Facing skyrocketing housing prices in Halifax amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a single mother in Nova Scotia chose an unconventional route to homeownership by purchasing land and building an off-grid home near Bridgewater. Mariam, 42, constructed a self-sustaining residence on 3.8 acres without taking on a mortgage or utility bills, financing the entire project without bank involvement.
Mariam spent about 15 years renting in Halifax, including time in apartments and a housing co-op. Before the pandemic, she rented a four-bedroom house for $1,800 monthly, with total housing costs reaching approximately $2,500 after utilities. Her initial plan was to buy that home through a rent-to-own agreement, but when the property owner opted to sell during the pandemic, the housing market saw dramatic shifts. Due to low interest rates and an influx of buyers from other provinces, Halifax’s resale home prices jumped 10.9% in 2020, turning what Mariam expected to be a $350,000 purchase into a listing priced near $500,000.
Unable to meet the increased price, Mariam began searching more broadly for affordable options within 90 minutes of Halifax, including cottages, cabins, and vacant land. Properties at lower prices often sold within days. Eventually, she found a 38-acre property listed for $65,000 on an online marketplace. The site included a small cabin, outhouse, chicken coop, and driveway. Through cash payment negotiation, she acquired the land for $50,000 in November 2020, paying roughly $1,500 in legal fees to transfer ownership.
Funding the purchase required years of careful savings and a combination of income sources. Employed in office management at a non-profit earning about $54,000 annually, Mariam supplemented her income by renting out a spare room on Airbnb and launching a regional bakery business with her sisters. She maintained multiple bank accounts to keep savings inaccessible for everyday spending, describing this as a “digital equivalent” of hiding money.
After acquiring the land, Mariam lived with her youngest child and partner in a converted school bus parked near the cabin while planning and building a permanent home. Over two winters spent in the bus, she began constructing a 650-square-foot house with two bedrooms and a bathroom. She estimated total construction costs at approximately $70,000, including labor paid at about $30 per hour and donated help from friends, while using discounted materials. Investing $10,000 in solar panels allowed her to avoid the roughly $30,000 cost of connecting to the electrical grid. A further $10,000 was spent recently on drilling a well, improving water access compared to years relying on rainwater collection and hauling.
Mariam described her motivation as a desire for agency and stability amid global uncertainty, reflecting on a childhood marked by frequent moves and a lack of permanent roots. She now views the property as a lasting home, unlikely to be sold.
Her experience provides insight into alternative paths to homeownership amid challenging market conditions, highlighting the importance of flexibility in housing expectations and the benefits of self-reliance in construction and maintenance. Mariam advises prospective buyers to remain open to non-traditional properties and to cultivate skills in building or repair, noting that such willingness can significantly expand possibilities.