By Breanne Massey
Pioneer Staff
The less is more philosophy can go a long way in creating a valued and comfortable home.
Chuck Newhouse, the owner of Chuck Newhouse Builders Ltd., will be showcasing the Mount Nelson tiny model home between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. in front of the Newhouse Multi-Storage facility located at 450 Laurier St. in Invermere on Saturday, December 19th.
The 64-year-old Invermereian has taken the art of building tiny homes to a new level so that he can offer an affordable living alternative to the Columbia Valley.
Ive been a building contractor here in the valley since 1985 and have done custom renovations, said Mr. Newhouse, while stating he would now be offering custom-made tiny homes. I semi-retired last year, and was looking for a small project. My nieces and nephews had some interest in tiny homes, which got me interested in tiny homes so I started building them.
The concept of offering people from all walks of life an affordable but comfortable home to live in promptly drew Mr. Newhouse into designing a unique selection of offerings for the valley.
The tiny house movement is really growing, he said. There are two TV shows, a bunch of magazines its really taking off.
Mr. Newhouse estimates the projects take between four and six months to complete in full.
Its an alternative way to live, he said. The whole concept of less is more because you dont need a huge amount of space to live comfortably, and you can do it on a smaller budget.
The Mount Nelson tiny model home is an estimated $117,000 to build. It measures 11 feet wide by 22 feet long.
This is the first one Ive built and its our prototype, he explained. I built it as a prototype RV Park model to show off some of the features that we can do, but the nice thing about tiny houses is that they can cover a wide gamut of what you want and I thought there was a market here for the higher end stuff, which is what I like to do anyway.
Mr. Newhouse estimates the most affordable option to build a tiny house with him would be around $40,000. However, the prices on tiny houses may vary from $40,000 to $117,000, but on average could cost about $60,000 to $70,000.
Typically, a tiny home on wheels would be built on a utility trailer base so theyre roughly 8.5 feet wide up to 30 feet long, he explained. What we can offer is quite diverse they can also be built on a budget and be totally off the grid. You could use a lot of reclaimed materials in it and the options become quite limitless.
For more information, visit www.newhousemicrohomes.com.
