All aboard! Retiree buys 'cheapest home in the GTA' -- a caboose
It’s being called the 'cheapest home in the GTA -- a caboose that sits on a commercial parking lot in Campbellville.
And now it’s off the market.
Laurel Wynne, a 64-year-old retiree, bought the caboose after selling her previous property, a 1921 school house near Bancroft, last year.
"(My one son) said 'Oh Mom, you’re so random. What did you do that for?'" Wynne said, chuckling.
The hope was to move closer to her family in Oakville and to save money.
But the high costs of rent, paired with concerns she wouldn’t be eligible for a mortgage, made her house hunt tricky. That’s until she came across a listing for a 110-year-old red train caboose just outside of Milton.
"I’ve definitely never sold anything like this," said Jennifer Krane, a real estate agent with Zoocasa, who sold the caboose to Wynne for $45,000.
Wynne also has to pay the owner of the lot $500 a month.
"We weren’t sure how to list it because it is very unique," said Krane. "But single-family detached is what we came up with."
A old caboose in Campbellville was sold for $45,000. (May 2022)
The converted caboose was previously used as an office by a limousine business. Inside, there were three large benches, as well as mirrors and a sound system. With only about 220-square-feet of space, it is still missing some features of a regular home.
"There’s no bedrooms, there’s no bathrooms, there’s no kitchen. So, I mean, it was a very fine line," said Krane.
But that didn’t scare Wynne away. Instead, she looked at it as a chance to punch her ticket to a less-is-more lifestyle.
"I don’t have a mortgage, I don’t have a water bill. The hydro is not hooked up, although it has hydro, I don’t have a hydro bill," Wynne said.
The structure isn’t attached to any plumbing so she has had to get creative when it comes to emptying her tank.
"I spent an inordinate amount of time researching compost toilets on YouTube, and I thought: 'What has my life come to?'" Wynne said, jokingly.
43 Main Street East, Campbellville. (Jennifer Krane/Realtor.ca)
Wynne is currently renovating the 1912 caboose so there will be a living area, a bedroom and a bathroom. She said even with the renovations, she anticipates paying less than most other properties on the market. In the meantime, friends and family that live close by have also opened up their homes until hers becomes more livable.
Once the renovations are complete, Wynne hopes to relocate the caboose as long as she can find land that’s within her budget. Until then, she’s willing to roll with whatever unique challenges come her way.
"A tiny home doesn’t necessarily have to mean deprivation," said Wynne. "It can mean freedom. And for me, it’s freedom."
It’s an unexpected freedom that’s led her to not only owning a home, but a piece of history.
With files from CTV Toronto
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.