My name is Grant Kennedy and I live in Prince Edward Island, Canada. I have been following the Tiny House Blog for more than a year when I decided to build my own small house. The outside of the house is finished now and I thought you would be interested in a picture and a brief description. The size of the house is a 24’ x 18’ with a 24’ x 6’ porch on front of it, 432 sq ft. I was planning on building on two floors but I figured with my bad knee and getting older, I didn’t want to be crawling up stairs.
Here are some facts: Designed by myself, built on pressure treated posts, 2″x10″ floors with R-30, 2″x6″ walls with R-20, and roof with R-30, open concept with just a bathroom.
I was originally looking at plans with lofts but with old age creeping up (I’m 45 now) and a bad knee, I thought that a one floor house would be more feasible. I will have an on-demand hot water heater, five small convection heaters and LED lights throughout. I am hoping to have less than a $200 electricity bill even in the winter where we get -40 celsius weather with 7-8 ft of snow.
I have only spent about $10,000 (Canadian) right now for all the building materials which also includes my windows and door, the front entrance set, a one-piece bath/shower combo and my light fixtures.
Thank you Grant for sharing your project with us. We will look forward to an update when you complete the interior.
Are there any restrictions on PEI about the construction, size etc? My son attends UPEI and I would LOVE to build a house there!
Very nice looking little house ! a couple of shutters on the front windows with contrasting color would look fantastic ! Great job Grant !
Looking good, Grant. Hope you enjoy your little house for many years to come. Thanks for sharing with us.
Lovely, hope to see some interior pics when you are done.
I love the front porch!
Does anyone need anything more than this? Nope, don’t think so. It’s like a loft apartment without the noisy neighbors.
Very nice job, Grant. Fabulous to see one built with super insulation for Canadian winters. I agree about the loft issue…one floor is better in the long term. I live in Ontario, and there’s a 1000sq ft minimum size for house construction (personally I think there should be a maximum size bylaw!). How do you get around that in PEI?
Glad to see you youngsters thinking ahead.Most just live for the day and don’t think ahead. Great little house and hope to see some enteriors when you have it completed. While your friends are struggling to survive, you will be snug as a bug in a rug!
I love the simple look to your home, and making the porch 6 feet deep is – what I consider – very functional. I also would like to see the interior when it’s finished. What type of insulation did you use? Scissors truss? Front orientation?
..wowie, that place is like a carbon copy of my place…different color and different windows..and location but very much the same. funny…I still need to put my porch on. We also went board insulation on the outside and batten inside..makes a huge difference in the summer and the winter!
Been following the blog for a while and am working on a shed that will be converted to a small house/bunky next spring!
..I actually took a look and it is hard to find pics of the actual house..so I dug one up:
http://eagergridlessbeaver.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/img_5459.jpg
..it’s a work in progress! hehe
Very nice, and perfect size. Yes, please update with interior photos upon completion too. Maybe even sell plans to help pay it off/recupe some expenses?
What an inspiration. I am doing the same down in High Bank on the Strait. I am moving two small buildings for a house and a gallery,. I thought just for the summer, but thinking now year-round. I have electricity and water, no septic but can get a compost toilet. Lots of ideas for next year.
Small house and PEI in the title equals a perfect post! Thanks for sharing! I look forward to interior pictures, too.
I like the simplicity if the design. I would put windows on the sides too but that is just me. I too look forward to photos of the inside. Is there a floor plane of how it might be laid out?
Too many windows, restricts how you can use what little space you have inside. He does he put, Large furniture, closets, kitchen cabinets, wood stove?,etc. If you know JUST what you are putting in, is one thing. Plus are a heat loss, as I would wonder what direction the winter winds come from??????
Great looking house! And I love PEI- spent a week there in July. It was wonderful.
That is great exactly what I am going for I have a lot in south Texas where the land is cheap and taxes even better.
I just got a quote for a 14*30 for about 11 grand I too am in my early 40s so know what you mean about taking stairs is not an option anymore.
By the way how much is land at Prince Ed running for maybe instead of burning sun I can get used to cold tundra?
Enjoy your little house.
Perfection…I love it!!!
45 isn’t old! A bad knee (or any other joint that hurts) just makes us choose better options! You’ve done a fantastic job here. I love the porch as well, and join in those hoping to see the interior when you’re ready to post some pics. Thanks for sharing with us.
Awesome, This is exactly what I want to do but I can,t fond a place in quebec without those crazy restriction : NO sealed septic tank (I need the full field) and 720sqft MINIMUM ! now that’s not tiny !
and they want 5 foot deep foundations….
basically there’s no way to build a tiny house in Quebec….
how sad.
I don’t know how many people this applies to, but hopefully it will encourage some. I had 2 bad knees in my 30s and 40s but eventually they got better and I go up and down stairs easily now in my late 60s.
Nice job Grant! Are you going to skirt around the bottom? I know the wind in PEI can make it extra cold. Really looking forward to the inside pics.
I agree, very smart! Thanks for sharing.
is this the Grant that is a friend of Louis Gaudet?
Can you please post some interior photos? Thank you in advance
Thanks everyone for the replies. I just moved in here on Oct 30 and am currently trying to make the place habitable. I will take some interior pictures as soon as I have the inside not looking like a disaster area.
Let me try to answer some questions here.
Heather, Hazel and Eric – A far as minimum size regulations go, there are none if you live in a rural area, I designed my 1st home to be 2 level and only 10′ x 20′ and it was even legal on PEI.
Joe3 – I used R40 blown-in in the roof, R-20 batts in the walls and R-30 batts in the floor. The house is oriented to the north as I wanted the porch to be sheltered in the summer and facing the sun in the winter.
Ike – my acre of land was $18K, I have seen as low as $12K and much higher than mine, depending on the area.
Jules – I will be sealing the underneath of the house as well as skirting the house, I was just waiting for the plumber to finish up.
KC – I do not know Louis Gaudet
I am pretty sure there is no min. size in rural areas anywhere in north amer., I ve seen smaller than grants in rural ontario & quebec!
Hello Grant – We have bought a lot on the Boughton River near Montague and are looking to build something minimal to fit our small budget. We will be on the Island in early July – July 1-July 4 and would love to see your home or speak with you. Would that be possible – please contact via this blog if you could spare just a few minutes of your time – I was born on the Island, but live in Massachusetts – we love coming home every summer – Best regards to you –
Mary Conley
A delight & well done, Grant! At 45 U are NOT “old” but years do have a way of getting by. (I am 64 and know, with arthritis in both knees… Oh Lord…) Most wise of U to keep it one storey if U plan very long term residence. I question if a 6 foot wide porch is truly useable, as my current back deck is 8 foot wide and seems to me to be a minimum usable width, especially if one thinks of walkers or wheelchairs way up the road, God forbid.) Much looking forward to your final inside and outside photos. Kindest regards.
Check out this folks, http://www.tinyhomealliance.ca
For Canadians!
Hi Grant,
Where on PEI did you build this? I’m originally from there and looking at buying land to build something over time. I’m looking in the Wheatley River area, close to my parents house
Hello again everyone. I did send interior pictures to this blog but they were never used or updated. I am not on this site much and just noticed the few other questions that were asked.
Mary Conley, Montaque is not too far away from me. I hope you were able to build something you enjoy.
Whitworth Deen, I boarded in the front porch and it is usable. I can hang a hammock on one side and a few chairs with a table in between on the other. Just sit out there and relax.
Jenna, I built in Tarantum, out by Fort Augustus.
Hi Grant,
You mentioned that there are no minimum restrictions on size in rural PEI. What other regs did you (or should you have) adhered to ? Looking to perhaps subdivide a lot for some small homes. Thanks
Hi Grant just wondering if you finished the project? I have land in darnley close to twin shores and am looking at building a smaller eco friendly off grid home. Any information would be appreciated. You can email me at chrisknight315@gmail.com
Thanks
Just an update. Been in the house for over 8 years now. Only thing I changed was removing the batt insulation from the bottom of the house and putting in expanding foam insulation. And I am happy to say that I have not hit the $200 mark for electricity per month yet. And I am full electric. That includes lights, hot water, heat, air conditioning, etc. I am only around $70 in the summer and that is with the AC on all night.