Builder, 40, says he saves £600 a month by living in eco-home he built in his mate's garden

A builder who lives in a small, minimalist eco-home that he built in his friend’s garden says he saves £600 a month.

Chris Marsh, 40, is used to living in tiny homes as he has done so over the past five years, on and off. 

Last year he created a mini wooden home, which is 140 square feet, to fit in his friend’s back garden in Riding Mill, Northumberland.

The builder said he used to rent a two-bedroom house in Hexham, which cost him £800 a month, with bills coming to a total of £135 in 2018 – before the cost of living crisis and energy increases.

However, now he says his expenses come to £150 a month, which he pays to live on the plot of land and his electricity bill comes to £80 a month. But it allows him to leave his underfloor heating on all day. 

Mr Marsh gets his water for free, as the homeowners who he pays to live in their garden are on a standard rate. 

Mr Marsh told The Mirror: ‘I’d always had a vision of building something and living in it and living in a garden rather than a traditional house.

‘When you rent, it’s just disposable money that you never get back really. Building something of my own was a bit of a win-win.’ 

Source of data and images: dailymail