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
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.