I am looking for other co-owners or investors for a perfect property for a tiny house eco village on Vancouver Island. This would be a permaculture site for tiny homes with organic gardens, chickens, rainwater collection, and greywater recycling.
The property I am looking into is 5.5 acres and has one conventional house, three mobile home pads – ideal for parking Tiny Homes, and an RV pad (which could also be used for a Tiny Home that uses less electricity). There is also a workshop on the land, where you could work on building your home!
The mobile home pads have 70 or 100 amps and a fresh water hook-up. This is the ideal set up for a Tiny House ecovillage! It is very difficult to get zoning for this kind of set-up, and on top of that it can be expensive to set up this type of infrastructure. This property is very unusual in it’s zoning and is a perfect opportunity. I am currently looking for other co-owners or investors for this property.
The property does have a septic system but I am interested in sustainable permaculture systems that save money, recycle wastes and turn them into resources. To his end, our grey water would drain through an outdoor filter system and the water would be reintegrated to treed parts of the land. The toilets in the Tiny Homes will be composting toilets, eliminating the blackwater issue.
The conventional house can be used as a shared building with a communal kitchen and dining space as well as shared laundry. It could house wwoofers or other volunteers to help with the garden. We will save money by pooling our resources, buying food stuffs in bulk, and cooking en masse. You could have your own kitchen as well in your Tiny Home, or choose not to!
The tiny homes can be DIY or built by one of the many budding Tiny House companies. They would be made of salvage or other green materials. I am currently building a Leaf House, pictured above, with totally chemical-free materials, as I suffer from Multiple Chemical Sensitivities. Therefore this community would be ideal for others looking for a scent-free and chemical-free environment or simply those interested in sustainable living systems and leaving a smaller footprint.
There could be room for more houses if others are interested in living off the grid. Especially for seasonal visitors or for houses not containing plumbing (to get around zoning laws).
If this property sells, I will be looking at other options on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. For a link to the property and other options that could be considered please see my blog: http://mychemicalfreehouse.blogspot.ca/p/tiny-house-eco-village-bc.html.
I write about how to build a chemical-free house for anyone interested in exploring that further.
Please feel free to contact me at corinne_segura(at)hotmail(dot)com
This sounds amazing! I wish I was closer and could take part in this. Best of luck to you. Sounds like an ideal living situation!
AKA: give me some money!
J/K!!
Sorry for my silly question but I don’t know what house pad means or how it works. English isn’t my native language. btw the idea is really awesome and while i read it I could guess all the village/community working to all steam, thriving vigorously.
A mobile home pad or RV pad is the area where you can park your home and have electrical & fresh water hook up as a minimum.
what a fantastic idea 🙂
I was unable to see prices for land. what would you estimate a buy in amount to be? Also, do you have in mind regarding pet rules? I have 3 cats
Hi Susan,
The last paragraph on this page links to the house listings: http://mychemicalfreehouse.blogspot.ca/p/tiny-house-eco-village-bc.html
The property I am referring to in this article is 475K. There are 4 pads (and 3 mobile homes included), one conventional house + a workshop. The simplest solution would be to split that 4 ways with four parties. I don’t think anyone would mind people having cats in their own mobile home!
Please feel free to email me!
Corinne
how many acres? I think a bunch buying a huge place acreage wise would be cheaper and everyone could have a few acres each to make it work better, privacy is key to happiness!
There is no “chemical-free environment”.
This sounds amazing. I would love to volunteer/wwoof here! My friend and I are coming back home to the west coast this summer and are looking for tiny house construction projects in B.C.
We are eventually trying to build our own tiny house and live in a community with 1 large “Common House” which might provide studio space for artists(pottery!), common library etc.
Best of luck!!
Thanks Will!
Excellent idea, wish I had money. I hope to some day set up co-operative senior age-in-place housing on a similar model, combined with younger people’s housing, permaculture farming and an “art farm” with workshops and galleries.Older people with more money than stamina will provide the space and resources, younger people with the reverse provide their time and effort, with symbiotic benefits for all. Instead of rent to own there could be work for shares. Lots of detail to work out!
That’s a pile of money. I bought 5 acres in the East Mountains near Albuquerque, with a single wide mobile, all utilities, a small work building, etc. for a mere $47,500. The building could be a tiny home, it has close to 150 square feet. It is fully wooded pinyon forest and on the side of a hill. I have 14 acres in Texas east of Dallas, which I only paid $49,000 for about 6 years ago. I have a 660 square foot cabin on it. The payments are very low for these properties… don’t discount buying your own place!
Rebecca, Canada is high dollar cf. to many places in the U.S. I own 35 acres nice mountain property at 7000 feet elevation near Spanish Peaks at $75000. New Mexico and Southern Colorado offers the best value (in my opinion). Land is subject…it’s like beauty….in the eyes of the beholder.
Hi Corrine I live on Bowen Island & might have a great lead on 27 acres of land for this project.
The current owner is already wanting to create this type of living on her property. I tried sending you an email but got : Delivery to the following recipients failed.
corrine_segura@hotmail.com
So please get in touch with me as I’m glad to see i’m not the only one on the coast of bc with this ideology.
Hi Alex, it’s one r and two ns!
I would love to join a bowen Island group ne day! I am from powell river and looking for something close enough yet far enough, if that makes sense! 😀
I just bought a little two bedroom on more that 1/2 acre with the best dirt I have ever had right in the california valley for $61,000, my payments are $350/month. I agree with you Rebecca, why would someone pay nearly 1/2 million dollars for an old house and some trailer pads? Maybe they only want to be in some special, high end area?
The cost of land in southern Canada is very different!
Why look into some of the most expensive land on the west coast if you can not afford it. It would be much less if you looked into another location. This area is to much money unless you are somewhat wealthy.
Price is not the only reason to pick an area. Some people just really like it here and it’s the mildest climate you can find in Canada which ultimately helps with long term heating and other costs.
I totally agree with you. My point is buy what you can afford. If you need help from others you can not afford to live there. Maybe inland a little more or a less costly parcel that could be done individually. Investing along with other people almost never works.
But the stated intent is to form an eco-village, which by its very nature involves group ownership. It’s not for everybody, that’s for sure, but dedicated individuals can make it work. There are many successful co-op housing ventures and eco-villages world wide.
there are sometimes many acres for sale on texada island that are affordable, like 20-100 acres etc, if we did like 2.5 to 5 acres each, for 2.5 to 5 grand each, it could be very doable! 😀
Hi I know of a property in the Duncan area that is looking to set up something in the line of this and is just in the starting thoughts. Lets chat more.
Hi Azzaro,
I would love to hear more about that!
Please email me: corinne_segura@hotmail.com
I have been wanting to start or get involved in a tiny house community for a while. I am a retired builder, who specialized in design, finishing carpentry and renovations. I have owned acreage, and built from scratch, including water system, septic etc. I am very dedicated to going completely solar. I would like to keep in touch re the Bowen Island land. for that matter, any area mid Vancouver Island as well.
Hi Keith,
DO you build Tiny homes?
I agree with the mildest climate in canada being why I stay putt.
I am in powell river and looking for someone to help me construct one of these!
Lots of cheap land around here too I think… 😉
Fantastic ideas here. I have been living in Southern Africa for the past 20 years and planning on moving back to BC next year, but frankly, the real estate market, especially around Vancouver is an absolute joke. There are people spending 80% and more of their income on rent and mortgages, and I have to wonder why. So let’s find alternatives. Having said that, I am not sure I could face living somewhere you have to shovel yourself out from under snow…
Haven’t seen a reply in a year, curious how the project turned out. I have 60 acres in Northwestern BC (Near Terrace) and would someday love to get it turned into the idea you are describing here. I like the mild climate (lower energy costs) and the rural lifestyle.
Get away from the urban centers and getting anything accomplished (or people interested in moving) can be pretty tough.
Contact me please. My husband and I are looking to get away from the crazy life in Surrey and enjoy what nature has to offer and leave as little a footprint as possible.
Yes. Whatever DID happen to this project?
Curious about the outcome of this project for sure. My husband and I are living in Winnipeg but our plan is to build a small house somewhere in BC and live amongst the like minded for our retirement which will hopefully come sooner than later.
I am totally interested. I live in Nanaimo and am looking for a situation exactly like what your describing. Living off grid but still have some of the luxuries. Like I want to collect rain water, raise chickens and other animals for food, have solar power, ect but still have amenities like internet to keep in touch with the world.
My wife and I are looking for some land to build a tiny house on the island. I would love to find out more about this or even Jason what are you doing with your 60 acres.
Feel free to text or call 403.826.2924
We are planning for March 2016
We also are also looking to build a small off the grid but with a septic.We will be selling our home in Calgary probably next year.I think my husband would need people.He’s social.But I’m private.so splitting land would work for us.I’m from B.C and nee to return.
We live in New Brunswick , Canada and our children live on Vancouver Island,,, we have been looking for you (lol) we want to sell our home in 2-3 yrs and build a tiny home and move into a community with septic that allows tiny homes,,, you my friend have given me hope. Please let me know if this ever went any farther or has happened yet. AWESOME <3
Hi, I am on a small budget and recently found a trailer I could afford. It was an rv trailer that was
levelled. It apparently needs some support work & welding, I guess that was the reason for the low price.
I had a quote from a professional for $2600. I had asked on craigslist for some help but I cant pay rent
and this kind of price for material & labor all at one time. I need to buy material on 1 pension then pay for labor to fix it on the next pension. I am getting really discouraged, I have been trying to get the
framing done for a while now. I have collected most things for inside, if I ever Get Inside . I would like to use S.I.P.s. if possible but will take what I can get. Can Anyone offer any kind of help ? I am in Richmond, trailer in paid parking lot, where I Can build. Tiny House allowed if self supporting. I dont have anyone who is interested in Tiny Houses so it has been difficult. I dont want to have to live in Maple Ridge where I dont know anyone. All my business- Dr. dentist,hospital etc. is in Richmond. Thanks for reading. lgeraghty@yahoo.com
Hello, just wondering if this spot ever came to fruition? I’m in Oregon and looking to relocate to Canada within the next few years. I currently live in a tiny house and am exploring ideas of where to go once in Canada. Thanks!