Tiny home builder sees spike in interest

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many Canadians to re-evaluate their housing and work arrangements, spurring some to think not big, but tiny.

Pamela Robertson builds tiny homes in Gibsons on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast through her company Sunshine Tiny Homes, and said she couldn't keep up with requests for quotes after the pandemic hit.

“Everybody wanted a tiny home that was built in stock and I build to order,” said Robertson, whose tiny homes on wheels are inspected to meet the CSA specifications for recreational vehicles.

Robertson warns that building code requirements and regional rules can pose major hurdles.

“There are tiny houses on wheels out there and they're all living under the fear that somebody is going to call them out.”

B.C. prohibits year-round living in RVs outside designated parks.

Robertson is advocating for a pilot project that could see tiny homes on wheels temporarily permitted on property that's already allowed a second dwelling.

The Canadian Home Builders' Association joined calls for a friendlier regulatory landscape for tiny homes in 2017, requesting a number of changes to the national building code. It can take years for code changes to be approved, if at all, said Bob Deeks, president of RDC Fine Homes in Whistler. He's been a committee member with the homebuilders association and with Codes Canada, which is responsible for developing the national building code.

Elsewhere in B.C., Jessika Houston is preparing to move into her new tiny home on wheels in early February after it's finished.

Houston's tiny house is built to CSA standards for RVs. She found someone to lease her a spot to park her tiny home in the Lower Mainland, but she said others aren't so fortunate, given bylaws that restrict living in a tiny home on wheels.

“When you're in the city, you have to worry about the neighbours and somebody reporting it,” she said. “You have to go out into the country so that nobody can see it.”

Houston bought her home outright, but financing is another major hurdle. The company that's building Houston's home, Mint Tiny Homes, lists the price for a 6.7-metre home at $92,500, while larger models with more features can top $130,000.