A DESPERATE man moved into an eight-yard SKIP as he struggled with the crippling cost of living crisis.
Harrison Marshall swapped the luxury of a house for a converted skip in Bermondsey, south-east London as it was his “only option.”
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The artist and co-founder of Caukin Studio, told the PA new agency, whenever he worked on a SKIP Gallery project he had wondered if it was possible to live in one.
When he returned from a working trip abroad and started looking for a room in 2022, the idea became more appealing.
The 28-year-old was shocked at the bidding frenzies he saw while room hunting in London.
The skip meanwhile has been provided for a rate of £50 a month, while the initial build-cost of the ‘property’ was £4,000.
“People were getting hundreds of messages for a single room… it was at the point where if you weren’t willing to put your deposit down the same day as viewing it, you didn’t really stand a chance,” he said.
“And so that’s when I started picking up the idea again, about is it actually possible to live in a skip?”
After around three weeks of construction in challenging cold weather, Harrison moved in at the start of 2023.
The skip is insulated and the ‘tenant’ has access to a portaloo for a bathroom – forcing Harrison to mainly shower at work or the gym.
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His new home is decorated with friends’ artwork and gifts from his family.
He soon hopes to be connected to a power source which will enable him to use a heater and a cooker.
And the artist was glad to stay he has already hosted his friends at his new eight-yard abode.
“All the neighbours are incredibly friendly. If I’m outside for five minutes I’ll have at least one or two people from the area come up to me and ask what I’m doing and how I am.”
The 28-year-old is making the move as a statement to highlight the devastating toll the cost of living is taking on millions of families across the UK.
He pointed out his move is “not intended to be a solution to the rising cost of living” but is to get people talking.
“I don’t expect other people to pursue this or replicate it,” he said.
“It’s very hard to replicate.
“So, really, it’s more of a statement and something which tackles or talks about the issue in a light-hearted way and highlights just how crazy it is to live in central London.
“For me to live in this area, this was the only option for me to do that, which is just mad.”
However, the artist is adamant that the project, which required support from a number of different organisations to become workable, is not meant to be aspirational.
“No-one should have to live in a skip,” he said.
“That’s definitely not the way that I want this project to go. It’s more of a statement.”
The Skip House is part of Skip Gallery, a public art initiative intended to create space and opportunity for emerging artists.
This comes as other struggling families across the UK are forced to move home amid the cost of living crisis.
A young couple ditched their three-bedroom house to live in a boat to save money.
Newly engaged Ellie Jones, 28, and Harry Barker, 28, from Cheshire knew they had to move after energy bills increased.
The answer came to them when Ellie’s dad Chris, revealed that he was selling the family’s narrow boat, ‘Shirley’.
“It is a lot cheaper to live on a boat, especially with the rising cost of energy,” Ellie, who works at John Lewis, told NeedToKnow.online.
And the pair expect to save a whooping £800 a month in their tiny new home.
Where to find help if you’re struggling financially
The Healthy Start scheme offers out prepaid food cards to women who are more than 10 weeks pregnant or parents who have children under four.
You typically must also be on certain benefits, such as Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Child Tax Credit.
Some supermarkets which are part of the scheme include Tesco, Iceland and Aldi.
Also, Sainsbury’s is offering at extra £2 to customers who shop with a Healthy Start card.
The Household Support Fund sees thousands of households can get £60 of free supermarket vouchers to spend on food and essentials.
The help will be dished out under a new round of £421million funding given by the government to the Household Support Fund.
To be eligible, you must be a care leaver or have a child who receives free school meals.
What you can get depends on your personal situation and also who your local council is.
Welfare assistance
Most local councils run their own welfare assistance schemes for households on low incomes or who are dealing with a crisis.
Grants can sometimes be worth up to £1,000
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