Tuesday, 19 September 2017
Nesting
I spent lots of time over the weekend puttering and organizing everything. My aunt came and hung up my artwork which made it feel like home! There are a few little jobs that need doing but it looks really nice. Everyone who has visited so far is amazed by how spacious it is inside. I haven't decided what to do with the storage areas under the kitchen counter and stairs but will live with it before making any decisions. If I decide I don't need any cabinetry, I have more money for a deck and stairs. I love my little house - it was a long and sometimes painful wait - but it was worth it! I can't wait to be able to actually live in it.
The Move
Friday, September 15:
9 a.m. - the tow truck is confirmed and the move is a go.
11 a.m. - email from Jamie to say that the truck driver called and has broken down. At this point in the whole process, this is unbelievable on one hand and yet, on the other, not even surprising!
1 p.m. - tow truck company confirms that the truck will not be fixed in time to get the house.
2 p.m. - I manage to find a tow company in Nanaimo that can do the delivery today and try to reach Jamie to confirm.
4 p.m. - I hear back from Jamie but he consults with tow company and they decide it is too late in the day to do the deliver. However, the company does work weekends so tow is rescheduled for the next morning.
Saturday, September 16:
Jamie emailed at 8:20 - the house is on its way! I wait - mostly patiently - for the ETA of 11:00 - 12:00. Around 11:30, the landlord's brother comes down and says that the house has come but came to the front entrance instead of the back. This means it now has to be backed down the street and around a 90-degree corner. It took 20-30 minutes to get the house from the front of the property to the back. A few branches were a concern but fortunately, the landlord's brother had a chainsaw and ladder and was able to cut them down. The backing in was a slow process as there was not much room to negotiate. However, the driver did an excellent job and got the house right where I wanted it.
We were short one board to level it out so Jamie will come back down to do that and to make the corners more stable. However, a slight slant is no big deal for now. The family helped me move all my stuff into Happinest and then I headed back to the apartment for a final clean. I had done almost everything already so it only took about an hour to clean the bathroom, vacuum and wash the floor.
By that time, I was totally exhausted - but very happy! Unpacking and organizing will wait for another day.
9 a.m. - the tow truck is confirmed and the move is a go.
11 a.m. - email from Jamie to say that the truck driver called and has broken down. At this point in the whole process, this is unbelievable on one hand and yet, on the other, not even surprising!
1 p.m. - tow truck company confirms that the truck will not be fixed in time to get the house.
2 p.m. - I manage to find a tow company in Nanaimo that can do the delivery today and try to reach Jamie to confirm.
4 p.m. - I hear back from Jamie but he consults with tow company and they decide it is too late in the day to do the deliver. However, the company does work weekends so tow is rescheduled for the next morning.
Saturday, September 16:
Jamie emailed at 8:20 - the house is on its way! I wait - mostly patiently - for the ETA of 11:00 - 12:00. Around 11:30, the landlord's brother comes down and says that the house has come but came to the front entrance instead of the back. This means it now has to be backed down the street and around a 90-degree corner. It took 20-30 minutes to get the house from the front of the property to the back. A few branches were a concern but fortunately, the landlord's brother had a chainsaw and ladder and was able to cut them down. The backing in was a slow process as there was not much room to negotiate. However, the driver did an excellent job and got the house right where I wanted it.
We were short one board to level it out so Jamie will come back down to do that and to make the corners more stable. However, a slight slant is no big deal for now. The family helped me move all my stuff into Happinest and then I headed back to the apartment for a final clean. I had done almost everything already so it only took about an hour to clean the bathroom, vacuum and wash the floor.
By that time, I was totally exhausted - but very happy! Unpacking and organizing will wait for another day.
Thursday, 14 September 2017
Final inspection
Well it's not all good news but overall was a good day!
I now officially own my tiny house - payment made and key received. And it will most likely be arriving on Friday afternoon :)
The not-so-good part is that some things that I thought were included in my house build were apparently not. The biggest of these missing items is kitchen cabinets. I'd also expected living room shelves, a little closet under the stairs, and railings in the bedroom and boot closets. None of this will prevent me from moving but will mean I can't fully unpack and settle in.
So now to find a carpenter with spare time (not easy) to put in some cabinets and do a few finishing jobs to make Happinest a finished home. I can't wait to get settled in - it has been a stressful journey. The house will still only be stored at the Hollow but I will be spending as many daytime hours there as a I possibly can!
Friday, 25 August 2017
Tiny House Showcase
Two members of our advocacy group (one of which is me) were going to have homes finished by the end of the summer and we found a free spot to hold an event. So even though we didn't have much time to plan, we decided to put on a Tiny House Showcase. Press releases and posters went out, I was interviewed for a newspaper article and we thought things were going well. Then house #1 was not going to be ready to move in time. We tried everything to try and get at least one more house with no luck. And then, five days before the event, I found out my house wasn't going to be ready either. It would cost over $1000 to bring it down for the day and then return it to Nanaimo to finish. I put out a plea and we have found an alternate house. I'd really hoped to have at least two on the site but I have no control. This week has been very stressful - another big dip on that roller-coaster ride of going tiny!
Although I won't have it here for the event, my house is now supposed to be finished for the end of August. I certainly hope it will happen.
On a positive note, I received this email from someone that I've yet to meet that helped remind me that our group is and will be making a difference to future tiny house dwellers:
Although I won't have it here for the event, my house is now supposed to be finished for the end of August. I certainly hope it will happen.
On a positive note, I received this email from someone that I've yet to meet that helped remind me that our group is and will be making a difference to future tiny house dwellers:
I read about this weekend's event and Affordable Housing Alternatives in the Peninsula Review. In digging for more info about it, I came across your blog. I wish I'd found it a year ago when I started looking at TH designs and thinking about land and zoning options! Your Happinest looks great! I am also planning for retirement and absolutely committed to a stable, tiny house life. I'm close to settling on a design but still have many things to consider.
I'm so grateful to you and others who've started blazing this trail for the rest of us who want this lifestyle. I'm sure it hasn't been an easy road.
Wednesday, 26 July 2017
Tiny House Advocacy
Although the news of not being able to move to the Hollow was very difficult, two good things have come out of this delay.
First of all, it has forced me out of my comfort zone and into a role of advocacy. An email I sent to Saanich councillor Fred Haynes led to a meeting with me and about ten other tiny house enthusiasts. Fred is a strong supporter of tiny houses and other affordable housing alternatives. The meeting led to the forming of an advocacy group that will start working on public education and awareness through events and media coverage as well as trying to work with municipal councils to get zoning bylaws changed to allow tiny homes.
In terms of advocating for myself, Cyndy and I met with the city planner for Central Saanich. Although it only reinforced what we already knew for the most part, it was still a good meeting and the first step to working together. I have drafted a pilot project proposal to request an opportunity for Cyndy and I to test out living tiny before Council decides on any blanket changes. It would have to be approved by Council as well as the Agricultural Land Reserve Commission so I think it is a long shot. Nonetheless, we have nothing to lose by trying!
The second good thing is friends. Between meetings and conversations with the advocacy group and getting together with Cyndy to talk about our predicament, I feel that I am developing friendships that will extend beyond just working on tiny house stuff.
First of all, it has forced me out of my comfort zone and into a role of advocacy. An email I sent to Saanich councillor Fred Haynes led to a meeting with me and about ten other tiny house enthusiasts. Fred is a strong supporter of tiny houses and other affordable housing alternatives. The meeting led to the forming of an advocacy group that will start working on public education and awareness through events and media coverage as well as trying to work with municipal councils to get zoning bylaws changed to allow tiny homes.
In terms of advocating for myself, Cyndy and I met with the city planner for Central Saanich. Although it only reinforced what we already knew for the most part, it was still a good meeting and the first step to working together. I have drafted a pilot project proposal to request an opportunity for Cyndy and I to test out living tiny before Council decides on any blanket changes. It would have to be approved by Council as well as the Agricultural Land Reserve Commission so I think it is a long shot. Nonetheless, we have nothing to lose by trying!
The second good thing is friends. Between meetings and conversations with the advocacy group and getting together with Cyndy to talk about our predicament, I feel that I am developing friendships that will extend beyond just working on tiny house stuff.
A visit to the house
As I hadn't seen the house since it moved up to Jamie's new home in Nanaimo, I figured it was time for a visit. Between moving and settling into his new home, Jamie had just restarted work on the trailer. I was thrilled to see that the windows had arrived and been installed. I'm glad I went with the black trim as I think the cedar and black are a great combination. The white door will be painted in a rich "Peacock's Plume" (a deep teal). Inside feels very spacious and bright and the pine ceiling and cedar lofts look lovely. The white walls just have primer on right now but will be a semi-gloss white that will brighten the place even further. The kitchen, bathroom, stairs, window trim and finishing touches still need to be completed so it will be a few more weeks until everything is done. I can't wait to get settled and live in this space!
Thursday, 13 July 2017
Update
It has been a while since my last post so it's time for an update. Although it is a definite long shot, I still haven't given up on living at the Hollow. I am postponing looking for a new spot until all avenues have led to dead ends. I have an appointment with Central Saanich city planner next week to ask some questions and get some information. If that does not even yield a glimmer of hope (even for a temporary solution), I will have to give up and start the search for a new place to park.
Fortunately, my landlords have been great - they would rather wait to have the extra space downstairs than have me live in a tent. I have already postponed my move-out date twice and am now staying on a week-by-week basis.
On a positive note, I am now involved with a small advocacy group. We met Saanich councillor Fred Haynes last week. He is a tiny house and small living supporter and has been working on a report for the council on affordable housing alternatives. It was a very positive meeting and was wonderful to have someone talking about all the possibilities instead of just the obstacles. And this weekend, Alexis and Christian from Tiny House Expedition will be in town and meeting with some tiny house people as well as Fred and Mayor Lisa Helps. Nothing will change in time to benefit my current housing problem but it feels like the tiny house movement is gathering support and momentum.
I'm not quite sure what is happening with my house build. Jamie took a couple of weeks off to move to Nanaimo and I don't know if he is back at it yet. He usually sends pictures every few days and I haven't had any now since the house got towed up there. However, I think windows is the next project so it will be nice to see pictures of the completed exterior. Even if I can't find a place for Happinest just yet, I am anxious to see it finished.
Fortunately, my landlords have been great - they would rather wait to have the extra space downstairs than have me live in a tent. I have already postponed my move-out date twice and am now staying on a week-by-week basis.
On a positive note, I am now involved with a small advocacy group. We met Saanich councillor Fred Haynes last week. He is a tiny house and small living supporter and has been working on a report for the council on affordable housing alternatives. It was a very positive meeting and was wonderful to have someone talking about all the possibilities instead of just the obstacles. And this weekend, Alexis and Christian from Tiny House Expedition will be in town and meeting with some tiny house people as well as Fred and Mayor Lisa Helps. Nothing will change in time to benefit my current housing problem but it feels like the tiny house movement is gathering support and momentum.
I'm not quite sure what is happening with my house build. Jamie took a couple of weeks off to move to Nanaimo and I don't know if he is back at it yet. He usually sends pictures every few days and I haven't had any now since the house got towed up there. However, I think windows is the next project so it will be nice to see pictures of the completed exterior. Even if I can't find a place for Happinest just yet, I am anxious to see it finished.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)