Find your plot of land
The growing popularity of mini-homes, also known as tiny houses, is due to their practicality, affordability and durability. These tiny dwellings offer an attractive alternative to traditional homes, but finding a suitable location to install them is crucial. If you're thinking of buying a tiny house in North America, you're probably wondering where you can place it. In this article, we'll explore different options for finding suitable land for your mini-home.
Generally speaking, the biggest hurdle for a mini-home project is finding the right plot of land, which must allow for the installation of a mini-home on wheels certified as a park or trailer model, depending on its dimensions. Legislation differs from one municipality, province or country to another, but most are becoming increasingly flexible and adapting their regulations to facilitate the installation of mini-homes on wheels on their territory. Access to water, electricity and sewerage/septic systems is certainly advantageous, as it facilitates installation and reduces overall project costs. Off-grid options should only be considered if absolutely necessary, as they are costly and add extra logistics to daily life. The only exception to this rule is our Nomad series, designed to be moved more frequently on the road, for which we recommend considering off-grid options. It's important to confirm the location of your mini-home at the outset of the project if you want a semi-permanent installation.
Here are the types of locations where our customers have successfully installed their mini-homes on wheels :
- Land leased or purchased (a waiver may be requested if the land is residential)
- Farm (agricultural land)
- Wood soil
- Land owned by friends or family with an existing property (backyard installation as an accessory dwelling unit)
- Area reserved for mini-homes on wheels (e.g. Domaine Évolution-Nature in St-Zénon, Complexe de l'Érablière in St-Nazaire)
- Recreational vehicle fleet
- Land zoned for recreation and tourism
In all cases, you may need municipal approval. We therefore recommend that you contact your municipality to find out what regulations apply before you begin the process of buying your mini-home on wheels.
At Minimaliste, we believe it's essential to have a site ready for a mini-home on wheels before you start designing. Unfortunately, we all too often find that projects fail to get off the ground due to problems with the terrain. That's why we pay particular attention to land location when designing our mini-homes. We take into account the various elements of the house to promote well-being, such as sun orientation, views to optimize and privacy. In addition, we seek to maximize passive heating, depending on the layout of the site. However, for our mobile category units (Nomad), the terrain is not taken into account when orienting the bi-facial deployable solar panels, unless the unit is ordered more than 3 months in advance.
If you're looking for a lot in Canada to build your mini-home, we recommend you consult the following resource: web link. This online directory offers a selection of lots suitable for mini-homes, enabling you to find the ideal location for your project. For information more specific to Quebec, the MQMM (Mouvement Québécois des mini-maisons) has also created an interactive map that may be useful in your search.
In conclusion, it's important to consider local regulations, access to essential services and lot orientation when looking for a location for your mini-home in North America, unless you want to be mobile. By exploring different options such as buying or renting land, farms, woodlots, properties owned by family or friends, estates reserved for mini-homes, RV parks and recreational-tourism land, you can find a location suited to your needs. Be sure to contact your local municipality for all the information you need before buying your mini-home on wheels.
