UK dad spent £80,000 building an 80-square-metre tropical garden hideout with an 8,000-litre fish tank, 14 koi fish and 15 geckos

A father from Milton Keynes has spent more than £80,000 transforming his back garden into an 80-square-metre tropical hideout complete with an 8,000-litre fish tank, 14 Koi fish, 15 Madagascan day geckos, palm trees and a beer tap. Andy Corrie, 41, built the space himself as a personal retreat where he could relax after work and spend time away from his busy routine.According to The Metro UK, the project initially surprised his wife, Sarah, and their neighbours, who were not convinced by his plans. However, the space helped them understand his vision. Corrie began planning the project about three years before June 2022 and continued adding new features. His family also enjoys the garden retreat, which he hopes to expand further.How did Andy Corrie turn his back garden into an £80,000 tropical hideoutCorrie transformed his Milton Keynes home's garden into what he calls his ‘man cave’. The 80-square-metre space was built single-handedly and designed to provide an escape from everyday life. As a construction worker, Corrie deals with building plans each day, which helped him approach the project.Corrie said, “My wife, Sarah thought I was absolutely crazy at first, but now it’s built she understands where I was coming from when I was trying to explain the plan”.“I started working on the plans about three years ago and I’m still adding to it – any new idea I have, I just throw it in”.What makes Andy Corrie’s £80,000 garden hideout a tropical paradiseThe hideout combines tropical greenery, an aquarium, and entertainment features within the garden space. Its main attraction is an 8,000-litre fish tank containing 14 Koi fish. The retreat also houses 15 Madagascan day geckos and features palm trees, a sound system and a beer tap.Corrie spent part of the £80,000 budget on the tropical plants, which grow from large underground planters. He described the setting as an unusual place, with palm trees that appear to grow straight out of the ground. The combination of plants, fish and other features gives the garden its tropical character.How Andy Corrie maintains his tropical hideout with Koi fish and Madagascan day geckosMaintaining the tropical environment involves keeping the fish tank at a constant temperature of 24 degrees. Corrie bought his 14 Koi fish from dealerships across the UK, with some costing as much as £10,000. After the aquarium was established, someone suggested introducing lizards because they enjoy the warm climate.Corrie followed the suggestion and added 15 Madagascan day geckos to the space. His children also enjoy spending time around the fish. His four-year-old daughter, Evie, helps him feed the Koi fish every day, while his one-year-old son, Archie, enjoys coming into the hideout and attacking the plants.Andy Corrie plans to add a pool table and more tropical animals to his garden hideoutDespite spending more than £80,000 on the garden project, Corrie has not finished developing the space. He wants to extend the hideout to accommodate a pool table and has considered introducing more tropical animals.His ideas include tree frogs and possibly monkeys, with the aim of making the garden feel even more like a jungle. The plans reflect his approach since he first began working on it. Corrie said he continued to add features whenever he came up with a new idea.The hideout also gives him somewhere to unwind after a hard day's work and relax at weekends without travelling far from home. His family has embraced the space, which began as his personal escape.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.