Featured Image Credit: theskiphouse / Instagram
While some homeowners add a touch of creativity to their houses like rotations, others give derelict aircraft a second life by transforming them into living spaces.
Now, one man has taken an even more unconventional approach to solving London's housing crisis.
YouTuber Drew Binsky explored some of London's most cramped and unusual living situations, interviewing residents who've found creative solutions to the city's notoriously expensive rental market.
One of the people he interviewed was a man named Harrison who lives on top of a literal skip.
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Before you recoil in disgust, Harrison's dwelling is surprisingly clean and well-designed. As an architect, Harrison built the entire four-square-metre structure himself and has called it home for about two years.
"I came up with the idea three years ago when I was looking for places to live. As everyone knows, London rent is the craziest," he explained. "So I was like, there's got to be another way for me to find a place to live."
Having worked on skip-related projects once or twice before, Harrison began wondering whether he could actually live inside one. "I started to connect the dots and wondered if I could live inside of one," he added.
Remarkably, it took Harrison just three weeks to build his home, costing around £4,000-£5,000 ($6,100).
The layout is nothing short of impressive. His bed sits above the kitchen and living area, and rock climbing setters are mounted along the walls, which feels like the most unique way to climb into bed.
In terms of rent, Harrison only pays for the land, which comes in at a pretty affordable £250 ($340) a month.
Water comes from an outdoor tap while electricity, which powers his stove and appliances, costs roughly £30 ($40) per month.
On the contrary, Harrison pointed out the major downside of his living choices—the lack of a bathroom. Instead, his toilet is a portable unit outside the house, serviced every couple of weeks, and he relies on his workplace and the gym for showers.
In the video, Binsky also explored the homes of other London residents, including a woman living on a canal boat and a guy living in a tiny house.
People in the YouTube comments are both shocked and admiring at how certain people are living in the UK.
"This is so unbelievably dystopian," one user wrote.
"It's amazing how creative people can get with the small space that they have. Makes me appreciate what I currently have," another commented.
