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  • 20/11/2023
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.

Category

😹
Fun
Transcript
00:00 We are going to get a tour of the cabin.
00:02 We bought 12 years ago a 12 by 30 foot
00:05 Dirksen Portable Buildings shed.
00:08 We spent $6,500 12 years ago for the shed.
00:12 We spent a total of $6,000 to do our shed to home conversion.
00:16 Original conversion, including the $6,500 for the shed,
00:21 is we spent $12,500.
00:23 When we first started out, we leased the hunting lease.
00:26 Then we bought in 2015 our first 3.2 acres for $5,000.
00:32 Found it on Zillow.
00:33 Big TV.
00:34 Yes, we got a big TV.
00:35 We like it because we can swivel it outside.
00:37 We can sit on the outside deck and watch football.
00:40 We love the easel stand.
00:42 We bought it off of Amazon.
00:43 This is our bedding.
00:44 We sit here.
00:45 We built this.
00:45 Full size.
00:46 Full size.
00:47 The loft upstairs used to be our bedroom.
00:49 Now it's just an extra guest room when we need it.
00:51 The other loft is storage.
00:52 Wood burning stove, catalytic converter,
00:54 high efficiency Dutch West stove.
00:56 It's spec for 800 square foot.
00:58 The inside measurement of our 12 by 30 home is 304 square feet.
01:05 With the two additions of our kitchen and bathroom,
01:07 we're just approximately around 500 square feet.
01:10 Yes, the walls are insulated.
01:13 Oh my gosh, how many times do people have to ask?
01:15 There is insulation.
01:17 We did R13 insulation.
01:19 The ceiling, yes, it is insulated.
01:22 We put foam insulation.
01:24 And then we covered it with this plywood here.
01:27 And we wanted to see the rafters.
01:30 Gave us extra head clearance.
01:31 And this is my office area.
01:33 Lockers, we got this from a JC Penney distribution center.
01:35 $115.
01:37 This is our kitchen.
01:38 OK, couple of things.
01:39 No, it isn't going to blow away in the storm.
01:41 We only use the hail-proof, severe storm rated,
01:44 polycarbonate panels.
01:46 This is our kitchen garden.
01:47 We put in two garden boxes.
01:49 We made this soil.
01:51 It's from human manure composting.
01:52 It took us 18 months to make this soil.
01:54 We grow vegetables in it.
01:56 Little feature here, concrete blocks
01:58 lined with indoor/outdoor carpeting.
02:02 Then we put a pond liner.
02:03 Re-basin commercial sink, even with a sprayer that works.
02:07 We got it off of Craigslist 12 years ago for $100.
02:10 This red table, we built this ourselves.
02:12 Our Windsor stove.
02:14 People are always interested about the Windsor stove.
02:17 We bought it for $250.
02:18 Little lamps here.
02:19 They came from Tractor Supply discount rack.
02:22 You can see the little panels up there.
02:24 They cost us $4.99.
02:26 The Facebook marketplace for $70 or $75.
02:30 Oh, by the way, people ask, how do we have power?
02:32 Back here, we have an EcoFlow 4 kilowatt.
02:41 Five minutes over.
02:44 Can I talk about that?
02:45 Yes, talk about this.
02:46 This used to be our bathroom.
02:49 The wall ended right here.
02:52 We had that clawfoot tub here, the sink here.
02:55 We turned this into a storage area, our closet,
02:58 and a pantry.
02:59 This is a multi-purpose room.
03:02 Yes, we have running water out here.
03:04 We have a Precision Temp on-demand hot water.
03:08 We have a heat pump here.
03:09 We have a heater here.
03:11 We have a heater on the stove.
03:14 We have a heater on the stove.
03:16 We have a heater on the stove.
03:18 We have a heater on the stove.
03:20 We have a heater on the stove.
03:22 We have a heater on the stove.
03:24 We have a heater on the stove.
03:28 We have a heater on the stove.
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05:16 We have a heater on the stove.
05:18 We have a heater on the stove.
05:20 We have a heater on the stove.
05:22 We have a heater on the stove.

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