Is a three unit Hivehaus for £55,000 with optional extensions the solution to all first-time buyer problems?
The Guardian spoke to Barry Jackson about his unique idea to create an alternative form of housing. Born out of the want to build himself a “man cave” for his drum set and camera equipment, the 52-year-old builder came up with the honeycomb design that could revolutionise the lower range of the property market.
It took Barry, who built his idea in his backyard just outside Wigan, three years to complete his Hivehaus. Each hexagonal room offers 100 square feet of space and can be customised. The “Hexa Home” can be erected in four to five days by three builders, needs no foundation and can be used as a study, garden room, gym or even mobile home.
Jackson says his Hivehaus uses standard, off-the-shelf material, which keeps the price for a three unit home at £55,000 and could open up new avenues for first-time investors.
A lot of young people won’t ever have that chance that I had. They are still living with their parents in their 30s. It delays having families because people don’t feel that they belong anywhere, because they are stuck in some rental trap.
“The more I developed this idea, the more I saw that this could be developed for good and hopefully help people who can’t get on the housing ladder.”
The 52-year-old invested £20,000 to build his showhouse. Each side of one hexagonal room is two meters long and can be made up of a variety of material. Steel supports hold the roof which features a dome to let light in. Each room can feature up to two class sides.
Jackson’s project has previously been introduced to wider audiences on Channel 4’s Amazing Spaces:
Whether Jackson’s Hivehaus is going to be part of a major property revolution still remains to be seen especially since some issues, like mortgage lending, haven’t been solved yet.
Jackson himself sees living in a Hivehaus as a lifestyle choice because “it is a lot more minimal, a lot simpler and ‘I have not got all that money going out all the time, I can now do the hobbies that I want to do, I can travel’,” he said.
In the future, Jackson plans to develop a two-storey version of the same concept introducing the idea of hexagonal living to another range of people.
To find out more about Barry Jackson and the Hivehaus visit his website here.
Feature image by The Guardian.
