Living as a renter in an expensive city like London can’t be easy for a large portion of the population. This is why Harrison, an artist, lives in a skip in London where he pays a meager rent of £50 per month. When one steps into his skip, they would find a kitchen and a living space attached. The kitchen is lined with shelves where he keeps his Hob stoves, a mini fridge, and the cutlery. In order to make the skip a little aesthetic, he has also lined the walls with artwork from his friends and family. Above the kitchen is his bedroom- which he considers to be quite cozy. Harrison claims that not only is this tiny skip his house- but it is also a statement against the increasing cost of living in the country. Harrison states, “This project was a way through which I could find- almost like a loophole that would give me a space to live for less money in a very great location and equally make a statement at the same time.”
ARTIST LIVES IN A SKIP IN LONDON WHICH COSTS HIM £50 PER MONTH
The entrance to this skip in London is definitely not very comfortable- but one can make do with it. Harrison’s bed is situated right at the top, which he climbs through a ladder, and is lined with cabinets for clothes, tools, and other paraphernalia. The artist had been working overseas and had recently returned to London. As most people usually do, he had to start searching for rooms in London- which are definitely quite expensive and few in quantity. There were other issues as well- Harrison had a budget, and even if he found a place that was at a great location and ticked all the boxes- it was quite possible that a lot of other people were also looking for the same. If one had to secure that room, they would have to pay the deposit within 5 minutes or lose it.
The artist who lives in a skip in London mentioned that this was the area where he had grown up. He also knew most of his neighbors around- whose children had to move to the outskirts of the city because the rates were so unaffordable. For his skip, Harrison had to pay £4000 for all the furnishings inside the skip- the bedding, the food, and the lodging. But apart from that, the cost of maintenance and upkeep for the skip was just £50. The cost is low because the land belonged to an Arts charity called Anti-Bavilion. This meant that the project was more of an art project than a scalable project. Previously, Harrison would borrow water from the neighbor’s hose pipe, but as it turned out, he was about to receive electricity inside his skip, so he will be able to cook properly without any trouble. For personal hygiene, Harrison usually showered at his workplace, or at the gym.
LIVING IN A SKIP HOUSE MIGHT BE EXOTIC- BUT IT HAS A WHOLE HOST OF PROBLEMS AS WELL
While it was definitely affordable to live in a skip in London, it probably wouldn’t assist in any romantic entanglements. Harrison mentioned that although he was currently single, he knew it would have been a problem otherwise. Most partners would be curious to check the skip out because it was a comparatively new concept, but none of them would want to stay over for lack of a shower and proper washroom. But Harrison isn’t deterred. He wants to stay in this skip for over a year- simply because it is unique and extremely affordable. He has also planned on moving his skip to other locations in the city if the opportunity arose.
Harrison’s life at this skip began during the colder months of the year, and he had no access to electricity- so he has already seen the worst. He hopes that as we move towards spring, he would have it comparatively easy- with the garden coming to use. One worry that Harrison would still have is the heat inside the small skip- especially during the months when it became too hot to stay inside a house. He stated, “The purpose of this project is to push a bit more creative thinking around housing and how it can be done. The way in which social housing has been done has become much more of a tick box exercise for developers rather than something people or governments truly believe in or put their money in.”
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