Rising interest in tiny homes for Albertans during pandemic

The economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is pushing many Albertans to reassess their lifestyle. Across the province, many tiny home builders say they've seen increased interest in recent months.

Marsha Shack is one such consumer. She's looking forward to moving into her brand-new tiny home in the countryside near Wetaskiwin, Alta., in the next month.

"I think I'm the most excited about sitting on my front step in the morning with my cup of coffee and looking out at the field and seeing the sunrise and the trees and continuing to live close to nature, which was important to me," she said.

The 36-year-old Albertan has long dreamed of a lifestyle change. However, it was the pandemic that finally pushed her to take the plunge to live a more minimalist lifestyle.

"The pandemic for me was like a great pause," she said. "It gave me the opportunity to really think about my life and where I wanted to go moving forward. That's when I really started researching tiny houses and thinking about how am I going to make this happen for myself."

When completed, her custom-designed tiny home, valued at around $150,000, will be equipped with two water tanks and a photovoltaic solar panel system.

Despite a footprint of only about 350 square feet, it will include a mezzanine that can accommodate a king-size bed, a small living room, a kitchen and dining area, and a bathroom with a washing machine and a bathtub.

Steady pandemic business

Shack's new home is being built by Sturgeon County-based FRC Tiny Homes Ltd. According to the company's managing partner,Lornel Mitchell, interest in their product continues to grow.

"Working from home is something more people want to do, they want to spend more time with their family. The big 4,000-square-foot home is no longer a priority with the 40-year mortgage," she said.

Although the company's sales have yet to increase, Mitchell says there have been more calls from Albertans wanting information abouttiny homes since the start of the pandemic.

"Our business is only increasing. We're now five years old and have built 22 homes. And I really believe that in the next year or two we'll probably be up to 10 to 15 in a year rather than fouror fivea year," she predicted.

Calgary-based company ZeroSquared claims its sales have doubled in Canada and the United States since the start of the pandemic.

The company's associate director, Scott Wilson, says people are re-evaluating their priorities.

"Telecommuting, which allows people to work from where they want and have the lifestyle they want, surely has a lot to do with it," he said.

Teacup Tiny Homes owner Jennifer McCarthy is also observing the same phenomenon.

In the month after the COVID-19 lockdown began, the Lethbridge-based company sold four tiny homes.

"More people are now considering living on less," she explained. "Being confined, many realize they don't need as many things."

An affordable alternative

Tiny homes typically cost between $40,000 and $150,000 depending on the level of customization, making them a more affordable option for many.

According to Kenton Zerbin, a sustainable livelihood consultant and tiny home specialist in the Edmonton area, more and more Canadians are choosing to break free from their financial constraints to live a more sustainable lifestyle.

"When the economy starts to have its little shudders and people are looking at what they can afford, many people are looking at these as an affordable living option," he said.

Zerbin, who owns a tiny home himself, travels across Canada giving workshops on how to acquire and build them. He says he's busier than ever.

"There are more people who are ready to bite the bullet," he said. "People who were interested before and are now willing to throw down the money because the future may look uncertain and a tiny house will help them weather it."

"This is why the builders are busier than ever before."