Tiny Homes

Category: Tiny Homes

Resources about tiny home living and trends.

tiny house bedroom with farm outside window
CategoriesLifestyle,  Tiny Homes

Tiny Houses for Mature Audiences

by Big Calm

When we first conceptualized Big Calm, we figured it would appeal to individuals and couples purchasing their first home. We were thrilled to learn that middle-to-retirement age folks are actually the demographic group that find tiny homestead living particularly appealing. Whether downsizing after children have grown up and moved out, or looking for a nice place to retire, tiny homestead living is capturing the interest of Baby Boomers and GenXers!

We’re no spring chickens ourselves, so we can relate to tiny home living hesitancy as it seems the majority of tiny home sleeping arrangements involve lofts. But, many builders are catching on that main floor bedrooms are the way to go for many clients. We’ve compiled a list of builders that offer this feature, or are willing to work on custom builds to ensure their clients’ comfort:

Builders with main floor bedroom models:

Tiny house bedroom interior
Teacup Tiny Homes

The Phoenix – storage staircase to master bedroom with standing room
Summer’s Night Dream – main floor bedroom
The Margo – main floor bedroom

Tiny house interior
ZeroSquared

Van Gogh – main floor queen bedroom
Aurora – main floor queen bedroom
Maverick – two main floor queen bedrooms

Tiny house bedroom interior
Summit Tiny Homes

Hummingbird – main floor bedroom
Modern Bohemian – main floor bedroom

Tiny house bedroom interior
Tree Hugger Tiny Homes

Cascade – main floor bedroom

Tiny house bedroom interior
Mint Tiny Homes

Canada Goose – storage staircase to master bedroom with standing room

Custom Builds

Canadian Tiny Homes
Fritz Tiny Homes
Nelson Tiny Houses
Rewild Homes
Sunshine Tiny Homes
True North Tiny Homes

hummingbird flying towards water drops
CategoriesLifestyle,  Tiny Homes

Do What You Can

by Big Calm

Earlier today we presented to hundreds at the Global Tiny House Conference. Our talk, “Macro Forces, Market Trends, and #WorkFromHomestead”, offered an overview of the factors motivating us to start and build Big Calm Tiny Homesteads and the importance of attracting likeminded people to its vision.

We looked at how negative macro forces like climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and widespread mental health woes are changing people’s behaviours. And we also looked at how positive market trends like the tiny house movement, the shift to remote work, a rural renaissance, and the rise of regenerative are emerging opportunities. These are all summarized in more detail here.

circular chart of macro forces and market trends for Big Calm investors

As the grandfather of permaculture, Bill Mollison, once said, “Though the problems of the world are increasingly complex, the solutions remain embarrassingly simple.”

One of permaculture’s other wise mantras: “Start where you are, do what you can, use what you have.” Which recalls the Story of the Hummingbird…

One day a devastating fire broke out in a forest – a huge woodlands area was suddenly engulfed by a raging wildfire. Frightened, all the animals fled their homes and ran out of the forest. As they came to the edge of a stream, they turned to watch the fire. They felt discouraged and powerless.

 

They bemoaned the destruction of their homes. Every one of them thought there was nothing they could do about the fire–except for one little hummingbird.

 

The littlest of creatures decided it would do something. It swooped into the stream and picked up a few drops of water and went directly into the forest and sprinkled them on the fire. Then it went back to the stream and did it again, and it kept going back, again and again and again.

 

All the other animals watched in disbelief. Some even tried to discourage the hummingbird with comments like, “Don’t bother,it is too much, you are too little, your wings will burn, your beak is too tiny, it’s only a drop, you can’t put out this fire.”

 

And as the animals stood around disparaging the little bird’s efforts, the bird noticed how hopeless and forlorn they looked. Then one of the animals shouted out and challenged the hummingbird in a mocking voice, “What do you think you are doing?”

 

And the hummingbird, without wasting time or losing a beat, looked back and said, “I am doing what I can.”

And that’s what we’re doing; we’re doing what we can. To acknowledge the forces we can’t control and recognize the trends we can harness – to create something special by supporting people who are eco-minded, improving self-reliance and food security, building a collaborative/supportive local community, and have fun doing it!

Photo by Levi Jones on Unsplash

woman facing a pedestrian bridge into a forest
CategoriesLifestyle,  Tiny Homes

Little Women

by Big Calm

On our social media channels – particularly Twitter – we keep tabs on some of the biggest trends nudging people towards what we’re building at Big Calm.

Of course, the biggest one is the COVID-19 pandemic and how it forced both a shift towards remote work and a reckoning with our mental well-beings.

Climate change is another macro force that has things like gardening, prepping, and regional food security coming up more often in casual conversation.

But another significant movement that’s largely gone under the radar is just how popular tiny house living is amongst women. According to Classic Building Sales, more than 64% of tiny house owners are women. Web forums indicate, and many builders confirm, that women are the ones driving the surging sales of premium tiny houses on wheels (THoWs).

We’re seeing three main reasons for this: lifestyle (design), life event (affordability), and life stage (communal independence).

Life Style

Some of the best designers and builders have gravitated towards tiny houses. The remarkable quality and ingenuity of today’s premium THoWs is being profiled and celebrated on Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube – especially amongst younger women and couples embracing a minimalist yet stylish aesthetic. Related bonus: According to iPropertyManagement, moving to a tiny home can decrease a household’s ecological footprint by 45%.

Life Event

Tiny houses are regularly associated with affordable housing – and there is a massive opportunity for cities to go tiny in meaningful ways. But even at the premium end of tinies, units are significantly less expensive – on average, less than one-fifth! – than getting a mortgage for traditional house or condo. And this is resonating for women on the flipside of a major life event – such as a divorce, the death of spouse, or the last child leaving the nest. Tiny homes offer a simpler, independent, and more affordable mid-life option.

Life Stage

While many people think of tiny homes as something only 20-somethings want, the market says otherwise and is showing significant engagement from those who are older. According to Restoring Simple (pre-pandemic), 23% of 35-54-year-olds and 15% of those over 55-years-old would seriously consider moving into a tiny home. There is a coming wave of retirees interested in leaving the nest themselves and finding a community that provides friendship, activity, safety, snow shovelling, and dog-sitting.

Ross Chapin wrote the book on Pocket Neighborhoods, describing them as “…settings where nearby neighbors can easily know one another, where empty nesters and single householders with far-flung families can find friendship or a helping hand nearby, and where children can have shirttail aunties and uncles just beyond their front gate.” That’s our goal at Big Calm.

For more on this, take inspiration from some of these great stories:

Photo by Jake Melara on Unsplash

open tin of colourful gummy fish
CategoriesLifestyle,  Tiny Homes

Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box

by Big Calm

Was Radiohead referring to tiny houses? Ok, it’s not that bad, but I’d be lying if I said adjusting to tiny home living was easy. We’ve been tiny home dwellers for a couple months now and we’re still getting the hang of it, but I thought it’d be a good time to share what we’ve learned so far.

Insight #1: Cleaning takes much less time, but you’ll need to do it more often.

Pretty intuitive: two adults and one cat generate the same amount of dust and dirt no matter the size of the home. So, while it takes half the time to clean a 500 square foot space as a 1,000 square foot space, you have to do it about twice as often.

Insight #2: You’ll likely need to rearrange your “stuff” several times until you get it “right.”

If you’re like me, you’ll notice that where you initially put some “stuff” isn’t the ideal place for it. I’ve been making small rearrangements and changes based on how often we use or need to access certain items. The good news is that every time rearrangements are made, the living space becomes more comfortable.

Insight #3: Fridge space is important.

We’re staying at a temporary rental until some of the early build-out on site is done, so we didn’t get to choose our kitchen and its half-size bar fridge. We will be going with a full-size fridge in our permanent tiny home: more fridge space means more fresh/whole foods, without having to rely as much on packaged/processed foods.

Insight #4: Schedules are important.

Two remote workers in a shared space means one of you is taking a Zoom call in the bathroom if you don’t plan ahead. Every morning we discuss what our schedules are for the day and we check with each other before we book any Zoom meetings.

Insight #5: Include white noise.

Speaking of bathrooms, it’s good to have a noisy bathroom fan. The white noise from the whirring of a fan provides an aural barrier for sounds that need not carry throughout the whole space.

Insight #6: There are ways to get “alone time” even when you can’t be alone.

You know when you see a coworker wearing headphones and it means “don’t bug me?” Well, I’ve learned that works well in a tiny household too. When it’s harder to get “alone time” (especially in winter when working outdoors is less comfortable), you can create alone time by putting on some headphones and listening to ambient sounds or your favourite tunes, which also subtly lets your partner know you’re “busy.”

Another “alone time” trick: if you can’t see your partner, it’s almost like s/he isn’t there (don’t judge until you go tiny). We have three “workspaces,” one of which is around a corner, out of sight. It works.

Also, earplugs and an eye mask are critical for the later sleeper. That’s an obvious one, but worth mentioning.

Insight #7: Once you get past the initial challenges of tiny house living, it’s really quite nice.

I like knowing that all the “stuff” we have is “stuff” we need, or, that that is an achievable end goal. Tiny home living is simpler living. You know how the late Steve Jobs always wore the same outfit so he didn’t have to think about it? It’s kind of like that, but it extends beyond one’s wardrobe. And, perhaps the best thing about tiny-house living – particularly when it’s out in the wilderness – is that nature’s beauty is just outside your door, reminding us that there’s a big world outside our cozy abode.

Photo by Roseanna Smith on Unsplash

a jumble of clutter household items
CategoriesLifestyle,  Tiny Homes

All the Things That We Can’t Leave Behind 

by Big Calm

So. Much. Stuff.

We closed on our property, which we have named Big Calm, at the end of June. It has a lovely, but old, cabin on it, in addition to a beautifully-built post-and-beam barn. Our plan is to develop and live in the loft above it, which we have named the Shangri-loft. It comes in at about 500 square feet of functional space, half the size of our condo in Calgary. 

We have to downsize. A lot. Not only do I have way more shoes and clothes than I need, I’m ashamed to admit that some haven’t even been worn. I have two giant canvasses, that have been sitting there for five years, blank, waiting for me to be inspired to create something beautiful. CDs and DVDs. I found dried corsages from my high school graduation. I’m sentimental, but this is ridiculous.

I guess one amasses a lot of stuff, especially having not moved much. That said, my husband has moved more than a dozen times and has more stuff than I do (Ed. Not true!). 

There’s a saying that “the stuff you own, ends up owning you.” So true. It just becomes a burden, especially when you have to get rid of it. And more importantly, most of it could be very useful for those who are less fortunate (not the corsages of course). 

We didn’t employ the “only keep what brings you joy” approach, but rather “does this have a function?” approach. It turns out that we have several things that serve the same function, and many things that don’t serve any. Looking at it through a permaculture lens, the ultimate goal is to ensure all elements perform multiple functions. We did our best to donate the rest.

Not only has “the great purge” been liberating, but it’s also the first step to living a simpler life, collecting more experiences than stuff, and acquiring memories, rather than things.

Photo by Luca Laurence on Unsplash

interior of ZeroSquared tiny house on wheels with pullout
CategoriesTiny Homes

The Big Directory of Tiny House Builders

by Big Calm

Update: For a more current list of Canadian Tiny House on Wheels builders, please visit our Salon page.

Tiny living can be pretty luxurious these days, thanks to a growing field of home-builders dedicated to the lifestyle. Not only do many modern models have all the conveniences we expect in full-size homes, they go over and above in terms of energy efficiency, self-sustainability, space-saving, exterior profiles, and interior finishings.

We’ve started this “big directory” of tiny house builders to showcase the range of quality options  currently in western Canada. If you’re interested, reach out to them directly for additional info. (And if you’re a builder missing from this list, or one on this list with newer specs and pics, reach us at hello@www.bigcalm.ca.)

 

Canadian Tiny Homes

Nelson, BC

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Canadian Tiny Homes offers base models that are ready to live in, or can be upgraded; or, can build a shell, allowing the customer to finish the interior. Shells include a trailer, exterior finishing, roof, windows, initial interior framing, insulating and roughed-in mechanical.

Size range

  • 26 ft. long (new designs upcoming)

Unique offerings

  • Interior design

 

Hummingbird Micro Homes

Fernie, BC

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Hummingbird Micro Homes custom designs and builds Tiny Homes on wheels.

Size range

  • 14 – 34 ft long

Unique offerings

  • Off-grid system upgrade available

 

Mint Tiny House Company

Vancouver, BC

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Mint Tiny House Company has completed more than 100 Tiny House RVs and Park model builds.

Size range

  • 22 – 42 ft. long
  • 237 – 392 sq. ft.

Price range

  • CAD $79,550 – $128,695

Unique offerings

  • Gooseneck design (Canada Goose model)
  • Off-grid ready (Extended Napa and Aero models)
  • RVIA, CSA and Intertek certification
  • One-year warranty on structural, electrical, plumbing defects; one-year trailer manufacturer’s warranty, 40-year roof manufacturer’s warranty
  • Online estimate generator

 

Nelson Tiny Houses

Nelson, BC

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Nelson Tiny Houses offers two feature models that can be fully customized: The Acorn House, with a gable roof; and the V House, with a single pitched roof. Nelson Tiny Homes is a small, family run company that builds only 4 – 5 homes a year with a team including fine woodworkers, metal workers and artisans.

Size range

  • 16 – 46 ft. long

Price range

  • CAD $55,000 – $182,000

Unique offerings

  • CSA certification
  • Five-year structural warranty

 

Rewild Homes

Vancouver Island

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Rewild Homes builds custom Tiny Homes ranging from off-grid cabins to luxury Tiny Homes.

Size range

  • 16 – 33 ft. long
  • 100 – 250+ sq. ft.

Price range

  • Shells and Tiny Homes from CAD $25,000 – $150,000+
  • Off-grid packages for CAD $10,000 – $20,000
  • Unique offerings
  • CSA certification
  • Gooseneck design (Starling model)

 

Summit Tiny Homes

Vernon, BC

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Summit Tiny Homes offers pre-designed Tiny Homes, DIY Tiny Home plans and custom builds.

Size range

  • 22 – 28 ft. long (Heritage and Cabana models); 20 – 34 ft. long custom build
  • 215 – 250 sq. ft. (Heritage and Cabana models)

Price range

  • CAD $74,999 – $109,999

Unique offerings

  • Gooseneck designs (custom builds)
  • CSA certification
  • Detailed Tiny House plans available for purchase
  • Online estimate generator

 

Teacup Tiny Homes

Lethbridge, AB

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Teacup builds Tiny Homes for cold weather climates, offering customizable Tiny Home design starting with one of 13 floor plans.

Size range

  • 22 – 40 ft. long
  • 227 – 498 sq. ft.

Price range

  • CAD $85,000 – $180,000

Unique offerings

  • Gooseneck designs (Serendipity model)
  • Exterior storage area (Shangri La and Innisfree Anarres models)
  • RVIA, CSA and Intertek certification
  • One-year workmanship warranty, manufacturer’s warranty on materials and appliances
  • Online estimate generator

 

Zero Squared

Calgary, AB

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Zero Squared designs and builds both Tiny Homes on wheels and accessory dwelling units on foundation (backyard suites, laneway houses, garden flats). Zero Squared has developed modular slides that can be added onto any length of trailer to expand square footage.

Size range

  • 26 – 37 ft. long
  • Main floor from 221 – 434 sq. ft.

Price range

  • CAD $63,000 – $131,000

Unique offerings

  • Optional automated elevator loft (Willow model)
  • Integrated modular expanding spaces (all other models)
  • Offers a mortgage product for Tiny Home financing
  • RVIA and CSA certification
  • One-year material defect warranty on plumbing, electrical, roofing, windows and doors; and on trailer material and workmanship