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Inside the dumpster a 28-year-old lives in and renovated for $5,000

Home> News

Published 20:17 13 Jun 2023 GMT+1

Inside the dumpster a 28-year-old lives in and renovated for $5,000

A man has revealed what it's like living inside a dumpster in London.

Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck

A man has revealed what it's like living inside a dumpster in London.

You may have heard of dumpster diving but what about dumpster living?

The cost of living crisis has seen inflation hit a 30-year-high in the UK and London has retained its position as the fourth most expensive city to live in across the globe, according to ECA.

While it wouldn't be on the top of most people's flat viewing list, a man saw a dumpster in the area he wanted to live within the city and decided to get creative.

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Prepare to be pleasantly surprised:

Harrison Marshall returned from working abroad in Central America and Southeast Asia hoping to settle down in London. However, he quickly realised he may not even be able to afford the price of a shed.

So, looking for the next best thing - and accommodation which wouldn't whisk away nearly all of his $1,850-a-month salary and jeopardise his ability to save up to buy a house of his own in the future - Harrison started checking out some dumpsters - or what us Brits call, skips.

If that doesn't scream cost of living crisis, I don't know what else will.

Although, Harrison had a trick up his sleeve.

Harrison's home, aptly titled, 'Skip House'.
LADbible

See, Harrison is the head of a small architecture company called CAUKIN Studio.

So, armed with his expertise, a $62-a-month (£49-a-month) dumpster base in Southwark and having previously worked with emerging artists on a project to create art out of dumpsters, Harrison set about jazzing the dumpster up and turning it into a liveable home.

In an interview with LADbible's Jake Massey, Harrison gave a tour of the property.

The 'actual build' of Harrison's dumpster home took 'about three or four weeks'.
Instagram/ @skiphouse

The video shows the fenced-off patch of land the dumpster is located on, it's front hatch even sporting a Ring doorbell camera, above the ladder Harrison uses to climb into his property.

Almost like the Tardis, Harrison's dumpster feels a lot bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside, a mezzanine-style bed above 'four built-in wooden boxes' for clothes.

The other side of the dumpster is the kitchen, where Harrison has 'an eight-can portable mini fridge, a small sink and an induction cooktop'.

The Londoner uses his gym for showering, a laundromat for cleaning his clothes and has a portaloo on site.

Harrison makes an impressive use of the space.
Instagram/ @theskiphouse

What's more, it cost Harrison less than he would likely pay for around five month's rent in a typical London flat, setting him back 'about $5,000 (£4,000)' - a one-bed flat on the same road revealed by Massey as costing £1,700-per-month ($2,100).

In an article for CNBC, the architect broke it down: "Building supplies including timber, insulation and fixings [cost] $4,620 (£3,660) [and] interior furnishing, including storage and foam mattress [cost] $380 (£300)."

Just to make you weep even more, Harrison revealed his electricity bill is 'so small it's included in [his] land sponsorship' and his water supply 'consists of a hose pipe that runs from a neighbour's property'.

Oh, and his wifi costs $20-a-month (£16-a-month), so he's laughing.

Harrison hopes his dumpster home will raise awareness of the cost of living crisis.
Instagram/ @theskiphouse

Harrison resolves: "With its ups and downs, I’ve turned my living situation into an art piece.

"It shines light on the absurdity of London’s housing crisis in a way that makes people smile and think.

"[...] I don’t recommend replicating it. I hope that I can move out soon, but I certainly won’t be swapping it for no savings and a small, damp room."

If you've been affected by any of the issues in this story, you can find more information about where to get help from Turn2Us via their website.

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/CNBC Make It

Topics: London, Money, UK News, Viral, Social Media

Poppy Bilderbeck
Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck is a Senior Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from The University of Manchester in 2021 with a First in English Literature and Drama, where alongside her studies she was Editor-in-Chief of The Tab Manchester. Poppy is most comfortable when chatting about all things mental health, is proving a drama degree is far from useless by watching and reviewing as many TV shows and films as possible and is such a crisp fanatic the office has been forced to release them in batches.

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