure returns and protection of your investment with the bonus of having full time managers onsite to help with the residents everyday needs.' 5. STUDIO WITH A VIEW On the market for offers over $199,000, this 37sq m bolthole is located in Mantra on View, right in the heart of Surfers Paradise. 'The perfect investment that provides you a myriad of choices…Enjoy a weekend getaway or holiday escape with the assurance of high income through the hotel management or Airbnb,' the listing says. 'This is one of two exceptional buying opportunities that we currently have available within the building and at this price point the representation of value on offer will not be matched. Buy one or buy both.' The studio apartment has a balcony, bathroom, and is being sold fully furnished.
SBS Australia
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
'Alone Australia' Season 3: The top 4 reflect on their experience in the wilderness
The cast of Alone Australia season 3. Credit: Alone Australia reunion The following article contains spoilers for who makes the top 4 of Alone Australia season 3. The time has come to find out who makes it to the end of this year's season of Alone Australia . Who will succumb to the cold? Who will fall to hunger? Who will manage to snag victory in their basket trap? Only Corinne, Muzza, Shay and Tom remain, and the end is getting closer and closer. With just two episodes left, we asked the four remaining Alone Australia survivalists to reflect on their time in the wilderness. Who will make it to the end? Find out in the nail-biting finale. The following interviews are in alphabetical order, and do not reflect the final positions of the top four. An only child, raised in the rural highlands of Scotland, now an adult living alone on 10 acres of suburban bushland in the south of Tasmania, Corinne is not one to be intimidated by the cold, the wet or the isolation. With a deep passion for bushcraft, she thrives on play with natural materials, crafting utensils, baskets, and traps, but foraging is her true survival forte. It was her fascination with foraging that led her to start and grow a successful bush food business, which she recently sold to pay off her home and focus on her dream of off-grid living. The biggest challenge for Corinne, however, was something she did not expect. "The toughest part was coming home. The noise and overstimulation. Everything was just... too much! Sounds, flavours, people, traffic, social media," she said. "My stomach struggled to handle dairy, sugar and artificial ingredients. I caught the flu and due to my weakened immune system the simple flu just absolutely smashed me! "I had so much work, overdue bills and life chores to catch up on! Life doesn't pause and wait for you just because you go out bush for a few months. And, of course, friends, clients and colleagues had no idea what I had gone through and I couldn't share it with anyone. They had continued their lives as normal and had no idea. It was quite an overwhelming and lonely experience." While in the wilderness, Corinne said she was constantly surprising herself, and pushed through every challenge with a positive attitude. The one thing she learnt from the experience? Gratitude. Gratitude for hot running water, for a microwave, for a leech-free bed. But most of all, for the people around her that she left behind to take on the Alone Australia challenge. "It makes you re-prioritise what is actually important in life," she said. "Life can be so stressful and complicated; work, paying bills, mortgage, social pressures and expectations, cost of living crisis, family. In a way, we are all in a survival situation, getting swept up in the whirlwind of life and we forget to just slow down, breathe and connect with ourselves. "It's difficult to just put your work and personal life on pause for an indefinite amount of time with no explanation of what your are doing and where you are going. I didn't expect to be out there for so long and I had to put a lot of trust in others to keep my alibi going at my work and home. The big question: will Corinne be able to make it to the very end? Find out in the Alone Australia double-episode finale Wednesday 4 June at 7:30pm. Muzza might be the oldest participant ever on Alone Australia , but at '63 years young,' he's quick to remind everyone that age is just a number. With the fitness and strength to match his adventurous spirit, this professional bushman and gifted storyteller has captured the hearts of Alone Australia viewers from the very first moment he appeared on screen. Reflecting on his experience in the Tasmanian wilderness, Muzza said that going in, he knew his own strengths and weaknesses well, so for him, there were no surprises, only challenges. "Going through starvation was mentally and physically cruel! When your body has run out of fat and it starts to eat itself, your mind goes into some sort of survival phase, and you cannot think of anything but feeding yourself," he said. "The thought of cutting my own arm off and cooking it up crossed my mind." Despite how confronting the hunger was, Muzza said he would "love to do it again", but would focus more on the filming and content side of things. After all, an audience of fans are watching every moment. "My advice would be to anyone contemplating doing Alone , just do it! Don't kid yourself of what you are capable of, be yourself, the good the bad the ugly. You don't have to have all the skills, as necessity will teach you. Like doing a tough long distance hike, it's 90% in your head and 10% in your legs," he said. Coming out of the Alone wilderness, Muzza said he learnt a few skills that he can now apply to the real world, mostly from watching the pattern of birds. "A couple of tiny birds used to come to my shelter about 20 minutes before a storm front came, and if I saw black cockatoos flying west, it coincided with a day or two of better weather," he said. He said this also gave him a better awareness of how First Nations peoples navigated the land, and used patterns recognised in nature to predict weather events. Can Muzza's body withstand an unforgiving Tasmanian winter and make it right to the very end? Find out in the Alone Australia double-episode finale Wednesday 4 June at 7:30pm. Shay, a shy and soft-spoken North Island New Zealander, has always felt more at home in nature than anywhere else. A possum trapper since 16, he spends many days deep in the bush hunting for meat and fur to support his family. Living mostly off wild animals — venison, possum, wallaby, hedgehog, and rabbits — Shay and his wife prioritise sustainable, wild food. In recent years, Shay has shared his knowledge of New Zealand's flora, fauna, and bush food on his YouTube channel , enjoying the process of documenting his adventures. Shay's advice for anyone looking to take on the Alone Australia challenge? Prepare yourself for everything coming your way. "Go bush for a week with no food and no phone, books or other distractions," he said. " Alone will never be easy but understanding how hard it will be is a great help, you'll know how to prepare if you have a good feel for what you have just signed up for!" Much like fellow Alone Australia contestant Corinne, Shay noted how gratitude was something he will take with him from his time in the wilderness. "More gratitude for everyday life," he said. "Knowing how lucky I am to live where I do and have the family I have. "I was surprised how much gratitude I had for the little things like dry socks, particularly during the hard times." The one thing Shay would do differently? Change one of his starting items. "I would take a clear tarp as one of my items and would practice primitive live capture traps back home before I left," he said. With his slight frame and difficulty maintaining weight, could this be the Achilles' heel that tests the resilience of this otherwise capable bushman? Find out in the Alone Australia double-episode finale Wednesday 4 June at 7:30pm. Tom lives a lifestyle grounded in self-sufficiency, nurturing his family with homegrown fruits, vegetables, foraged foods, and wild game — from small catches to larger hunts. A trained ecologist, he is currently an at-home-dad who also works as a zoo educator and runs his own nature education business, leading guided safaris and creating engaging content for councils across Sydney. An expert in trapping, plant and insect identification as well as foraging, Tom has refined his skills through years of study and practice. Fishing, a lifelong passion, is where he truly excels, having mastered various techniques across all water types. Born without his right hand due to symbrachydactyly, Tom has confronted challenges head-on, adapting to life with and without prosthetics. His exceptional adaptability shines through in his mastery of activities like rock climbing, building, hunting, swimming, kayaking, horseback riding, and fishing — all skilfully executed. "Like many of us, I've become my own biggest armchair critic. Watching the documentary back, it's hard not to yell at the screen 'why on earth didn't you do that?' but, then I pause," he said. "I remember how special my time was, how much I learned, and I remind myself to be kind, especially to the version of me who showed up, day after day, and gave it everything. If I had the chance to do it again, I'd craft fish traps and build my shelter closer to the water's edge where I could monitor my lines around the clock." Overcoming multiple challenges throughout the season, Tom said the hardest one of all was in the name of the game: being 'Alone'. "That's the hardest part. Sure, hunger gnaws at you and the mental battle to push it aside is real, but at the core, we all need human connection. When a doctor in his 60s gives you goosebumps just by placing a stethoscope on your chest not from cold, but from his genuine warmth, you feel it deeply. "Not a single day passed without thoughts of the heroes back home. My partner, family, and friends came together in my absence, and their encouragement echoed in my mind. They were always with me and that kept me sane. "When I longed for community and family, I turned to the natural world around me. In that solitude, I found peace and awe. The smallest details became profound — the birdsong in the trees, the tiny spiders weaving delicate webs in the gaps of my shelter, everything had me focused. I became part of the wildlife. I stayed curious, and that curiosity kept me out there." Will Tom cope with the isolation and separation from his family to make it to the end? Find out in the Alone Australia double-episode finale Wednesday 4 June at 7:30pm. The final two episodes of Alone Australia will premiere on Wednesday 4 June at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on SBS (Local Time) and SBS On Demand (AEST) and culminate at 9.30pm with Alone Australia: The Reunion exclusively on SBS On Demand. The reunion episode is also airing on SBS on Thursday 11 June at 7.30pm. All twelve episodes of season 3 will be available with subtitles in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Arabic, Vietnamese and Korean, and with audio description for blind or vision-impaired audiences. Share this with family and friends SBS's award winning companion podcast. Join host Yumi Stynes for Seen, a new SBS podcast about cultural creatives who have risen to excellence despite a role-model vacuum.
