U.K. Man’s Grave Cleaning Side Hustle Made Him Enough Money To Buy a House By Realtor.com

Side hustles have become more than just a trend for pocket money; they’re helping hard-working people buy their first homes.

Such is the case for Shaun Tookey of Harlow, Essex, in the U.K. In May 2023, a small-business idea turned into a saving grace for Tookey, who up until that point thought that owning his own home would be impossible. 

And then he started cleaning graves.

How a side hustle can help you buy a home 

Tookey, or “The Grave Cleaner” as he’s known on social media, has cleaned more than 300 graves with his side hustle, documenting his progress on Instagram and TikTok for all to see. 

The gig is lucrative: Families will pay him between $187 and $562 for a deep clean, according to the New York Post via SWNS.

It pays so well in fact, that after a year of fixing chips on headstones and repainting lettering, Tookey was able to buy his first home. 

“This job has given my family stability, especially with how life is hard at the minute,” he explained. “It has allowed us time to save money and buy our first home instead of renting.”

Tookey, a tree surgeon (a specialized landscaping engineer), manages the “rewarding” work on his days off during the week and on the weekends. He accepts clients through referrals or social media, which has become an additional source of income. 

“Most of my jobs are through social media. It is such a big platform, and my videos are getting a lot better,” he explained. 

This “financial freedom” has been a blessing for Tookey and his family. 

“I bought our first family home in December 2024. Before that, we had been renting,” he shared.

“It was a massive achievement for me. It is a great feeling to know that your business is working. It gives me a steady income to provide a life for my family, something we didn’t think would be possible in this day and age.”

Affording a house in 2025

Tookey’s struggle to buy a home is one many people living in the United States can sympathize with. 

Mortgage rates are not expected to rise significantly, according to the Realtor.com® 2025 housing forecast report. However, the housing market could see a shift amid the direction newly reelected President Donald Trump plans to take the country in.

According to the report, homebuyers and sellers can expect to see for-sale inventory rise by 11.7%, with price appreciation rising 3.7%. While home prices will continue to rise in 2025, it’s expected to be at a slightly lower pace of 3.7%.

The best way to know if you can afford a house is to do the math beforehand. The Realtor.com affordability calculator can help you estimate how much you can afford to spend on a home.

Having that information in hand will help you, too, with your finances and see if you need a side hustle like Tookey to achieve your homeowning dream. 

Top side hustles of 2025 

If making extra money is the key to getting you into your first home, it might not be a bad idea to follow Tookey’s lead and try a side hustle. 

While there are tons of options out there, it’s best to play to your strengths and passions when choosing how to spend your free time, even if it does pay. 

Among the Forbes list of top side hustles of 2025 are gigs like tutoring, pet sitting, and virtual event planning. Etsy is still a place to go for folks looking to get creative, especially if you are skilled at creating digital products like ebooks. Or you could partner with a print-on-demand service to create custom items like shirts and mugs. 

There is the tried and true freelance route for writers, graphic designers, and social media managers, as well as affiliate marketing and content creation for those who have a large social media presence. 

But if you’re handy, flipping free items could be a great option. You can find items like furniture on Facebook Marketplace, fix them up, and resell them for cash.

Not only could you make some extra money, but you could also hone a skill that could help you around your own home. Home renovation time is right around the corner!

"Call Eli Torres at (832) 430-2107, for your home buying and selling needs."

Source: www.realtor.com