AIBU to sell my home

[Downing10]

AIBU to sell my house, buy a small patch of land and live in a safari tent?

I'm not even sure if it's doable but I honestly love the idea.

I've stayed in lots of safari tents and I just love them and love the lifestyle that comes with it.

Anyone know if legally it's doable?

Or am I mad??

Do you live on the savannah?

I can imagine nothing worse than UK winter in a tent, personally.

How would you manage toilet and washing facilities, long term? Heating water? Power?

There will be some sort of rules in place I imagine to protect people from exploitation.

A cursory Google says you can't do more than 28 days without planning permission for a camp site. And if you have a camp site you must have certain facilities.

By law, all campsites in the UK are required to provide access to toilet facilities, running water and electricity.

Sounds awful in the UK.

There is a reason that humanity does not live in tents longterm.

I can see how it would be fine if you're somewhere with a temperate climate that's never too wet, windy or cold.

Plus somewhere safe that you'd not be at risk of having your possessions stolen or trashed when leaving the tent unattended.

None of these factors are applicable to the UK, generally.

Where will you get water?
What would you eat?
How would you store food?
How will you cook?
What will you do with your excrement?

Just for starters.......

You can't just pitch a tent and live permanently on non-residential land.

A tent will only last a certain period if used permanently, and you wouldn't have the facilities to reproof it.

Think about being sick in the middle of winter, or a big storm, and struggling to keep a stove going (or not being able to because of high wind and being freezing).

How will you cope with the loo, showers, washing clothes?

As for the legality, depends on the local Council as I understand it

Ah, see all the safari tents I've stayed in have a bathroom inside including shower, toilet, sink, bath, etc. Connected to a water supply. There's a wood burner in the living area. Electric that supplies kitchen with hob, oven, microwave, fridge, freezer, dishwasher. So none of that would be a problem. Biggest issues I can see are planning permission and security.

Maybe look at tiny homes instead? More secure, what with the walls and everything. 😁Not sure how planning works here as I mostly see them on US home programmes.

The lifespan of those tents isn't the same as a house, so you'd need to factor in replacements / upgrades. They also leak heat like a bugger imo. They're also classed as weather "resistant" rather than "proof" in my experience!

You'd need to buy land that is relatively easy to hook up to the relevant utilities. Otherwise you'll spend a fortune digging trenches. Don't underestimate how cold cold is. Being "on safari" is not the same as living the experience 24/7 in the UK. Snow? Torrential downpours? Gales?

Do you work? I'm not sure how you'd secure all your worldly possessions. Realistically you'd need a safe indoor space for documents and treasures.

I wouldn't be happy with no solid walls to ever retreat to.

Can you downsize dramatically instead?

You could buy something like this. I mean it's basically a shed but at least it's more secure.
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/134346722?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

Some ideas here. An insulated yurt would maybe be a better option if it was waterproofed?

amp.theguardian.com/travel/2014/nov/26/top-10-winter-camping-glamping-breaks-uk

Legally it is doable, but only if the structure is temporary, or you have planning permission and there are no covenants on the land preventing it from being lived on.

liveoffgrid.co.uk/living-off-grid-in-the-uk/

I'd live in one of the camping pods with kitchen and bathroom

www.modulog.co.uk/pods-and-cabins-with-shower-rooms

From the description you give of the 'safari' tent all you are swapping is canvas for bricks and roof tiles. There's a reason the people of this small archipelago off the north west of main land Europe moved away from sticks, wattle and daub towards stone and brick. Our climate is cold, wet, windy and damp - and damp inside a tent is horrible. It's literally a world away from sleeping under canvas on the African Savannah.

Getting planning permission would be interesting - you would need to research the different regions of the country to see local authorities views on permanent tent sites. You certainly wouldn't be able to pitch your tent long term (long term enough to want water etc) without planning permission. And it would cost a lot to plumb you in for water and mains electricity - and you couldn't get this with planning permission. By the time you had bought the land, got planning permission, sorted out utilities and erected you tent / yurt you would have spent pretty much all your savings. The tent / yurt would have precious little re-sell value, so it really would be a one way street on this one.

Whilst it's possible from a legal and practical point of view, I think you would be leaving yourself very vulnerable - financially and personally.

So you'd have to pay £££££££ to connect up to mains electricity, water and sewerage - IF possible and IF you got planning permission!

Even then the experience of living in a tent in the UK is not going to be remotely like being on Safari 😆

Why don't you just buy a small property in a rural location? You could put a tent up in the garden and pretend for a few nights in Summer ☀️