Ontario builder poised to start tiny home development in Kingston, ON

What happens when a trusted Ontario developer with 30+ years of experience starts building tiny? Living Pods by Brauer Homes. We spoke with Jamie Brauer about this new offering and their upcoming tiny home community in Kingston, ON.

Measuring at 395 square feet, these homes are 30’ long and just under 12’ wide. With 9’ ceilings and high quality finishes, Jamie says they were designed to feel very spacious, like any conventional home. The pods come in two sizes – one features a separate bedroom while the other is a studio layout. The homes include a bathroom, kitchen, and laundry space as well.

Spaciousness was an important factor in the design. “I’m a big guy and I wanted to feel comfortable in the space,” Jamie says. “That’s why, for example, our shower is 34 by 60.”

On the exterior, the homes feature metal clad and spray foam to Northern Ontario standards. Garden boxes are included with every home.

Retailing at just $150,000, these homes are built to and beyond Ontario Building Code and pass all their inspections in Belleville, ON, where they are made. Once constructed, the home is then transported on a tractor trailer and lifted onto the foundation on site.

The home can be set on three types of foundation – poured slab concrete, helical piles, as well as, giving a lot of flexibility on site. Brauer Homes has engineers on staff to offer a fully turnkey service – from site evaluation and obtaining a land permit, to submitting foundation drawings, to installing the home. Even financing can be arranged through the company.

The Living Pods are starting to develop a fan base across Ontario. Jamie says they are typically sold as secondary dwellings (garden suites, coach houses, etc) to private individuals while municipalities are evaluating them as primary dwellings.

One municipality that is poised to move ahead with a community of Living Pod tiny homes is Kingston, ON. Kingston’s February council meeting heard a report that recommended a partnership with Brauer Homes to build “an innovative housing product development that would support the City’s strategic priority of promoting the increased supply of housing through underutilized public properties and innovative partnerships”.

Brauer’s 30+ years of experience in construction and development were recognized, as was their ability to deliver on infrastructure needs such as roads and utilities. The innovative home design of the modular dwellings is meant to offer an affordable alternative to Kingston’s residents. The report states that while the “median list price of condos/apartments at the end of 2023 was $430,200 in Kingston”, these homes will likely retail at half that amount, around the $200,000 mark.

Brauer Living Pods are a year-round structure designed to be comfortable when the temperature drops to -30°C. The 1-bedroom unit includes air conditioning, energy efficient electric heat pump, designer kitchen, appliances, large 60” shower with seat, vanity, stackable laundry with washer & dryer, living room and dining area. There is space for a fold down hide-a-bed in the living room if an additional sleeping area is needed.

Brauer designs these Living Pods to last 50+ years with affordability being a key factor in the design and pricing. Current estimated pricing provided by the company is:

The 1 Bedroom Suite is $150,000 +HST.

Depending on distance, delivery is $5,500 +HST.

Depending on soil conditions, the foundation is $14,000 +HST.