He loves tiny homes so much, he’s building two
Kitchener builder says approval process for permit still slow, cumbersome
KITCHENER Simon Wong had so much fun building his first tiny home, he’s at it again.
The Kitchener man is building his second tiny home, just a few months after finishing the first tiny home allowed in the city.
“It’s a great concept,” said Wong, an electrician by trade who is heavily involved in the construction of his backyard home.
“This is a great way to have infill development,” he said. “It’s gentle intensification.”
Wong received the city’s first building permit for a tiny home last year. He had his backyard unit complete and rented in January.
Wong, who lives in the Doon area of Kitchener, bought a bungalow in the Vanier neighbourhood near Wilson Avenue last April and turned the home into two threebedroom rental units. He built a 500-square-foot tiny home at the back of the property.
Then, last November, he bought another home in the same neighbourhood. He’s gutting that house and adding two two-bedroom rental units in the main home and building a 450-square-foot tiny home out back.
Kitchener approved the new bylaw for additional housing units last April and started accepting applications June 1. It’s the first city in Waterloo Region to allow tiny homes.
Rules for backyard homes include minimum widths, setback requirements and a height of 1.5 storeys.
The house must not be any more than half the size of the main house on the property.
Up to 25,000 Kitchener properties could qualify for a detached additional dwelling in the backyard.
‘‘ This is a great way to have infill development. It’s gentle intensification. SIMON WONG KITCHENER RESIDENT
About 5,000 of those don’t have to offer parking for a tiny home because they are within 800 metres of a light rail station.
Wong has almost completed the invisible but crucial details — water, sewer and electrical infrastructure — at his second tiny home.
The services are underground and stem from the main house on the property.
The concrete foundation has been poured and his contractor is in the process of framing the house.
“We have to be very accurate, because once you pour the concrete, the pipes have to be where they have to be. There is no room for error,” he said.
The second tiny home will be similar to the first open-concept build with five-metre (16foot) high ceilings, full laundry and kitchen, a four-piece bathroom and one bedroom. Sliding doors will lead to a backyard patio.
Wong admits some of the finishes might not be as high-end because labour materials are more expensive this year.
“For this second project, increased costs have affected the design,” he said. “We have scaled back the project.”
Wong regularly shares his experiences building tiny homes on social media. He also follows others interested in tiny homes such as professional builders.
Wong said he’s also watched plenty of online committee-ofadjustment meetings from other municipalities and has listened to residents’ concerns when it comes to tiny homes.
“Parking is a big deal,” said Wong, who has made sure he has plenty of parking spaces at his two homes.
A year after the city allowed the new units, it has only approved eight tiny home permits. Wong said the process needs to be easier and more transparent.
It took 91 days to get the site plan for his first tiny home approved by city officials. The second site plan was complete in 60 days.
“If they really want people building these units, let’s fasttrack the process,” said Wong, who says another home-builder he knows waited four months.
“If you have one error, heaven forbid. You will have to wait two weeks for them to get back to you,” he said.
Wong is grateful that the city waived development charges just as it has for many developments in Kitchener, but he’s annoyed he still had to pay $6,000 in development charges to both school boards.
For those considering building a tiny home, Wong has some sage advice.
Homeowners with no building experience should hire an architect, he said. He did the drawings himself with the help of a designer.
There are also requirements needed that someone without knowledge might not be aware of such as marking pathways from the street to the tiny home for emergency services and distance requirements for the nearest fire hydrant.
And when it comes to costs, a tiny home can range from $100,000 to a few hundred thousand more, depending on materials used and labour costs.
“It depends who you are hiring. Is it someone off Kijiji, a professional contractor or are you doing it yourself?” Wong said.
If they really want people building these units, let’s fast-track the process.
SIMON WONG KITCHENER RESIDENT