We built a tiny home on our 50-acre rural Ontario property & trailered it out into our forest. It wasn't our primary residence, though we certainly did sleep in it. One winter morning, a guy with a clipboard (never a good sign) is waiting for us. He tells us that not only is it *not* legal to sleep overnight in the tiny house - even on our own property - but get this: it's not legal to sleep *anywhere* on your property, even in a tent! even for a single night. So all those times as kids that we slept in a tent overnight in the backyard? Yeah, we were "breaking the law." Also. If you go for a country drive anywhere in North America, you'll notice that about every second home has an RV parked somewhere on the property - and you just know that the homeowner's eccentric bachelor uncle is living there in their driveway. And? Also illegal. Apparently you can only *legally* sleep in an RV in an RV park - I kid you not. It begs the question as to how Walmart gets away with permitting RVs to stay overnight in their parking lots, but whatever. Canadians are finally waking-up to the fact that we're living in a country that's far more restrictive than we've been led to believe. For years, we've been told how lucky we are compared to our American neighbours - and yeah, we don't pay for healthcare, that's true. Still, as a physician, I can tell you that there's nothing "universal" about our healthcare - not when you consider that citizens of every other country that makes that claim also enjoy universal dental coverage as well as coverage for medications. Who knew, right? This isn't about bashing Canada; I'm glad to live here for many reasons - but I'm fed-up with the Draconian restrictions on everything. And as a doctor with many patients on disability, I'm fed-up with a country that sends billions of dollars overseas, yet pays our own citizens (trying to live) with a disability a measly $1400/m - how can anyone live on that?! I apologize for the rant - we still use our tiny house for lots of things, but it's frustrating when we've had so many people ask if they can park their own tiny house on our (mostly unused) 50 acres, and we have to say, "Sorry. For no very good reason, it's not allowed."
@whoispriest4 ай бұрын
its one thing to be able to buy one these if you can afford it, but no place to park it unless you spend 250k for a lot to park it in
@UpSizeDown4 ай бұрын
Well, we can legally get a building permit to put one in any backyard in Ontario, so the possibilities are now endless. However, finding a backyard that is both available and willing to have you is a piece of the puzzle that no one has solved yet. So, most of our clients are putting them in a family member's backyard.
@whoispriest4 ай бұрын
Well still leaves me nowhere. I don't have family who own property. So I guesse I will never know what it's like to own a home. 60k a year apparently is not enough for a mortgage. A d land requires a 50$ down payment. Making it impossible for a blue collar guy to ever own a home or property
@UpSizeDown4 ай бұрын
@@whoispriest Yes, I hear you. We have many people contact us just like yourself. No one in the family has a property suitable for a tiny home. Either they all live in condos, or they all rent, or the properties are too small to fit anything in them. It is very frustrating, I know. It's why we've tried multiple times to create a tiny home village, but that keeps getting stopped one way or another as well. One day, one day, we keep saying...
@whoispriest4 ай бұрын
@@UpSizeDown why not set up an REIT, and make the community self funded. when have enough to purchase first plot of land sell lifetime leases for tiny homes to generate a return, all tiny home leasees would own a share of the REIT and once a year either participate in profit sharing or purchase addition land to do same.
@UpSizeDown4 ай бұрын
@@whoispriest That's a great idea. Except that although funding is an issue, it wasn't the biggest issue. The biggest issue is getting a township to agree to what we wanted to do. And when we did have a township fully on board, it was the other investors that wanted to go a different route (seasonal versus year round living). We have had some other challenges in business as well, so once we've cleared those up, we will get back at trying to make a village happen. A REIT could be the way to go.
@OryanMcLean4 ай бұрын
It costs average 160k for just a lined tiny home. And over 220k for a completed full build in nz. Kitsets for full homes are cheaper, even if u hire labour to put kitset up.
@hbrunet724 ай бұрын
Beautiful! Interestingly, it is 3 years later when I am watching this for the first time! Kinda thought your closing remarks were ironic lol
@UpSizeDown4 ай бұрын
Lol. That is ironic. This unit would cost a bit more now, but we've also come up with several different variations of this layout. We call it the Sugar Maple. We have a very different feeling variation on Airbnb. See here: www.airbnb.ca/rooms/1032638014043583083?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=70943496-5d9b-4a1a-8ecc-3444b6aef08d
@hbrunet724 ай бұрын
@@UpSizeDown It's beautiful. I live north of you, and have designed a tiny house that we are building this summer. I look forward to joining the growing ranks of tiny house dwellers. :)
@AnikenSkiwalker5 ай бұрын
The people who make and enforce these laws are not homeless. That's the biggest issue.
@catejordan72445 ай бұрын
Would love to see an updated video on this. How much has changed in three years. This is still needed and great to found some Canadian content
@danielott78235 ай бұрын
This is a great idea! I've been thinking about an updated video myself, so this is just the urge I need. I'll get that going in the next month or so. I"ll post a link in the description of this video when I'm done, and if you've subscribed, you'll see it there too. Thanks again!
@tracywatts14594 ай бұрын
@@danielott7823from a Vancouver island. I’m looking to sell my home and acreage with a suite. I’ll have enough equity to pay in full for recreational land in the interior or southern BC . Then build tiny or buy an RV till my tiny home is built. We Need some updates. I think one pro about tiny home communities… if a mass forest fire were to threaten your property at least if you built moveable you can move it.
@UpSizeDown4 ай бұрын
@@tracywatts1459 sounds great, Tracy. I'd love myself to buy some interior acreage and put some tiny homes on it. Can we at least help with you tiny home build?
@andrewyang14465 ай бұрын
Thanks for pointing out an important issue! One question I have is, is it possible to have an-American made tiny home CSA-certified?
@UpSizeDown5 ай бұрын
I am not sure about that at all.
@timfarry70716 ай бұрын
Animals don't let other animals know where there homes are. Humans should follow this and be as covert as possible. If a predator finds out where you live, you are at risk. Politicians, even neighbours, are predators to you. Keep it covert and quiet and you can live anywhere as long as you own or have permission from the owner of the land. Obviously the bigger the property the better, you can't put a tiny home in the backyard of a city lot with nosy neighbours, but out in the country, where you can hide it well, and post "no trespassing" signs you should be good. If anyone does try to rat you out, they must have trespassed and can then be charged, keeping the Karens out of your business. Housing, like food and water, is a basic human right and necessity. A tent has became some Canadians' homes, and it is NOT suitable for humans to live. No other person has the right to tell you what you can and cannot live in, if that is where you are at in life - do they think you WANT to live in a small home? Obviously we all would like to live in a mansion, but today, only the rich can afford that. So keep it covert. As this poster said, in NS you can build up to 400 sq ft without a building permit, in Ontario it's 10 sq m, or about 108 sq ft, which is pretty small but they can't stop you from building a "shed" up to that size legally without getting a building permit. If you don't invite them inside, nobody needs to know that it is not a shed, nor will they ever find out without trespassing on your property. You gotta do what you gotta do to survive, just like the animals. We are animals too, supposedly the smartest on the planet, so if we can't figure out how to live, maybe we're not the smartest afterall?
@markymarc376 ай бұрын
Great information
@bobbim14106 ай бұрын
I need to see some of your tiny home builds in person. Curious to use your expertise with finding a legal spot to place a tiny home for year round living in Ontario.
@UpSizeDown6 ай бұрын
Hi @bobbim1410. Done right, you can legally place a tiny home in any backyard in Ontario (provided it fits of course!). So if you know someone with a backyard, either urban or rural, who would be willing to have you live there, you're all set! As for seeing some tiny homes in person, why don't you make an appointment to come to our construction yard? email me directly to set that up. [email protected]
@suezaple49506 ай бұрын
Ontario really needs to change the laws, Tiny homes should be allowed we should be able to have tiny home communities, some people can't afford a big home, I would love to own a tiny home on wheels as I can move it to wherever i would like to live and hook up in a tiny home community, I believe there is one up around Goderich. Let's hope they figure out the tiny homes. and laws. thanks for this .
@shannonhollingworth56936 ай бұрын
Can someone on disability in Victoria BC live in a Tiny Home but it would have to be 1 level and have no steps and stuff that I need for my living
@UpSizeDown6 ай бұрын
You can certainly live in one of our tiny homes. We don't have a video on KZbin, but watch this story about a tiny home we made for a young lady in a wheel chair in London, Ontario: london.ctvnews.ca/tiny-home-gives-independence-to-london-ont-woman-with-disabilities-1.6188549 You'd have to figure out how to pay for the tiny home, as we don't provide financing, and you have to have someone's backyard to put it in. In the case of the young lady in London, we placed the tiny home in her parents' back yard.
@johndesousa73797 ай бұрын
Is there a list of areas in Ontario that allow tiny homes?
@UpSizeDown6 ай бұрын
Everywhere! You can put a tiny home in any backyard in Ontario, provided that the back yard is big enough, and provided that the tiny home meets the Ontario Building Code (all of ours do!) and that you get a building permit. Where do you want to put one?
@johndesousa73795 ай бұрын
looking to settle down in Bancroft, Ontario@@UpSizeDown
@UpSizeDown5 ай бұрын
@@johndesousa7379 You can email me directly to talk about this more. [email protected] Things have changed so much since I put this video out. The code rules about room sizes and ceiling heights and the rest are still very much the same, but the zoning rules have really opened up. Basically, I can legally put a tiny home in any backyard in Ontario. Exactly which township changes how it works just a little bit, but they all have many similarity. As long as the back yard is big enough to fit the tiny home, I am certain that I can get you a permit for it in Bancroft. Send me an email to get started, even if we're not building it but just helping you get a permit.
@kemakeisharoberts9627 ай бұрын
Fabulous video thank you very much this was so informative! I tried both links but it’s been deleted or something. How can I attend am info session and get the checklist you spoke of please
@Salomon827 ай бұрын
The bank won’t finance a house that is less than 750sq feet
@UpSizeDown7 ай бұрын
we have a solution for that. But it has to be the person that owns the property that gets the financing on the tiny house.
@catherinelauda69488 ай бұрын
Good informations . Thank you
@bradzimmer2399 ай бұрын
With such a housing crisis and overall cost of homes, we have way too many laws in Canada. Our ancestors just 100 years ago, had the ability to just live. Now, we have so many rules and regulations that are hindering our ability to just live. Maybe, its time to push back.
@UpSizeDown9 ай бұрын
Yes, there are a lot of laws and regulations, as there are in many places throughout the world. These rules and regulations are there to protect people from unsafe conditions. We have proven, however, that it is possible to build within these rules and regulations, and the more we do it, the easier it gets. You just need to make sure you work with someone (like us!) who knows what they are talking about and can navigate through these regulations with ease.
@alzathoth9 ай бұрын
the biggest problem in canada is that government makes building las so complicated that it takes YEARS to figure it out and it costs THOUSANDS to permit anything. by the time people wade through all the red tape they have spent most of their money on silly permits and inspections. this garbage needs to change if people are to truly be able to live in tiny homes.
@existential-solutions330510 ай бұрын
Thank you for sharing. I want to purchase a 0.3 acre piece of land around Cranbrooks, BC in the Kootenays, close enough to Calgary, where the family lives and the Winters are not so harsh. I love red wine and mushrooms, so I guess I could have vineyards, cherries, etc there, and the weather does not usually go below - 7 C in the Winter. Any handy man out there or people who would like to start a community to put tiny on wheel houses, coups with meat chickens and laying egg hens, planting gardens, etc. interested to escape the very imminent government and global digital currency control already in place and worse to come? I can't wait till the government, provinces and municipalities get the point and change the laws and regulations for people who want to live a simple life in an alternative way in affordable dwellings.
@gloriawilliams158010 ай бұрын
I am a tiny home fan, but they are over priced and the builders know it! It's called taking advantage of the public and they public's ignorance as to what is involved in building a tiny home. The entire purpose was to create a most cost effective form of living. When these homes cost over $200K, I can build/buy a foundation home for that cost in the South. Why would I pay that kind of money for a home on wheels, especially since there is a fight as to where they can be parked, legally. You can't just put them anywhere, and the cost of land rental can run from $500-$800, and may include some utilities. Put that on top of the cost of the loan (approx $900+/mo) then you've got the cost of a regular home, and a spacious one at that (based on econ in NC, SC, GA, FL). It's gotta make sense, and making super expensive tiny homes @$300+/sq ft does not make sense!
@UpSizeDown10 ай бұрын
Thanks for your comments, @gloriawilliams1580 . It gives me a chance to respond to them the best I can. You have to understand first and foremost that we are in this industry at all because we have personally lived beyond our means and want to provide as affordable a solution as possible. We have not gotten rich off of this venture at all, far from it. We have built many homes with no profit whatsoever, and even several that cost us more to build than the client actually paid us. The fact of the matter is that the cost of everything has increased over the years. Sure, a DIYer can get used materials for one home, and if you're not getting a permit you can get away with not putting in some items. But once we are building to the building code and getting inspected and building more than one, we need to use new materials and put all the right stuff in, which costs more money than most people think. Talking about $/SF only works when comparing a 2500 SF two storey home to another 2500 SF two storey home. Once you go smaller, or you go to a bungalow, everything changes. Regardless of the size of a home, you still need an electrical, gas, and sewer service run from either the road or the main house on the property. Going off grid costs even more. Regardless of size, you still need a heating system that passes HVAC engineering (wood stove isn't enough), and they don't make smaller cheaper systems than that which works for a 1500 SF house, so your $/SF for your heating system alone for a 500 SF tiny home is 3x the price of the 1500 SF home. (i.e. $10,000 / 1500 SF = $6.66/SF vs. $10,000 / 500 SF $20/SF). And that's just heating. The same goes for appliances, plumbing fixtures, etc. You still buy the same price appliances and plumbing fixtures, but you're spreading the cost over a much smaller footprint, so your $/SF skyrockets. It's not a fair comparison. Unfortunately, yes, a tiny home today costs more (whether full cost of loan / mo. cost) than my first house did, but that's economics and inflation at work. If you compare to the average of $800,000 for a regular home in southern Ontario where we are, you're still coming out ahead, and you're getting something brand new and something that reflects who you are, not the person you bought it from. Hope that helps!
@shanacookthecanukgypsy952711 ай бұрын
Hello there I hope to have a new tiny built on wheels in ontario for if possible to consult would be awesome cheers
@susannaguillory659011 ай бұрын
Love the storage in the bedroom.
@teresaray6033 Жыл бұрын
Sounds like this home is located in a climate that I would love-I am very hot natured.
@danielott7823 Жыл бұрын
Well, we'd love to build you one! Tell us where to ship it!
@Robzerix Жыл бұрын
Hey guys if i buy this from you guys would you help me finding a place to park it?
@UpSizeDown Жыл бұрын
We are excellent home builders who pay a lot of attention into making this your home with personalized touches. We are very good at our passion. It has taken us many years to realize that we need to stick in our own lane. We are not good realtors or land finders. We tried. So, no, we can't help you find a place to put your tiny home.
@teresaray6033 Жыл бұрын
I would not want a home on wheels with no AC
@UpSizeDown Жыл бұрын
many of our clients (even those who opted for A/C) have reported that the home stays quite cool and A/C hasn't been needed. Of course, for those who really want it, it IS an option.
@scottyboy4335 Жыл бұрын
My property is next to a lane way in Hamilton. I have corner lot. I wonder if I could put one my property, live in it and rent my house out?
@kirdi6125 Жыл бұрын
Thank you. So useful - especially as I'm in Burlington...
@UpSizeDown Жыл бұрын
Well, I'm glad you enjoyed the video, but SO MUCH has changed in 3 years since this video was put out. We can now put tiny homes (as long as they are built to the Ontario Building Code) in almost any place in Ontario. However, Burlington is probably the hardest.... You can do it, even though there is absolutely no zoning written to allow it. If they turn it down, and you appeal to the province, the province will force the city to allow it. So Burlington knows this, and they will just allow it "as of right". You will have to go through a minor variance though.
@codingblues3181 Жыл бұрын
Canada allowed every criminal in the world to launder money by buying property and jack up the prices, otherwise many people won't be looking in to tiny houses.
@eddiespagetti8395 Жыл бұрын
Evil government. Total control. Sheep are brainwashed ya ya we own the house ya ya. Oh wait , government makes us pay tax on it every year. Every thing we buy or sell. Government are phuk us. Canada is a coward nation. Governments are god. We need tiny homes in all provinces. Lots of bullets and tiny home or RV and trailer life is wise today. It's getting ugly.
@lesliew748 Жыл бұрын
How about Kingston Ontario. I always want one.
@UpSizeDown Жыл бұрын
there are so many places this is legal now. The by-laws in most Ontario towns and cities have changed so much since this video was made. However, you must fully build to the Ontario Building Code and obtain a building permit. But we have placed our permitted tiny homes as both secondary homes and primary homes in many different areas of Ontario. Kingston would be no different. Do you have a property to put this on?
@JP-tq7ni Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much. This is the near future of housing to solve prices and waste.
@Nedzizzle Жыл бұрын
You are doing great work! Thank you for this video, it answered many questions.
@PagliaroMark Жыл бұрын
Has any of this changed in 3 years ?
@hildaramroop9611 Жыл бұрын
Where can put a tiny home in the north East of Durham Ontario
@laurarodrigues6091 Жыл бұрын
Were are you guys locate it I would love to talk with you
@laurarodrigues6091 Жыл бұрын
Love this tiny house so much, how can I contact you to talk about tiny houses Thanks
@pangeanshores Жыл бұрын
Glad for any solutions in Niagara
@davidcochrane2968 Жыл бұрын
What are the average lot rental fees per month . What does it cover .
@UpSizeDown Жыл бұрын
I've seen this vary in a wide range, and sometimes cover more things than others, and that doesn't always mean more expensive. Some of the more expensive ones covered less than the cheaper ones. I would suggest that an average of $700 per month would cover site services (such as water and sewer / septic). Pay less in site fees, and you may have to cover site services yourself. Pay more, and hopefully you get more included.
@tracyhennessey4451 Жыл бұрын
The biggest question after the red tape is, can I afford it. Probably not, cause business is business, period, end of story.
@canadalife3983 Жыл бұрын
just do it, and when the feds come knocking, give them the finger
@62Cristoforo Жыл бұрын
I have never seen anyone discuss the possibility of building down, as in excavating a basement. The footprint would remain the same. The bonus is room for utilities and water heater, furnace, softener, water filters etc., as well as storage space and a cold storage area for preserves/wine, whatever. Of course there’s the added cost of excavating, but the spoil could be spread around the perimeter of the structure to raise the grade. This would negate the cost of any haulage to remove the spoil.
@UpSizeDown Жыл бұрын
Hi, Cris T. Usually, people are talking about tiny home to use their money in the best way possible for the most return on their dollar. With the codes in Ontario about what has to happen in the basement in regards to insulation and vapour barrier and even radon mitigation, you are looking at an additional $30,000 or more. I highly recommend just building a larger tiny home and putting the $30,000 into something above grade instead. But, to each their own. It's not out of the question, for sure. I've discussed it with several clients, but no one has gone forward with anything like this due to the additional costs.
@1800tazi Жыл бұрын
Hi Dan and Jo! We are interested in your homes. Do you have some to tour?
@UpSizeDown Жыл бұрын
we only have one right now that is at drywall stage. email me [email protected] to chat more.
@sherinoecker5707 Жыл бұрын
I'm going to be building a tiny house on a foundation. I'm just recovering from a stroke right now. I'm in the KW area. Being I'm going to have a basement (only to where I change things from summer to winter attire. Is there anything talking about that??
@UpSizeDown Жыл бұрын
Hi, Sheri. This is not a common scenario, but it is one that I have examined for clients. It would end up not being that much different than pre-building a pier foundation and then lifting the tiny house in place. This "lifting in place" would have to be done with a crane. The biggest difference would be that the services are connected to both the basement and the house. If you're building in place, I guess that is no problem. If you are interested in having the tiny house pre-built (by us for example), and the foundation built on side (obviously, has to be), then the services would have to be coordinated and connected later. We've done this, and it's very doable.
@oceanside88 Жыл бұрын
Until a manufacturer in Canada can build something affordable that doesn't involve a ladder we are not going very far. Way too expensive.
@UpSizeDown Жыл бұрын
Well, our units don't have ladders... We build main level bedrooms. As far as affordable, it depends how you look at it. Our homes are much more affordable than larger homes, but inflation has made them more expensive than many people would like. Unfortunately, we don't make a lot of money building these. Due to the cost of materials and labour these days, we have to cut our profits much lower than a regular home builder would, just to be able to sell at all.
@Thecuriousmind2 Жыл бұрын
We have homesteading rights, enough said.
@marianfrances4959 Жыл бұрын
👍🇨🇦😎
@TheGreenfrog140 Жыл бұрын
Who did you call? I also am interested…. The housing market is simply unaffordable ..
@UpSizeDown Жыл бұрын
Hi, M Khan. Whom did we call about what, exactly? I'm not sure of your question. We totally understand the housing market being unaffordable for most, and that's exactly why we are doing what we're doing, building homes for people.
@bladerunner983 Жыл бұрын
Do you ever make them from Shipping Containers?
@UpSizeDown Жыл бұрын
We do not. There are many others that do. We personally find it restrictive on creativity, as you are starting with a set size, instead of making it the size you want.
@bladerunner983 Жыл бұрын
@@UpSizeDown Who else does?
@UpSizeDown Жыл бұрын
@@bladerunner983 I don't know. I don't keep track.
@bladerunner983 Жыл бұрын
@@UpSizeDown The reason I asked was because I still wanted you to convert the container into a home. But I wanted to go with more than one container.
@UpSizeDown Жыл бұрын
@@bladerunner983 Sorry, we can't help you.
@charlenebowen6568 Жыл бұрын
Where are your tiny house villages ? Thanks
@UpSizeDown Жыл бұрын
We don't have any tiny home villages. It was a dream that has never been realized. The red tape is very thick.