Tiny Home Show showcasing miniature spaces
In the midst of soaring living expenses and spiking interest rates, the dream of owning a traditional home seems to be slipping away for many residents.
However, there's a growing trend that's offering hope -- tiny houses.
These compact dwellings, equipped with all the amenities of a traditional home, are becoming more popular as people seek affordable alternatives to traditional homeownership.
At the Tiny Home Show, currently running at Stanley's Olde Maple Lane Farm in Edwards, Ont., Mercedes Lloyd -- a visitor at the show -- describes her visit as a dream come true.
"Since I was 12 years old after I saw the show Tiny House Nation, I've been hooked ever since," said Lloyd. "There are so many reasons for one some financial freedom in the future, for more freedom to travel, more freedom to spend time outside, spend time with family, to just have more. To me it seems like a peaceful life."
For Lloyd, the 200-square-foot main floor, with a 65-square-foot upper level bedroom, tiny house, crafted by Bell Construction and Contracting, is perfection, and attainable at $154,900.
"It's so pretty, it's so beautiful," she said. "I can picture my little cat running around."
Joshua Bell, from Bell Construction and Contracting, says the model being shown is the company’s first, noting that it’s packed with features like a solid wood finish, 11-foot ceilings, a full kitchen, washer and dryer, pot lights, heating and cooling along with a large bathroom with a shower.
"We wanted it to feel like small living can feel," said Bell.
Bell expects to soon provide a similar model for $100,000.
"Young people need to have a place that after they go to work for 40 hours a week they can afford it and then they can call it their own and they're not renting. They're not putting money in someone else's pocket,” Bell said.
For Bianca Metz, the founder of the Tiny House Show, living tiny has expanded her family's life in unexpected ways.
"We went from spending $4,000 a month on a mortgage with a conventional condo and now we spend nothing we are completely financially free," she said. "What's the appeal, simple living financial freedom and living closer to nature."
Metz is passionate about sharing her experience and knowledge with others, from navigating land grants to financing options and says the show will feature a variety of programming aimed to help tiny first-timers.
"There are a few different components to the show so we have an indoor exhibition space with a ton of really great exhibitors who designed tiny homes. They also designed really cool structures for Airbnb businesses for additional dwelling units and we also have a lot of sustainable products," said Metz. "We will talk about tiny home financing. We are going to get into a lot of stuff about alternative living, affordable living, tiny home living, additional dwelling units and actually how to do it."
With exhibitors ranging from Quebec-based Minimalist Tiny Homes to mirrored eco-friendly cubes and cozy yurts, the Tiny House Show offers visitors a variety of possibilities for tiny living.
The Tiny House Show runs until Sunday at 5 p.m. Ticket are available online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Premier Moe calls on Trudeau to denounce export taxes as retaliation option against Trump
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to publicly say that export taxes will not be used as a retaliatory measure should U.S. president-elect Donald Trump impose a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian imports, arguing that there are 'other ways for us to have an impact.'
Shoppers raise complaints after being charged twice for Walmart purchases
A Saskatchewan shopper is out more than $200 after being charged twice for her grocery purchase at a Regina Walmart.
Labour minister unveils steps to end Canada Post strike
Canada Post workers began their strike four weeks ago, halting mail and package deliveries across the country. Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said he hopes work will resume as early as next week.
'Little girl deserves justice': Gallery erupts in anger as charges stayed against driver who killed child
In a tense courtroom, a judge stayed the charge against a Saskatoon woman who hit and killed a nine-year-old girl.
Skier who went missing at Sun Peaks Resort found dead
In a tragic turn of events, the 68-year-old man who went missing while skiing at Sun Peaks Resort earlier this week has been found dead, the RCMP confirmed Friday.
Canada's homicide rate down in most provinces, with 2 exceptions
The homicide rate is declining in Canada, and the country's three largest cities all saw double-digit percentage decreases in homicides per capita, according to data released this week.
Dreaming of a white Christmas? Here are the Canadian cities where snow has been a sure thing
With fewer than two weeks remaining until Christmas Day, weather forecasts and snowfall projections are starting to take shape but have yet to be finalized for cities across Canada.
A new AI-powered weather model could be key to the future of your forecast. But there's a catch
Accurately predicting the weather is hard — really hard, but a new AI-powered forecast model just hit a milestone that has experts saying your forecast could soon get more accurate, and further out, too.
'They believe in diplomacy, good luck': Doug Ford doubles down on energy threat as some premiers distance themselves
Doug Ford is standing behind his threat to stop providing the U.S. with electricity in response to president-elect Donald Trump's promised tariffs, even as several other premiers publicly distance themselves from the stance.