Making It Work On The Coast | S1 E1 “Randi and Mike”
Location: Upper Gibsons
Outdoor Hangout: B&K Trails + Sprockids
Social Recco: Persephone and Tapworks breweries
What do you do when you want to live in a tiny home, but can’t find affordable land in Metro Vancouver? That’s the predicament that new Sunshine Coasters, Randi and Mike, found themselves in just a few short years ago.
After a fruitless hunt, they began to expand their search beyond the metro area. That’s when the lightbulb went off: the Sunshine Coast is close to Vancouver, it’s affordable and offers an amazing outdoor playground.
It wasn’t long after that Randi and Mike discovered Click Modular Homes, fell in love with the concept and placed their order for a custom mini-home. Flash forward to 2017 and the couple is now happily nestled in their eight-home modular community in Upper Gibsons.
Randi is astounded at how quickly they’ve become embedded in the coastal community: “I always joked that in the three months we lived here we knew more people here than we did three years in Vancouver.”
The pair – both avid trail runners – quickly found their tribe with the help of PaceSetter Athletics and passionate locals. Mike, surprised that The Coast’s vast network of trails is so under the radar within the broader trail running community, is in the process of planning a trail running series that will put the Sunshine Coast on the map. For more information see PuddleJumperClassic
The best part of all is that while all of these adventures can be found in their backyard here on The Coast, Randi and Mike have managed to sustain their careers. Randi is self-employed in the holistic health and healing space. Meanwhile, living only five minutes from the Langdale ferry terminal allows Mike to commute daily to Vancouver as a walk on passenger on BC Ferries. He’s even made friends with the commuting “regulars”.
Randi and Mike – originally hailing from Denmark and England – both rave about the simplicity of their small home. It turns out, that their world travels have inspired them to pack light – and, unlike many of us, they have no issues with getting rid of the excess.
“We just felt that we didn’t need a massive place. It was just big enough for us and the pets. Because the more space you’ve got, the more stuff you have. ”
Admittedly, it did take Randi and Mike a little while to get used to “Coastal time” where everything takes just a little big longer and businesses don’t stay open nearly as late. But, that’s part of the charm, they say. And it’s that laid-back, friendly and rural vibe of the Sunshine Coast that has provided them with a tight-knit community they have been searching for all along.
Want to learn more about moving to the Sunshine Coast? Contact me for a consultation.
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Each year, the Sunshine Coast welcomes new year-round residents who have unearthed the secret of “going coastal”. In this Making It Work On The Coast blog series, we’ll get to know our new neighbours, who are fast becoming part of the fabric of our community. I’ll discover their inspirations for moving to the Sunshine Coast, and the homes, lifestyles, and careers they’ve built in our amazing neck of the woods.
