This man pays £350 a month to live in an actual box in someone else’s house

This is the VIP version of Harry Potter's cupboard under the stairs.

We know rent is bad in lots of cities, but at what point do you decide to give up on the dream of home ownership and settle for a box – an actual box – in somebody else's front room? For design student Peter Berkowitz, the choice was an obvious one and, when everything was costed, a considerably cheaper one when compared to paying what he calls "extortionate rent" in his native hometown of San Francisco. [caption id="attachment_49260" align="alignnone" width="1280"] via Peter Berkowski[/caption] What he lacks in size, Peter makes up for in cash savings. While average monthly rent prices in the city for a one-bed flat are around $3,500 (£2,400), Peter pays a mere $508 (£360) on rent. In a recent blog post, Berkowitz wrote:

“Yes, living in a pod is silly. But the silliness is endemic to San Francisco’s absurdly high housing prices—the pod is just a solution that works for me.”

[caption id="attachment_49261" align="alignnone" width="1280"] via Peter Berkowski[/caption] From only a simple plywood box, Peter was able to construct a modern, minimal, and streamlined home which he hopes will inspire others in his situation to be economical with their space. One cozy bedroom with a fold-down desk, a slanted cushion backboard and a whole bunch of fairy lights can make anywhere more or less liveable, as Peter has definitively proven. Still a rip-off though. You have to wonder how long it will be before someone in London does similar? [caption id="attachment_49262" align="alignnone" width="1280"] via Peter Berkowski[/caption] [caption id="attachment_49263" align="alignnone" width="1280"] via Peter Berkowski[/caption]