John Kernohan, 61, and his wife, Fin, 44, ditched the bustle for a quiet life in a shed (Image: SWNS)
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 invited Fin, a Thai native who had been living in London, to move to the United 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.
Don’t miss…
Inside off-grid UK woodland commune which costs just £120 a month
Couple moved family of six into double-decker bus and saved £12,000 a year
John ditched his spacious Miami home for this gorgeous off-grid shed (Image: SWNS)
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 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.”
The couple make a full-time income from Airbnb after moving off-grid for good (Image: SWNS)
- Support fearless journalism
- Read The Daily Express online, advert free
- Get super-fast page loading
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 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 $6,500, 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.
Their shed is fully powered by solar and thermal energy, as well as using a biogas system – creating cooking gas from their non-compostable waste such as leftover meat.
While small, they’ve made their home their own – and over the years added quirks such as a greenhouse bathroom and kitchen. Their kitchen even features ponds complete with seven Koi Carp and eight other tropical fish swimming around.
Over time they bought their land outright then bought additional pieces of adjoining land as they became available. They now own 16 acres of land, having spent $83k on it, including getting an extra building and a well as part of the deal.
As the space grew, they even began to add additional separate cabins, domes, tiny houses and a yurt – which is now their primary source of income as the couple list them on Airbnb.
READ MORE:
The pretty little city with one of the UK’s best Christmas markets
The pretty UK town where families are flocking after abandoning big cities
The couple’s shed is easily big enough for them to throw off-grid parties with like-minded pals (Image: SWNS)
It is their full-time income, bringing in $3,000 to $5,000 a month. It’s now been 12 years and they’re as happy as ever – living debt-free because they didn’t need to get a mortgage.
They even run ‘tiny house festivals’ to bring together like-minded off-grid lovers, as well as workshops and other events at their homestead.
John said: “When we started out, I thought we made a mistake because we were always on top of each other and never had any space.
“She said ‘if you want space, we have acres and acres out there, go take a walk’. I realised she was right, it’s what you make of the space, not its size – personal space doesn’t have to be a room.
“If we ever get annoyed at each other, we just get over it real quick – we resolve the negative vibe and move on. We have friends in big houses near us on the lake and we go there for parties – but now I can’t believe we used to live that way.”
