{"id":574549,"date":"2023-05-09T18:07:38","date_gmt":"2023-05-09T15:07:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/a-toronto-couple-ditched-their-condo-for-a-260-square-foot-custom-rv\/"},"modified":"2023-05-09T18:07:38","modified_gmt":"2023-05-09T15:07:38","slug":"a-toronto-couple-ditched-their-condo-for-a-260-square-foot-custom-rv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-toronto-couple-ditched-their-condo-for-a-260-square-foot-custom-rv\/","title":{"rendered":"#A Toronto couple ditched their condo for a 260-square-foot custom RV"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n \u201cIf we\u2019re bringing this concept to life, let\u2019s live in one and test it out for ourselves\u201d\n <\/div>\n
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\u201cThe dents, the imperfections, they tell a story.\u201d (Photography by Sarah Burtscher)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

In early 2021, Lee and Rebecca Loewen were expecting their first child. They rented a 550-square-foot apartment above a store in downtown Toronto that Lee, an industrial designer, had fashioned into a loft. It was an upgrade from their previous 320-square-foot shoebox in the city, but the couple hoped to build a place they could own. \u201cIt was the pandemic, and we had time to be creative,\u201d says Rebecca, who works for a not-for-profit. \u201cWe wanted to throw ourselves into a project.\u201d<\/p>\n

Around that time, Lee\u2019s friend Payam Shalchian app<\/a>roached him with a business idea: they could construct compact, wooden, recreational cottages and sell them as temporary alternative living spaces. Given Canada\u2019s exorbitant housing prices and the increasing popularity of sustainable living, the pair figured that an affordable home with a small footprint could be a popular product. They founded the company Instead Tiny Homes, and Lee agreed to spearhead the prototype development on one condition: that he could move into it with Rebecca and their baby when it was finished. \u201cWe thought: \u2018If we\u2019re bringing this concept to life, let\u2019s live in one and test it out for ourselves.\u2019\u201d
\n\"\"Buying land and building in Toronto was too expensive, so the Loewens left their condo and moved 200 kilometres east to Prince Edward County, where they stayed in a short-term rental. \u201cIt felt strange to have so much change happening at once,\u201d says Rebecca. \u201cAny time I developed a sense of routine, I was thrown a curveball, but I tried to embrace the adventure of it all.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Once in the country, Lee got to work with Shalchian to execute their vision. Over nine months, they assembled sheets of locally sourced plywood into a sturdy 32-by-8.5-foot rectangular cabin, built with wheels on a trailer\u00a0chassis. It was painted black with 13-foot ceilings and expansive windows, and it has a heat-recovery ventilator to ensure good air exchange. \u201cThe idea was to make it an RV and spend the money we would have shelled out on a mortgage to travel<\/a> the country,\u201d says Rebecca.
\n\"\"The couple attached their new abode to a tow truck and lugged it 30 kilometres to their friends\u2019 quarter-acre lakeside lot in Prince Edward County. After Rebecca gave birth to their son, Max, five weeks early, the young family moved into their new place, which still needed some finishing touches. \u201cFor the first two weeks, we were essentially glamping and feeding Max at midnight by lantern, cooking over a fire pit and borrowing showers at friends\u2019 homes,\u201d says Lee. To squeeze into their 260-square-foot home, they had to part ways with items they no longer miss, like extra cabinets from IKEA, bags of clothing and miscellaneous clutter.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the construction team built a small outdoor utility shed to store solar batteries and a 2,000-gallon water tank, tacked 12 solar panels onto the shed\u2019s roof and installed a propane furnace. They furnished the family room, turned the primary bedroom into a loft and wrapped up work on the main-floor bathroom and kitchen, which they outfitted with a stainless-steel countertop and granite sink.
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Total building costs ran to $145,000. The Loewens pay\u00a0barely $3,000 per year in utilities, and their home needs minimal light and heat. The surrounding windows keep the interior bright from sunrise to sundown, and it stays toasty on the coldest days with airtight rockwool insulation,\u00a0ZIP\u00a0System\u00a0R-sheathing, a furnace and the occasional power generator boost. \u201cWe\u2019ve now spent two winters in the place, and it\u2019s warm even on -27 degree days,\u201d says Lee.<\/p>\n

Moving off grid, however, has its challenges: most weekdays, they have to drive 25 minutes to a work-share space to access a strong Wi-Fi signal. They also have yet to take their rolling home on the road\u2014for the time being, it remains on their friend\u2019s property. \u201cWe realized it was built more like a high-performance house than an RV, so it\u2019s heavy to drag along,\u201d says Lee. \u201cUnhooking it from our solar and water lines can get complicated.\u201d
\n\"\"Raising a kid in an enclosed space also tests the couple\u2019s patience. \u201cMax occasionally likes to pick up heavy objects and slam them against the walls,\u201d says Lee. His playtime has affected Instead Tiny Homes\u2019s design choices. \u201cWe were a bit more focused on aesthetics than durability,\u201d Lee explains. \u201cNow I wouldn\u2019t recommend the plywood floors to a client because they dent easily.\u201d<\/p>\n

For now, the Loewens are going to stay in Prince Edward County. Not only is it the best move for business\u2014they\u2019re a short drive away from the company\u2019s warehouse\u2014but moving back to Toronto would require them to own the land on which they park, which Lee says can be pricey. In the meantime,\u00a0Instead Tiny Homes plans to expand its line of alternative, energy-efficient homes, and Lee is working with Shalchian to create their first two-bedroom, 520-square-foot home, which they will place on a permanent foundation by November.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe dents, the imperfections, they tell a story,\u201d says Rebecca. \u201cI feel a sense of pride about the space we\u2019re in\u2014it feels like home.\u201d
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