Mum's crafty escape from rental crisis

"I have no chance of getting a rental in this market - it’s pointless.”

The current rental and cost-of-living crises in Australia are forcing house hunters to get creative in their search for a roof over their heads.

Agencies are recording record numbers at open homes, and tenants are having to decide whether alternative housing such as caravans, tents, yachts, and vans are suitable.

7Newsreports one mum has chosen to renovate an old barn so her and her daughter have a place to call home.

Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this. 

The woman broke up with her partner 12 months ago which sliced her financial capacity in half, and with Perth’s vacancy rate currently sitting below one per cent, she said she knew her chances of securing a place were low.

“I’ve been renting for 10 years and am a very good tenant on paper,” she told 7News.

“But I have no chance of getting a rental in this market - it’s pointless.”

RELATED: Mum forced out of home after shocking rental increase

Perth rental market crashes through $600 mark

Perth’s median rental price has surged since the Covid-19 pandemic, and now sits at $615-a-week - an increase of $150 in just two years, and the first time the city has been more than $600.

With just one income, the Perth mum told 7News those types of figures were out of reach.

She had been staying with friends in the meantime, but changing circumstances meant her options were “running out fast”.

She was then offered the chance to move into a barn shed owned by one of her clients, where she could live rent-free if she covered her own utility costs and living expenses.

However, the catch was the barn was not in living condition when it was offered.

RELATED: Queensland family in pieces after rental crisis forces them to live in a tent

"I'm really excited to have our own space"

So the mum, with the help of a few friends, is now renovating the barn to make it livable and safe for her and her daughter.

7News reports the barn has been cleaned out, but still needs work to connect it to power and plumbing, and to make sure it has a working kitchen.

Friends of the woman have started a GoFundMe to help her finish the project, which has raised more than $1700 as of Tuesday afternoon.

“I’m really excited to have our own space,” the mother told 7News.

“It’s a massive relief and an incredible feeling.”

Originally published as Mum's crafty escape from rental crisis