Catrina Davies releases her Polgigga shed to the open market in Cornwall as the small seaside property featured in Homesick attracts surfers writers and second home seekers

People who read Homesick will remember the tiny wooden space where writer Catrina Davies rebuilt her life from the ground up.

Now that very shed — a one-room structure tucked near the sea in Cornwall — is about to change hands.

On 25 March, the modest building known locally as “The Shop” will go under the hammer with a guide price between £80,000 and £100,000.

What makes it remarkable isn’t just the timber walls or the coastal setting — it’s the story inside it.

From overcrowded Bristol rental to a shed near Land’s End

More than a decade ago, Davies was sharing a cramped rental in Bristol — one kitchen, one bathroom, four adults and a child.

The arrangement became unbearable.

So in 2013, she packed up her van and drove to a patch of land near Land’s End, moving into a former office shed once used by her father.

Her father had worked as an architect and ran his business from the structure until financial disaster struck during Black Wednesday in 1992.

When the business folded, the shed remained — weathered but standing.

Davies turned it into a home.

Living half outdoors — and loving it

The shed wasn’t glamorous. It was small, simple, and exposed to the elements.

Yet Davies often described falling in love with that closeness to nature — the rain tapping overhead, moonlight spilling through, swallows darting across Cornish skies.

Her memoir Homesick pulled back the curtain on what it means to be priced out of your own community.

Cornwall’s housing market has soared in recent years.

A surge in second-home ownership and holiday lets has left many locals struggling to find affordable places to live.

Davies’ story struck a nerve because it wasn’t fiction — it was survival.

The shed symbolised both freedom and a housing crisis that refuses to loosen its grip on the region.

Why she’s letting it go

At one point, Davies imagined staying there forever.

Life, however, moved on.

After welcoming a baby, reality shifted.

The shed that once felt liberating suddenly felt tight.

“Small for one, and much too much for three,” she admitted publicly.

Eventually, she said goodbye on what she described as a glowing autumn evening.

She moved in with her partner — to another, slightly larger shed — marking a new chapter.

In a deeply personal gesture, she planted her son’s placenta beneath an apple tree in a nearby field, anchoring family roots in Cornish soil.

Still, letting go of the original shed has been emotional.

She’s selling it alongside her two sisters, hoping the next owner appreciates the swallows overhead, the sea air, and the quiet creative energy the place holds.

What buyers are actually getting

The Polgigga property may be tiny, but it’s not primitive.

Inside, there’s an open-plan living and dining area warmed by a multi-fuel burner.

A mezzanine sleeping level adds vertical space.

Mains water and electricity are connected — a practical bonus.

Outside, there’s off-road parking, a garden area, and even a separate shower room with toilet.

Positioned close to the coast, it offers the kind of rugged charm that appeals to writers, surfers, and anyone craving a stripped-back retreat.

The sale will be handled by Auction House South West, and it’s being offered freehold.

Contracts exchange immediately after the auction — so buyers need to be ready.

Why quirky properties at auction come with strings attached

Auction purchases can look like bargains compared with open-market listings.

But they aren’t for the faint-hearted.

Legal packs sometimes contain “special conditions,” including extra fees — occasionally around three per cent — payable to agents.

Renovation costs can spiral quickly, especially with unusual structures.

An overgrown garden alone can swallow thousands in clearance fees.

View the property in person if possible.

Study comparable sales.

Get legal advice before raising your paddle.

And above all, don’t get swept up in bidding fever.

Unusual properties can also present mortgage challenges.

Some lenders hesitate when the building doesn’t fit standard criteria.

Many auction purchases require completion within 28 days — a tight turnaround if financing isn’t lined up.

The bigger picture — Cornwall’s housing tension

Cornwall’s property market has become a flashpoint over the past decade.

Demand for holiday homes and coastal retreats has inflated prices beyond the reach of many local residents.

Communities have debated restrictions on second homes, and campaigners argue that the region risks hollowing out villages that once housed year-round populations.

Davies’ shed became a symbol of that struggle — a creative response to a broken system.

For some readers, buying it might feel like owning a piece of modern Cornish social history.

What’s next?

On 25 March, the auction hammer will decide the shed’s future.

Will it become a writer’s sanctuary?

A surfer’s basecamp?

A holiday let marketed off the back of Homesick?

Or will a devoted reader step in, hoping to live a version of the life Davies once documented?

For Davies, the next chapter is already unfolding — motherhood, partnership, and a new living space.

For the shed, the story is about to restart with someone else holding the keys.

Summary

A one-room shed in Polgigga, Cornwall, once home to author Catrina Davies and featured in her 2019 memoir Homesick, is heading to auction with a guide price of £80,000 to £100,000.

The property, close to Land’s End and equipped with basic utilities, reflects both Davies’ personal journey and the wider housing crisis affecting Cornwall.

While auctions can offer opportunities, they also carry risks including legal complexities, renovation costs, and mortgage challenges.

The sale marks the end of one chapter for Davies — and the uncertain beginning of another for the shed.