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Custom-Built Tiny House - Skylights, Beautiful Wood Interior - $24,500 (Kitsilano)
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It's 8' × 14' inside, with two enormous 4' × 4' skylights that make the space feel much larger than it is. The skylights are one of my favourite things about the house. You get wonderful natural light throughout the day, and can look up at the trees, birds, sky and stars.
I lived in it for five years, sometimes with two people, and found it very comfortable. The interior can easily change from a living room to a double bedroom, a yoga space, or an open area for having friends over. The couch slides out into a double bed, then packs away again to open up the floor.
Kitchen
One of the best features is the approximately nine feet of beautiful reclaimed old-growth Douglas fir countertop. It's an unusually generous amount of counter space for a tiny house, and makes cooking and everyday living much easier.
The kitchen includes:
- Two-burner propane cooktop
- Large stainless-steel sink with blackened brass faucet
- Compact refrigerator
- Toaster oven and other small kitchen appliances
- Six electrical outlets
- Elevated enclosed pantry
- Storage for garbage and recycling
The countertop is finished with natural butcher-block oil, which brings out the wood beautifully. It has developed some stains with use over the years.
Storage and furniture
There's a surprising amount of storage throughout the house:
- Large under-bed storage area, with room for six banana boxes plus additional belongings
- Shelves above the bed for clothing and bedding
- Three-tier bedside storage
- Enclosed kitchen pantry
- Small folding entryway cabinet for keys and personal items
The bed, mattress, fitted stools and kitchen appliances are included.
Materials and construction
The tiny house was built in 2021 using the framing and aluminum exterior of a 1970s trailer. I stripped the original interior back to the framing and rebuilt it with new interior finishes, insulation, electrical wiring and plumbing.
Materials include:
- Cedar tongue-and-groove ceiling
- Baltic birch and knotty pine interior walls
- Reclaimed old-growth Douglas fir countertop, backsplash, side table and door
- Copper lights and curtain rods
- Blackened brass faucet, coat hooks and door hardware
- One-inch rigid foam insulation with vapour barrier
Two large skylights and new EPDM roof and flashing have been professionally installed. The original windows and exterior siding were also professionally removed and resealed as part of the waterproofing work. There have been no exterior leaks since the rebuild.
Utilities
The house connects to an external water supply and standard electrical supply. We've generally used a 15-amp connection.
The kitchen sink currently has cold water only. Adding an appropriate on-demand hot-water system is a possible upgrade, but we never felt the need for one.
The propane cooktop connects to an external 20 lb propane cylinder. Sink wastewater is collected in an onboard tank with an outlet - we drained this onto a nearby dirt pile.
We heated the house with a portable oil-filled electric heater, which is included. The small space warms up quickly, and ventilation is provided by opening windows and skylights.
There is no toilet or shower, so it needs to be situated somewhere with access to bathroom facilities.
Condition and sale
The tiny house is in good condition and everything is functioning. It's been a very comfortable home, and the interior has held up well over five years of use. There are some ordinary signs of use, particularly on the naturally oiled wood countertop.
We're selling because we've moved to the Sunshine Coast and no longer have space to keep it. If we had somewhere to store it, we'd happily hold onto it.
The tiny house is currently located in Kitsilano, Vancouver.
The trailer has been moved successfully in the past, but hasn't been towed in several years. Transportation and removal arrangements will need to be discussed with the buyer.
Asking $24,500 CAD.
Happy to answer questions and arrange viewings for interested buyers.