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We Are Sunderland - A weekly round-up of lifestyle highlights. From eating out to what’s on - celebrating the city’s best bits! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Sunderland Echo, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. A British man constructed a house in the Caribbean for just £3,000 to enjoy a mortgage-free life and escape the "boring" and "miserable" UK winters.

Alex Cassidy, 22, built the one-bedroom home on land in Tobago owned by his stepfather, Derek Sandy, 61. After gathering materials, Alex spent three months constructing the house with assistance from local tradespeople. Advertisement Advertisement Now, Alex lives mortgage-free, with quarterly expenses of only £130 for electricity, water, and Wi-Fi.



He resides in Tobago for six months each year to avoid the rainy and cold UK winters. Alex, a musician from the Isle of Wight, said: "I've got my own privacy. 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 grew up spending time between the Isle of Wight and Tobago - where his stepdad, Derek, also a musician, is from.

Now Alex spends half of the year in each country so decided to build a house on the land Derek owns in Tobago. He started collecting materials in January 2023, but began properly building the home with the help of local labourers in January 2024. Alex finished the o.

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