'Lady in the Lodge' combats rising rent by moving into son's back garden

Val Dawson, 78, gave up her cottage in King Street last year after her son and daughter-in-law offered to help her move into an ‘L’-shaped cabin in their Manchester Road garden.

Now settled in, Val says life in the lodge is going well, with a private rear entrance from Sugarpit Lane offering ample privacy.

“We aren’t getting in each other’s hair,” Val told the Guardian.

“I have been living in Knutsford very happily for 15 or 16 years, and it’s the private rent which is going up. I began to think I ought to be looking at my finances.

“It was my son who suggested that I could possibly live in a lodge in his back garden, and I thought it couldn’t possibly work – I didn’t really think the garden was big enough, but it obviously is.

“The more we talked about it, I realised that from an economic point of view it would be a hug saving. We did a lot of research.

Val says the family mulled it over for more than a year, weighing up financial benefits against potential issues of privacy and downsizing. In the end, Val even tried her hand at planning as the lodge took shape.

“It took a bit of time, and a company sent a representative who set out plans and advised on what the space could take.

“I did the plan with him and it’s fairly simple. It was a process of going through what I could and couldn’t have with such a small space.

“People were quite intrigued by the whole thing and once it was up and running I had an open day so everybody could come in. I had 15 or 20 people for coffee which was a bit of a crush!

“They are very excited by the idea and think I am a bit crazy.

“Thankfully I am busy most days – happily, I am fit and out and about almost every day. I needed to be self-sufficient.

“I think I would recommend it for people. Circumstances differ, and I am lucky that my son and daughter-in-law have been good enough to offer me their garden. I am very glad they did – it’s really fun and it’s working for me.”