Downsizing and luxury are not opposing notions that automatically rule each other out. Like with everything in life, as long as you can afford it, you can have a premium version of a product designed to be affordable.
Tiny houses and alternative living have picked up considerable speed in recent years, and will probably continue to do so as the housing crisis peaks. We live in challenging and ever-changing times, and that means everything from the inability to secure a home in the city to the need to travel more, to work remotely, and to be more mindful of our impact on the environment. For many, transitioning from a brick-and-mortar home to a tiny house checks some, if not all of these boxes.
Mint Tiny House is a Canada builder that has been delivering units since 2014. They offer a handful of models and layouts, with the lineup covering all budgets and most needs. The Canada Goose, which is offered either on a 38 ft (11.5 meter) or a 41 ft (12.5 meter) trailer, is the largest model they have, as well as the most expensive.
The Traveler’s Paradise is a Canada Goose tiny, customized for a particular client. Delivered in early 2020, as the world was shuttering down, it’s located near Golden in British Columbia, Canada, with a spectacular view of the mountains and fairly secluded. The owner is Megan Moore, a marketing specialist who decided to leave the busy city life in Alberta, and start afresh in a place that would allow her more time with herself and her family, but which would also be affordable for her.
Photo: Mint Tiny House
Mint Tiny House named her unit the Traveler’s Paradise, saying that it was best than packing a suitcase. Why pack a suitcase when you could travel with your home? they said at the time the unit was completed – a sentiment echoed by many tiny house dwellers and builders. But Megan never really planned to move around with her tiny, and the fact that it’s so massive and would require a 1-ton truck to tow had little to do with her decision.
She wanted a home. The Canada Goose model starts at CAD$123,000 (US$90,500 at the current exchange rate), but she paid almost CAD$160,000 (US$118,000) for her custom unit, which she has since renamed Tiny Rosehip, inspired by her daughter’s love of rosehip. She documents her family’s tiny house living on the socials, and often shares tips to help others looking to make the transition.
As both Megan and Mint say, sometimes downsizing in the strictest sense of the world will simply not do. Some people still want the privacy of a master bedroom with a door that closes, or a full kitchen and a full bathroom, and space to move around. This tiny has them all: offering almost 420 square feet (39 square meters) of living space, it has a living room, two lofts and a bedroom, ample storage, and even more room to move around without bumping into stuff… or other family members.
Megan lives in it with her partner, her two kids and two dogs, and she says there’s little she misses about city life. The tiny is hooked up to the grid for electricity and water, but it also has off-grid water as backup. It’s isolated, but not too isolated, so they can retire when they want to without being unreachable.
Photo: Mint Tiny House
Since moving in, Megan has further expanded available space by adding a shed, a gazebo and a deck, and she built a driveway on the piece of land she had bought in 2016, three years before making the jump to tiny living. Everything but the tiny is paid off already, and Megan is working towards paying off that loan as well.
Citing her reasons to switch to tiny living, Megan mentions the desire to live intentionally and healthy (they have a microgreens garden on site), to spend more family time and more time outdoors, to save money on bills and things they didn’t really need but kept buying. The house, with its board-and-batten walls and metal roof, standard pine siding and vinyl flooring, is easy to maintain and easy to clean. It’s also airy and cozy, has heating and AC, and all the appliances they need for a comfortable life.
Like the standard Canada Goose model, the Traveler’s Paradise has a two-loft layout, with a living room, a large kitchen on both sides, a full bathroom with a composting toilet and walk-in glass shower, a master bedroom, and the two lofts for the kids. One of the lofts is over the living, while the other sits on top of the bathroom, and while they don’t offer standing height, they’re airy and well-lit. You could almost say it belies the idea of tiny living, and you probably wouldn’t be completely off the mark if you did: this unit is at the higher end of downsizing, where living small(er) means fewer compromises in terms of space and amenities.
Megan knows that her tiny isn’t exactly cheap, and that the money spent on it isn’t an investment in the long run since the resale value of tinies is poor. But for her, to be able to move in with her family (and her two pups) in a smaller house that she could afford at that particular moment in her life was the compromise that made it worth it. It's also the only compromise she feels she made along the way.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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