AFTER quitting their jobs and selling their home, Kiera and Richard Reid now live in a lorry with their three children.
In 2019, Kiera and Richard, originally from Essex, had the “crazy idea” to “hit the road.”
The family-of-five, plus their chocolate Labrador Charlie, were previously living in a three-bedroom detached property in Carlisle, Cumbria.
But after leaving their marketing and forestry careers behind and buying their first motorhome, the brood spent five months touring around Europe.
Seven years after “giving up the rat race,” the couple and their three children – Piper, nine, Jack, eight, and Teddy five – now live in a lorry.
Posting on social media, Kiera, who is currently driving around the entire British coastline with her family, gave her followers a close-up look inside the large lorry.
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Showing off her children’s bedroom, Kiera said: “When we built this lorry to live in full-time with our three kids, one thing was completely non-negotiable – they had to have really good beds.”
As she showed off the spacious beds, Kiera continued: “We wanted each of them to have their own permanent little corner of home – not just somewhere to sleep, but somewhere that felt like theirs.
“These bunk beds were custom built to fit perfectly into the lorry and they’re all full, standard single size, no compromises on comfort.
“We made sure there was enough headroom for them to sit up, spread out and actually enjoy their space, because this isn’t just where they sleep, it’s where they read, where they play, where they wind down after big adventure days.
“They’ve completely made them their own, filling them with toys, little trinkets and all the treasures that kids somehow collect along the way.”
And underneath the beds, Keira revealed that thanks to IKEA buys, the youngsters have plenty of storage.
The mum-of-three added: “Clothes, Lego, arts and crafts bits, it all has a home too under the bottom bunk, where we’ve fitted 16 TROFAST trays from IKEA that keep everything neatly tucked away.”
The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @touringwiththekids, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly racked up 33,800 views.
Social media users were impressed by the children’s bedroom and many thought it looked “very comfortable.”
One person said: “Honestly love how fantastically homely it looks. We are looking into van life atm and really inspired by this.”
Another added: “Beautiful, very comfortable.”
A third commented: “Looks lovely.”
Meanwhile, someone else chimed in: “Looks good.”
Why I could never live in a tiny home
Tiny homes are getting increasingly popular in the UK, especially in the cost of living crisis when first-time buyers are struggling to get on the property ladder or current homeowners are having to pay ridiculous interest rates on mortgages.
But Rebecca Miller, Fabulous’ Associate Editor, has shared why living in a tiny home would be her idea of a nightmare.
“I’m currently in the process of selling my flat and buying a house, and as I pack up all my belongings, I’m worried where it is all going to go – there is so much stuff!
Fortunately, I’m very privileged to be buying a house with more square feet than my current flat.
But it got me wondering, could I ever live in a small space? And the answer is no.
- Less personal space
Living with another person immediately cuts down on personal space, but remove several rooms, and I’d be left with only the bathroom as my sanctuary. I’m not sure I’d be able to cope!
- Less storage space
I’m like a magpie, I like collecting pretty things, and I like my belongings to be organised. With limited storage space, I’d find it really hard to keep everything neat and tidy.
- Can’t play host
One of the joys of being an independent adult is being able to host – friends, family, overnight stays, and dinner parties. Where would I gather everyone for a Sunday lunch if my table only sat two? Not to mention, how would I cook a Sunday lunch?
- No room to grow
Both as an individual, as part of a couple and also my hobbies, can be restricted by physical space. When I first moved into my flat, I was overjoyed at having my own balcony, and it has been a space where my love for gardening has grown. Five years on, my balcony is now overflowing with plants, and I’ve had to set up a mini propagator in the living room!
The couple, who find free motorhome stops to help keep their cost of living low, previously opened up to The Sun about their cheaper way of life thanks to living on the road.
Richard said: “Before we had a mortgage, so each month we were obviously repaying the bank, but now we are debt free.
“We own everything and don’t owe anyone any money.”
The dad-of-three claimed the family will continue their “nomad” lifestyle for “the foreseeable future.”
While it can be “chaos” with three children and a dog, Richard believes it’s great for their development.
The three youngsters are being “van-schooled” by their parents and even get to choose what they study.
Richard explained: “We homeschool our kids with a loose schedule. We sit down with them individually, and Keira teaches some subjects like English and science while I do maths.
“But then we let them pick what else they want to learn about. They said they wanted to know more about oceans, so we’re all learning about marine life together which is really nice. They might not get that in mainstream education.
“It can be chaotic with so many of us in such close quarters, but it’s so nice to see them bonding and playing together.”
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