This 28-year-old pays $62 a month to live in a dumpster he turned into a tiny home for $5K — take a look inside

Harrison Marshall struggled to find an apartment when he returned to London from working abroad. So, he came up with a small space living solutions that would save him a lot of money!

He said that a one-bedroom apartment in Southwark, a borough in South London, costs around $1,850 a month, which is more than 75% of his income as an architectural designer, and he has no interest in relocating to the suburbs.

He wants to save up to buy a house, so he considered converting a skip or a dumpster into a tiny home.

Harrison, who runs a small architecture company, CAUKIN Studio, has taken his creativity to a new level by collaborating with SKIP Gallery, an organization that pays up-and-coming artists to create artwork within the constraints of a dumpster, as per NBC Bay Area.

His innovative ideas caught the attention of an art charity, Antepavilion, who granted him a vacant, green land in the bustling city of Southwark to build his small space living solutions, which he called the Skip House.

What’s even more impressive is that the cost of his dumpster base, which he rents from a waste management firm, is a mere $62 per month.

With his expertise as an experienced architect and his friends, he completed the construction of this groundbreaking project in just three weeks.

“It cost me roughly $5,000 to build the home,” Harrison said, adding that he used his savings to fund the expenses.

The building supplies cost $4,620, and the furnishings cost $380. He also paid the movers who transported the dumpster $635.

“My electricity bill is so small that it is included in my land sponsorship, and my water supply consists of a hose pipe that runs from a neighbor’s property,” Harrison said.

Meanwhile, his internet connection comes from a dongle connected to mobile data, costing $20 a month.

Harrison said he had to make the most of the 25-square-foot dumpster and make it livable.

“I’ve always lived a minimal lifestyle and traveled a lot for work, so the limited storage space works for me,” he said, stating that he only has four built-in wooden boxes where he put his clothes.

The tiny house has a mezzanine-style bedroom, a tiny kitchen with a sink, and windows on both sides, making the small space living solutions feel less claustrophobic.

Harrison has an eight-can portable mini fridge and an induction cooktop to cook one-pot meals, although he often eats out with his friends.

Due to the small space, Skip House doesn’t have a toilet, so Harrison has to use a portable toilet outside his house.

There’s no shower either, so he has to use the shower at work and the gym, and for his laundry, he does it at a laundromat.

Harrison has been living in his small space living solutions for a few months and said he’s managing the inconveniences, and everything is getting easier.

Moreover, he is in a great spot in London, his work is just a 15-minute bike ride from his house, and he gets to explore the city during his free time and meet up with his friends.

Harrison said the most significant challenge he currently faces is the attention he gets, as many people stop by after seeing him on the news.

Harrison said it had been a unique experience, and he is grateful that the land where his small space living solutions sits is sponsored. However, he also said that he doesn’t recommend replicating it.

While he admits he hopes to move out of the Skip House soon, he said he wouldn’t swap it for an expensive, small, damp room.

“With its ups and downs, I’ve turned my living situation into an art piece. It shines a light on the absurdity of London’s housing crisis in a way that makes people smile and think.”

See how small Harrison’s Skip House by watching the video below: