"We sold all our belongings to move into an off-grid shed in the woods - it means we're debt-free"
- 5 months ago
A couple sold all their belongings to move into a tiny off-grid "shed" debt-free - with a greenhouse bathroom and fish pond in the kitchen.
John Kernohan, 61, and his wife, Fin, 44, met online in 2010 and fell in love despite living over 4,000 miles apart.
John, from Miami, Florida, US, invited Fin, a Thai native who had been living in London, to move to the States with him after they married in 2012.
Fin had an "adventurous spirit" and had previously lived on a narrowboat and in an attic as well as being a regular camper.
She suggested selling John's spacious Miami home and moving into something more quaint - such as an off-grid cabin.
They sold almost all their possessions and moved into a 304 square-foot shed structure costing $6,500.
They then spent a further $6,000 kitting it out with furniture and electrics - as well as some unique adaptations.
Despite being just 304 square feet, their unique space boasts a bathroom which doubles as a greenhouse, and an outdoor kitchen with a pond full of Koi Carp.
John and Fin have lived their unique off-grid life for 12 years - expanding their land as they go.
The couple, now both short-term getaway hosts and event organisers, aim to show "it's possible to live off-grid without roughing it."
John said: "Fin made it clear when she came over to the States that she didn't like how big it was.
"We came to realise being in a small space together was more what we enjoyed.
"Fin said one day she wanted us to build our own home together - when she sets her mind to something, that's the way it is.
"We sold pretty much all our belongs we had in Miami and in London and bought our first shed.
"When we started out, about six months in, I thought we'd made a mistake because we never had any space.
"But 12 years on, I love the small space and can't imagine living differently."
John and Fin met online in 2010 despite living on opposite sides of the world - and travelled back and forth between Miami and London while dating.
When John stayed in the UK for a while they rented a narrowboat to live on together and enjoyed it.
When she visited his three-bed Miami home, she made her feelings about the size clear.
John said: "We had a joke conversation where she said 'I don’t know where this relationship is going, but I'm never going to clean this place'.
"I joked I’d hire a housekeeper – and she responded suggesting getting somewhere smaller.
"The seed was planted."
In 2013 Fin moved to the US to live with John permanently, and convinced him to go off-grid by saying 'I love the man you are when we're out in the woods'.
They started by leasing a plot of land for $1,200.
Soon they were moving into their first shared home - a 304 square foot cabin in rural Georgia costing $6500, which they paid for by selling most of their possessions.
They spent a further $6,000 on the cabin's plumbing electrics and insulation, and kitted it out with furniture and equipment before moving in permanently.
John Kernohan, 61, and his wife, Fin, 44, met online in 2010 and fell in love despite living over 4,000 miles apart.
John, from Miami, Florida, US, invited Fin, a Thai native who had been living in London, to move to the States with him after they married in 2012.
Fin had an "adventurous spirit" and had previously lived on a narrowboat and in an attic as well as being a regular camper.
She suggested selling John's spacious Miami home and moving into something more quaint - such as an off-grid cabin.
They sold almost all their possessions and moved into a 304 square-foot shed structure costing $6,500.
They then spent a further $6,000 kitting it out with furniture and electrics - as well as some unique adaptations.
Despite being just 304 square feet, their unique space boasts a bathroom which doubles as a greenhouse, and an outdoor kitchen with a pond full of Koi Carp.
John and Fin have lived their unique off-grid life for 12 years - expanding their land as they go.
The couple, now both short-term getaway hosts and event organisers, aim to show "it's possible to live off-grid without roughing it."
John said: "Fin made it clear when she came over to the States that she didn't like how big it was.
"We came to realise being in a small space together was more what we enjoyed.
"Fin said one day she wanted us to build our own home together - when she sets her mind to something, that's the way it is.
"We sold pretty much all our belongs we had in Miami and in London and bought our first shed.
"When we started out, about six months in, I thought we'd made a mistake because we never had any space.
"But 12 years on, I love the small space and can't imagine living differently."
John and Fin met online in 2010 despite living on opposite sides of the world - and travelled back and forth between Miami and London while dating.
When John stayed in the UK for a while they rented a narrowboat to live on together and enjoyed it.
When she visited his three-bed Miami home, she made her feelings about the size clear.
John said: "We had a joke conversation where she said 'I don’t know where this relationship is going, but I'm never going to clean this place'.
"I joked I’d hire a housekeeper – and she responded suggesting getting somewhere smaller.
"The seed was planted."
In 2013 Fin moved to the US to live with John permanently, and convinced him to go off-grid by saying 'I love the man you are when we're out in the woods'.
They started by leasing a plot of land for $1,200.
Soon they were moving into their first shared home - a 304 square foot cabin in rural Georgia costing $6500, which they paid for by selling most of their possessions.
They spent a further $6,000 on the cabin's plumbing electrics and insulation, and kitted it out with furniture and equipment before moving in permanently.