A new business in Grand Falls-Windsor is rethinking traditional real estate and hoping to make it big by building small.
Sean Mercer is the founder of Rollin Cabins, a company that is dedicated to building tiny homes that are portable and beautiful. The tiny homes share a similar footprint to camper trailers but as soon as you get inside you’ll see that they have all the comforts of any traditional house.
Mercer was inspired after seeing the growing popularity of tiny houses across Canada and the United States. The lower prices and potential for off-grid living have struck a chord will millennial home buyers and minimalist across North America.
“I’ve been interested in these projects for the last couple of years. It’s obvious that they are becoming a big hit across many parts of North America and hopefully it’ll soon be catching on here in Newfoundland,” said Mercer.
Photo Credit: Julia Cook @CBC
The company’s first model is an ambitious 2-level design that has an overall footprint of 8.5 x 24 feet. The unit is described by Mercer as “about the average size of a family rec room” but he assures potential buyers that this property offers a lot in that compact space.
Each of the Rollin Cabins properties takes around eight weeks to complete, and costs can vary depending on the features and finish customers are looking for. The unit can be built for a base cost of $65,000 CAD but Mercer is always happy to make customizations based on personal tastes and needs. “The units can be as bare bones or as luxurious as you want” says Mercer, “that’s the real beauty of this style of home”.
Each tiny house comes equipped with a propane heater, a three piece bathroom (with stand-up shower, toilet, and sink), a full sized kitchen, and a loft style bedroom. The tiny home is can be powered by a 12-volt DC system or connect to the grid for traditional 120-volt AC electricity. It comes equipped with a 160W solar system for off-grid living or to supplement the grid supply.
A main floor hides away a telescopic ladder that allows guests to access the loft area which includes a very comfortable sleeping space for the residents.
Photo Credit: Julia Cook @CBC
“You really do get the best of both worlds with a home like this. You can use it as a cabin, an RV unit, or even a guest home for visitors” said Mercer, “it’s certainly one of the most versatile living arrangements I’ve come across”.
It seems that Newfoundlanders agree with Mercer. He said that since starting Rollin Cabins he’s been contacted by plenty of people interested in the tiny home movement, adding he doesn’t believe anyone else in the province is currently building them.
“There’s definitely been a growing interest over the past few weeks! Hopefully the trend continues, I think it will but we’ll just have to see how it goes,” said Mercer.
Could you see yourself living in a tiny home? Let us know in the comments below and if you looking for more great tiny homes content, be sure to check out our top picks for tiny homes you can by today!