What I would change if I could redesign

My builder is about to embark on his second tiny house build. Having lived in my house for eight months now, I decided to send him some feedback on what I love and what I'd change if I could go back and redesign my home.

I love the fact that the loft has a landing instead of just a single level. This makes cleaning, making the bed and getting dressed much easier. And I love the overall layout and feeling of the house - other than the bathroom, it doesn't feel tiny at all. I like the fact that there is still room for Nova to get to a full run to chase her ball. And although I only use it when I have company, I like that the bench over the wheelwell offers seating as well as storage. And I like that the kitchen sink cover hides my dirty dishes.

The things I would change are: adding a ceiling fan, making the bathroom slightly larger and kitchen cabinetry. And I would have the electrical panel and hot water heater put elsewhere - as they are hard to get to if needed and they also prevent me from getting cabinetry built in the future. There were a few nights that the fireplace did not keep the house sufficiently warm so I would probably also change that. I'll probably skirt the house in the fall so that might be enough to make it a bit warmer. If not, I will put in new heating of some kind. I also think that the Separett is probably a better choice for composting toilets - there are a couple of design flaws in the Nature's Head.

In spite of the things I would change, I really do love my little home and am grateful that I made the decision to go tiny!

Advocacy Update

Well, not much to report on from the Happinest front. I'll try to post some garden photos next post. My garden has very poor soil and is in shade about 95% of the day so it is not optimal growing conditions. In spite of that - and my lack of a green thumb - most of my plants are doing quite well - although they do not grow very quickly. The only one who is not happy is my heuchara - Mum is going to visit this weekend and give it a talking to :)

On the advocacy front, things continue to move slowly. However, we did have a meeting with MLA Selina Robinson (Minister of Municipal Affairs & Housing) and MLA Adam Olsen and two experts on the provincial building code. I can't say it was overwhelmingly positive but it has at least begun an advocacy conversation at a provincial level.

And locally, we may be working with MLA Adam Olsen to start a small tiny house community on First Nations land. This would bypass all the municipal regulations and zoning changes that would be required. And we will be meeting with Victoria mayor Lisa Helps next month to talk about tiny homes as granny suites prior to a presentation to Victoria Council. And finally, we are in early stages of planning our second Tiny House Showcase, which will happen later this summer