A HIGH-FLYING city-slicker has told how he sacked off his busy corporate life to build himself a ‘hobbit home’ on land he bought on eBay.
The former lift engineer has been busy building an impressive homestead for five years – and said he has never been happier.
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36-year-old Kris Harbour was a two-property homeowner and enjoyed a busy social life in the capital city – but even with the success, the direction his life was going in didn’t “feel right”.
The former city-slicker said the strain of living in London – one of the most expensive cities in the world – left him feeling “tired and unfulfilled”.
After shifting his house – and a buy-to-let flat – he was able to close off his £400,000 mortgage, and spent what was left on 18.5 acres of land in South Wales.
When he moved onto his new plot, he was forced to live in a tent, but fast-forward five years and his empty plot of land is the envy of everyone that dreams of taking the plunge into off-grid living.
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Stood in the middle of his new home, he explains that what was once just an open field of grass is now home to his own hobbit-style hut, a workshop, greenhouse and “various other things.”
He said: “My family thought it was probably a little bit crazy. On the surface of everything I was doing quite well. I was successful, I owned two properties and had a good job in London.
“But I wasn’t happy, so I think they thought it was a bit crazy and I was a bit stupid for selling up because financially it was a poor decision.
“For my well-being, it was a very good decision and it didn’t take long for my family to come round to the idea.”
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He went on to say that the idea of “working for two or three thirds” of his life just “didn’t sit right”.
And when it came to the expense of the city life he said that “all of the bills” including “mortgages, electric, water, internet, a tv license and insurance” made him feel like “everyone had their hand” in his pocket.
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The clever craftsman has gone on leaps-and-bounds since the decision, and after spending around £4,000 to get his home set up, he now makes money with his woodwork and has built several impressive additions to the homestead.
He said: “It has been a huge improvement on my life generally, my wellbeing is far greater than ever before.
“My mental and physical health, and my building abilities have massively improved.”
BUT HOW DID HE DO IT?
The home has a roundwood timber frame, a reciprocal roundwood roof, with cordwood walls that sit on gravel bags and stones.
The wood he used was free and the binder between the logs is a mixture of clay, sand and straw, which he mixed together with his feet.
He said: “It was incredibly cheap, it was built based on the small budget I had.”
He built everything by hand, and the house took him six months to finish before he could finally call it home.
However, he did admit that its not built for a lifetime and will – at some point – begin to rot, but he “built it with the intention of lasting 30 years.”
He then constructed a shed that was built for “almost nothing” – cutting down trees on his land – to house his hydro, electric and solar power.
After that, he built his “dream” workshop which has two floors, one for metalwork and a second for wood.
He said: “It has this lovely porch at the front which we sit under and store our firewood in, and is accessed through a small “hobbit door”.
As well as all of that he has a garden where grows all of his vegetables and says it produces almost all of the veggies he needs for the colder months – he also built a green house of “his own design” which cost around £2,000.
To keep his food stocks up, he fenced around 4 acres of his land that he houses chickens and sheep in.
He said: “They better get laying, I want my egg sandwich in the morning.”
He’s not the only hungry-for-the-slow-life Brit that has packed in their busy life for a spot in the outdoors.
HE’S NOT THE ONLY ONE
A man who worked 60 hours a week and made six figures now lives off grid in an old school bus full of genius features.
And, a dad has revealed having to live in a caravan with his six-year-old twins after losing all of his money in a divorce.
While also, this chap revealed how trolls call him a “jobless sponge mess” and would rather he did not date their daughter because he lives outdoors.
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The die-hard nature lover said he enjoyed the outdoors so much that instead of visiting it on his day off he wanted to live there permanently.
And finally, a couple have dashed their home and hit the road in a converted van that costs £600 a month to run.
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