Supplied
The cabins come fully furnished, and with insulated walls and floors.
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Park models feature many double-paned windows throughout the cabins.
Full disclosure: I was wrong.
As hard as that is to believe, the portable home I’ve been admiring at Best Buy Homes at 4250 Portage Ave., isn’t actually a tiny home after all.
When I stopped in and asked marketing director Rory Brennan if I might have a tour of said tiny home, he said, politely — "I’d be happy to show you, but it really isn’t a tiny home, although close. This is one of our increasingly popular park-model cabins, designed for use in RV parks or as a granny suite, a cabin on the lake on private property, cottage guest house, and yes, can even be squeaked into the tiny-home category under certain conditions."
Phew. Well at least I wasn’t completely wrong.
A true tiny home generally has full four-season capability, while the park models hang a little more in the three-season category, although lots of folks are living in them year-round.
The park-model cabin I toured, named the Cedar Model, is just phenomenal. Once I reach full retirement-mode, hopefully a few more years down the road, I could quite comfortably live in one of these, reserving a couple of months to head south through the worst of the winter months. Make that four months.
Rory, could you please, using your best Price is Right prize voice, describe a few of the details and highlights of these park-model homes?
(OK, he didn’t really do this, but he did provide some great info.)
"Laurie, these beautiful park model cabins come fully furnished — bed, appliances, stools, chairs, fireplace, pull-out couch and blinds. The walls are two-by-six, with R20 insulation in both the ceiling and walls and R22 in the floors."
You’ll be warm as toast thanks to the residential furnace (natural gas or propane), all powered by a 50-amp electrical panel, your stay made even more comfortable with the inclusion of residential appliances including a stainless fridge, convection gas range and a microwave.
"Soak up the sun through the many Argon filled double-paned windows throughout the cabin, pamper yourself in the state-of-the-art luxury residential bathroom, featuring an amazing shower and, included with the purchase of this palatial mini palace, enjoy free delivery within 322 kilometres of our sales lots."
That’s terrific, I’ll take three, on the lay-away plan, if there is one. If not, I’ll start saving.
Rory did take the opportunity to add the following valuable footnote:
"These cabins are built by the largest park-model builder in North America — Cavco, who also make many of the manufactured homes on our sales lot. The quality is outstanding."
Price? The homes start at $64,900 for a smaller 12-by-34 two-bedroom with about 400 square feet, to $99,000 for a larger 14-by-nine-foot model, 538 sq.-ft. range, with four models in between, including models with a loft. I have to look at one of those. I love lofts.
You can browse through the park model and cabin homes at cabincollection.ca.
I’ll close today with a few thoughts on tiny homes, which I have to admit have me really intrigued as a retirement residence, the bottom line being affordability and the minimalist approach to living in a home that requires very little care and maintenance, just roomy enough, however, to avoid any claustrophobic feelings popping up mid winter when you’re pretty much shut in for two or three months.
I can handle the home being cosy and somewhat minimalist (no fuss, no muss), as long as it’s on a 10-acre-plus lot outside the city somewhere, with a massive heated shed (like 40 by 60 feet minimum), to keep all the good stuff in, classic cars, junk I’m hauling home, and of course, a unique grandpa-constructed playground for the grandkids to go nuts. And without question, there has to be room for a huge firepit to burn stacks of pallets in. Nothing beats the freedom of country living.
I just don’t think living in a tiny home, in a community of tiny homes, in a city, with heavy-duty restrictive rules would be my cup of tea. The house can be tiny, as long as everything else is BIG!
If you’d like to wander through the Cedar Model I fell in love with at Best Buy, along with all sorts of other cool stuff, you are welcome to do so at the Cottage Country’s Lake and Cabin Show happening this weekend at Red River Exhibition Park. Might see you there.
Enjoy the show and have a GREAT WEEKEND! Spring has sprung!
Comments or feedback, love to hear from you!
lmustard1948@gmail.com
