For so many young Irish people, buying an affordable place to live in seems like an impossible dream.
Emma O’Hagan and her partner have come up with a novel way to sidestep the housing crisis – by taking downsizing to a new level.
The pair now live in a descriptively accurate ‘Tiny Home’ in County Leitrim that they bought off the internet and placed on family land.
In total, it cost the couple €26,000 and came with a number of modern features that allow them to live a sustainable life.
“It’s a fairly small structure, it’s 25 square metres and we have it made from timber,” Ms O’Hagan told Newstalk Breakfast.
“It’s cladded with iron and we put it on a little plot of land here in Leitrim and it’s fully off grid.
“So, that means we’re reliant fully on solar power; we have our own shallow well and an eco-dry toilet.”
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The pair moved in two months ago and Ms O’Hagan said “all is going well” - although when moving in the couple had to really think about what they needed.
“We really had to downsize on a lot of stuff,” she said.
“We actually had been travelling for a couple of years prior to getting the tiny home, so we had already decluttered a lot of stuff.
“There is a lot of storage in the tiny home but every ounce of space that we could use is being used… but so far, so good.”
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Ms O’Hagan said living in such a small home has made her “reevaluate what you want versus what you need”.
“It kind of forces you to really think about that,” she said.
“I’m not going to have a dress sitting in my wardrobe endlessly; it’ll force you to sell it on or gift it to somebody else.”
The couple previously travelled around Europe together in a campervan for two years, so were used to living in such a small space with each other.
“We’d encountered that stumbling block, let’s say, once or twice,” Ms O’Hagan said.
“So, we kind of knew that moving into the Tiny Home wouldn’t be much different.
“It definitely forces you to source it out or move out.”
'I love this lifestyle'
Ms O’Hagan believes their current home will help open up more options for them in the long-term.
“We’ll be able to save a lot more than what we would if we were renting or having a mortgage,” she said.
“I love this lifestyle, I’m not sure how compatible it is with raising a family or something like that.
“So, time will tell but I’m not looking for the mainstream mortgage and four-bedroom house.”
Last year, there were 32,695 new homes built in Ireland.
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Main image: Emma O'Hagan and her 'Tiny Home'. Picture By: Emma O'Hagan.
