Woman Downsizes to Live in a Legal Tiny House in the City

Adelina joined the tiny house movement when she decided to sell her condo and move into a mobile home. This CSA-certified tiny house was built by Teacup Tiny Homes, a design and build company based in Alberta, Canada, that helps build custom homes for their clients in Canada and the United States. Adelina’s condo on Vancouver Island required expensive monthly fees in addition to the monthly mortgage payments. But a tiny house offered a new living experience.

“I wanted freedom,” she said. “I wanted the ability to move my house. It also came down to being more intentional with how I live my life, so I wanted to simplify. I wanted to get rid of the things that were sort of weighing me down literally, and figuratively. Going tiny allowed me to do that — only have the things that I love, or that are really useful, to spend more time having experiences and being with the people that I care about. It also lowered my expenses. So when you don’t need to support a bigger lifestyle, then you have more flexibility and you have more options.” [1]

Building Adelina’s Serenity Tiny House

Adelina had a clear idea of what her ideal tiny house would look like. This included dedicated office space, a bedroom she could stand up in, and a large kitchen. For those who have seen tours of different tiny homes, you’d know that these three conditions are often not there. Instead, many tiny homes have an office space that doubles as the dining table, a loft bedroom most people need to crawl through, and a small-scale kitchen. Nevertheless, moving into a tiny house doesn’t mean Adelina had to give up her dream.

Additionally, Adelina wanted to ensure her house builder could adhere to CSA certification, which would allow her to park legally in a mobile home neighborhood.

So she chose Teacup Tiny Homes, which has a unique building process. First, clients pick their favorite floor plan from the company’s selection. Then, they pick the features and different options to tailor the plan to their specific needs and preferences. And finally, the clients choose their colors schemes to officially make their tiny houses their own. For instance, Adelina chose the Serendipity floor plan

Her Serendipity tiny house is just under 400 square feet, including the loft. Plus, there’s extra storage space underneath the trailer for outdoor furniture and equipment. The house is based on a gooseneck design with a U-shaped kitchen, walk-in closet in the loft, an optional drop-down dining table, and stairs that are comfortable to climb. 

The Home Tour

When you first walk into the tiny house, you enter the cozy living area next to the step ladder to the loft and the kitchen. The ample kitchen was particularly important to Adelina who enjoys cooking and baking. 

Read: You Can Get These Arched Tiny Home Kits For As Little As $1,300

In the corner, there is a desk that can extend alongside storage space, including the steps that hide more storage space. 

The kitchen is well-equipped with a gas stove, oven, and large fridge and freezer. Additionally, Adelina installed another extendable table as a dining area overlooking a window.

The bathroom is a little tight, but Adelina wasn’t very concerned about the setup. Nevertheless, it comes with a shower and tub, and the sink is smartly perched on top of the washer/dryer combo. The bedroom feels spacious with its tall ceiling compared to other loft bedrooms and its large bed. Off the bedroom is a roomy, walk-in closet. Plus, the bed can lift up to reveal even more storage space.

Read: Tiny smart home looks like a space ship and can sleep a family of 4 — see inside

 “I love sharing this lifestyle”

In fact, Adelina gave testimony to the Teacup Tiny Homes website, particularly about the builder she worked with, Jen McCarthy. “I had met with other builders but when I met Jen (the owner). Right away I could feel her passion and excitement about tiny homes and what we could create together.

“I knew that working with Jen at Teacup would mean a partnership where my ideas and needs would mesh with her professionalism, experience, and eye for design to give me the house of my dreams. Also, I spoke to a past client who is living in a Teacup home and she is so happy with her home and reinforced my impression that working with Jen was going to be a pleasure.” [2]

Adelina shares her tiny house experience and tips on her YouTube channel, My Big Tiny House. She explains,

“I love sharing this lifestyle, I love being able to help people on their journeys. The biggest challenge that I’ve had is people’s perception of what I’m doing — that somehow, it is a ‘lesser than’ [situation], because it’s not a foundation-built house and you no longer own property. But for me, that’s a plus, so I can’t think of any negatives. For me, I think it’s all been positive.”

Here is her full tiny house tour:

Keep Reading: Man Converts Ambulance Into Tiny Home on Wheels for $13,000

Sources

1. “Woman Downsizes to Live in a Legal Tiny House in the City.” Tree Hugger. Kimberley Mok.
2. “The Serendipity.” Teacup Tiny Homes.