Early Retirement Extreme Forums

Hello Everyone.

Sorry if this has been previously covered. I have had a good look around the ERE blog and forum posts, but still might have missed something.

I was wondering whether anyone has experience of living in a garage before? Rent here in the UK is a massive expense (especially where I live) and comes to almost half of a month’s pay in itself, even when sharing with others.

I was considering living in a garage. I’m not talking someone’s converted garage, I haven’t seen anyone letting them but I can only assume that if they were to do that they would try and charge for the price of a studio flat, so would save very little.

I am talking about a freehold garage, perhaps a gated one. Something like this (random image, nowhere near where I live): http://images.vebra.com/images/1188/006 ... rage~1.jpg.

I have been homeless for the last three months, sleeping in the back of a van (again, we’re not talking one of those cute campers, I’m talking a junker of a small work van), and figured that even the insurance on that was taking a big chunk from my potential savings.

Honest experience and advice please. If you have lived (or preferably converted) in a freehold garage like the one pictured I’d like to hear from you. If you can provide advice on alternatives then I would also appreciate that.
edit: I figured that the worst that could happen is I've bought a garage and would be able to let it out for an extra income. I actually considered doing this multiple times. Rent a garage until I can afford to buy one, live in it and continue to buy more.

Dear Deezy,

dont know about UK but in Germany its forbitten to live in a garage.

I´d recommend to use a small garden with a garden shed. Plant some hedges around.

You get them at 1 to 2000€. http://www.gartenhaus-guenstig.de/
I see this more and more here everyday. It´s not allowed too, but with some hedges around no one gives a sh...

Edit: could you tell me what laws make it illegal? I can then look them up. Thanks.
Even land is incredibly expensive. Anything other than agricultural land is incredibly expensive, having investigated cabins before, I have looked at previous experiences and the council always end up involved and cease and desist orders served.

I felt that living in a gated garage is much more likely to go un noticed; no neighbours worrying or reporting their precious views being ruined illegally. If anyone has experience of shed living in the UK I would be interested to hear about it.