A young Brit has built his own house in the Caribbean for a mere £3k, allowing him to live mortgage-free and escape the UK's 'boring' and 'miserable' winter.
Alex Cassidy, 22, built a one-bedroom home on land in Tobago owned by his stepfather, Derek Sandy, 61. After gathering materials, he spent three months building with the assistance of local tradespeople.
Alex now lives without a mortgage and only spends £130 every three months on utilities such as electricity, water and wi-fi. He spends half the year in Tobago to avoid the UK's rainy and cold winters.
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Alex, a musician from the Isle of Wight, said: "I've got my own privacy and I bought my freedom. It's such a price difference to the UK. I spent £3k to build a whole house and never pay rent."
Alex split his time growing up between the Isle of Wight and Tobago - where his stepdad, Derek, also a musician, is from. Now he divides his time equally between each country, so decided to construct a house on the land Derek owns.
He began collecting materials in January 2023 but started properly building the home with the help of local labourers in January 2024.
Alex completed the one-bedroom home in March this year and spent just £3k on the entire build. He said: "It was heavy labour as my house is on a hill, but it was rewarding. It's a really open plan space with a bed, living room, kitchen and bathroom. It's very simple."
Alex said that the plumbing cost him £120 and the electricity £150 to set up. "In England it was £3k to £4k just to put electric in a one-bed flat," he said. "Some of the material prices were very similar to the UK but labour is a lot cheaper and I did a lot myself."
Reflecting on his project, Alex said it didn't truly hit him until the final details of the house were in place. He recalled: "The realisation hit me that I have a home. This is mine."
Now living mortgage-free, Alex's utility costs are minimal - around £100 every three months for electricity and water, and between £30 and £40 every three months for WiFi.
He said: "It's quite sad. A lot of my friends got good jobs and most of their money goes on bills and rent. It's impossible to get a deposit."
Alex returns to the Isle of Wight each summer for gigs with Derek, but he opts to live in Tobago during the winter months. "It's a great life," he said. "The UK in summer is a great place but winter is very boring. It makes sense for me to go out there. It's cheaper. I earn a below average wage but I don't spend much money."
Despite some comments online describing his house as a "tin shed", Alex is passionate about his home. He stated: "I'd rather live here than a £300k house I have to pay for for 35 years on a mortgage. I own this, I never have to pay anyone a cent. I don't have to work for 35 years to live in a cold, boring miserable country."
Emphasising his love for his time spent in Tobago, Alex had nothing but praise for the local scene. He enthused: "The nightlife is brilliant. I'm always meeting new people. I'm never lonely."
"In the day I relax at the beach. The people are really interesting. I wanted to show the natural beauty of Tobago."
