'I spent £10k transforming a static caravan into a log cabin'

Benn Berkeley has transformed it into a beautiful off-grid log cabin, doing everything himself except the electrics and plumbing

A man spent £10k transforming a static caravan into a log cabin in just four months. Benn Berkeley, 38, lost all his work prospects as a freelance film-maker in 2020 due to the pandemic.

At the time, he was living in a house share spending £500 a month on rent but realised he wanted a different lifestyle. In August 2020, his brother took over a farm which had a static caravan on and asked Benn if he wanted it.

Benn leaped at the opportunity despite admitting it was a "fixer-upper" and started working on gutting out the caravan in September 2020. Since then, he had transformed it into an off-grid log cabin in four months - spending £10k on the renovation.

Benn said he did everything apart from the electrics and plumbing himself after learning everything on YouTube. Benn, a freelance film-maker, from St Ives, Cornwall, said: "It wasn't pre-planned, it was forced out of Covid.

"When COVID happened, I lost all my work. It was a mix of having nothing to do and the opportunity to do up this static home. I had zero experience in building and DIY but there was an opportunity to do it up and live in it so I jumped in head first. Everything we learned was through YouTube, it was a really amazing and empowering experience."

In August 2020, Benn had the opportunity to renovate an old static caravan after his brother took on a farm.

He said: "I completely gutted the place out. It is 44ft by 10ft. We had to support one of the walls as it was caving in - the first job was to make it safe.

"We changed the windows and then we realised there was a damp issue so we ripped all of the walls out - it was a completely open space.

"From there we had free reign to do what we wanted, originally it was two bedrooms with a bathroom and kitchen. All of that went, we now have a double bedroom, bathroom, corridor and open plan living and kitchen space."

Prior to renovating his home, Benn had no experience with DIY or building so he took to YouTube to learn his skills. He spent £10k on the home transforming it from a static home to his dream log cabin.

Benn said: "YouTube is such a fantastic resource, every single part of the cabin I learned on the site. From changing a window, removing a door, building a wall or how to build a kitchen. It was all there for me."

Since moving into the cabin, Benn has made the place off-grid. He heats his home with a log burner, uses gas bottles for his oven and his electricity comes from solar panels on the farm.

He said: "It is a very simple lifestyle which I think we have lost. There is an element of simplicity when you are living a life like this. I can govern myself a lot more, I am not pressed into working a certain amount of hours a week as I know my outgoings each month."