The prefix Mini is often part of the designation of innovative products. Like the mini skirt created by British fashion designer Mary Quant in the early 1960s that challenged fashion conventions?
And in the same decade, the arrival of the mini-Austin in the car market monopolized by big American cars? Like the 50 cent mini lotto, a draw that the state-owned company created in 1970 that encouraged the introduction of gambling and gambling in the province of La Belle?
Tiny houses have been the talk of the town for some time, alluding to a small-scale living space. A similar concept to promote mobility, small houses on wheels, so-called Tiny Houses, was born in the United States in 2008 in the difficult economic times and revolutionized the way of living.
It will take a few years for innovation to reach Quebec. There are a number of reasons for this delay, including colder climates, large accessible spaces, and prejudice against prefab homes. Tiny homes, long dubbed dollhouses, were not part of Quebecers’ DNA.
To make matters worse, the majority of communities have banned them on their territory and financial institutions have refused to fund them. Difficult to drive against wind and tide!
From yesterday till today
Sociological and environmental changes have contributed to changing the situation.
Several municipalities have built up their entire area. The only way to ensure growth: consolidation. Some have changed their regulations to allow tiny houses to be built in certain areas and also allow the addition of a second house on the same lot, which was unthinkable not so long ago.
Committed to environmental awareness, it becomes imperative to protect the territory and slow down urban sprawl. Development projects are reviewed to minimize their impact on the environment. In this respect, the tiny house cuts a fine figure and reduces the ecological footprint to a minimum.
The baby boomers are getting older and living in a big house is becoming less interesting, mainly because all the children have left the bosom of the family and they move their households south for several months of the year, leaving their big houses uninhabited.
The lack of affordable housing is a reality affecting all regions.
Young people entering the labor market cannot afford to buy large and expensive houses.
Adherents to the concept of voluntary simplicity are on the rise. They reduce their consumption and look for homes that use fewer natural resources and leave a small ecological footprint.
With growing demands, financial institutions have little choice but to follow suit. Many agree to fund tiny house projects.
The rental chalet
In this movement, the concept of the tiny house has favored the development of the rental chalet. While renting a vacation home is nothing new, demand for Airbnb-style short-term rentals has skyrocketed, attracting investors. All regions of Quebec are affected, especially tourist regions. And the profitability is there.
Diploma
The Tiny House is part of the development of living. It reflects the needs and concerns of the present. By promoting the development of rental housing, the tourism offer has been expanded in several regions of Quebec. So far, nothing seems to be able to slow down this growth.
SEE THE FOLLOWING TABLE COMPARING THE PURCHASE AND RETURN OF A RENTAL CHALET TO THAT OF A TRIPLEX IN POINTE-AUX-TREMBLES AND ON THE PLATEAU MONT-ROYAL
| KIND OF APARTMENT | LOCATION | PRICE | ANNUAL SALES |
| triplex | Pointes aux Trembles | $1.1M | $55,000 |
| triplex | Plateau Mont Royal | $1.4 million | $79,000 |
| hut | Charlevoix | From $575,000 to $600,000 | +$60,000 |
ADVICE
- Before buying a tiny house, rent one for a specific period of time to ensure that this type of housing is right for you.
- To learn more about the pros and cons of a tiny house, ask the opinions of those who live there full-time: they will tell you the truth.