Affordable
A smaller footprint costs less to build, less to heat, less to maintain and less to finance over the life of a mortgage. Those savings compound for thirty years. That's not a slogan — it's arithmetic.
Custom homes · Fredericton, NB
I built my son
a house. Let's
build yours.
Right-sized custom homes in Fredericton — built to the same standard as anything else on the street, and priced under comparable homes. Because starting adult life shouldn't mean a mortgage that follows you forever.
2,000
Sq ft finished
3 + 2
Beds and baths
4–6
Months to build
Under
Budget at move-in
Why we started
It started with
a house for
my son.
Housing prices have skyrocketed. Watching that happen, the maths stopped making sense: a young person starting out was either buying something that needed fixing, or signing up for a debt that would outlast their thirties.
So I built my son a house instead. Not a big one — what he actually needed, and nothing beyond it. It came in slightly under budget at move-in, and saved him a great deal against a conventional custom build or against buying something and renovating it.
Then it became obvious this shouldn't be a one-off. Too many buyers settle because they think building a home is “too complicated”. TINRockets — This Is Not Rocket Science — exists to bust that myth. Home building is lots of things. Complicated isn't one of them.
The bigger goal is Fredericton. Housing costs here are the problem I'm trying to chip away at, one home at a time — homes that work for the family living in them today, and still work for the family living in them next.
I'm not looking to get rich off a couple of builds. I want a sustainable way for people to own a home without generational debt.
The first build
One home, start to finish
Complete, and lived in. Filmed from footings up, because we've nothing to hide about how a house gets built.
The whole build on film, footings to finish.
- Location
- Fredericton, NB
- Layout
- 3 bed, 2 bath bungalow
- Finished space
- ~2,000 sq ft over two levels
- Basement
- Full walkout, 9 ft ceilings, two rooms plus family room
- Against budget
- Came in slightly under, at move-in
- Status
- Complete & occupied
Why there's no price on this page. This one was built for family, so what it cost isn't a price I could honestly offer anyone else. What I will say is this: we price a build to come in under comparable homes in the area, and you'll see clear numbers from us before you commit to anything.
What we stand for
What “right-sized”
actually means
Not a smaller house with things stripped out. A plan that fits how you live, and then whatever you genuinely want on top of it.
Right-Sized
Homes have grown relentlessly, and most of that growth is space nobody walks into. We build to what you need — not big for the sake of big. Want a cathedral ceiling, a garage, better finishes? All of it is on the table. But if the plan is growing past what your life actually calls for, we'll tell you, because that's the part that costs you for thirty years.
Local
Proudly Canadian, and specifically from New Brunswick. Every trade on site is a locally owned sub-contractor, and we source materials from Canadian companies wherever we can.
Under the finish
Where the money goes
A small, well-sealed house is a cheap house to run. That's the part you feel every month for the next thirty years.
- Walls
- R-24 or better
- Attic
- R-60
- Heating
- Ductless mini-split heat pumps, electric baseboard backup
- Foundation
- ICF available
- Standard
- Canadian building code throughout
- Trades
- Locally owned New Brunswick sub-contractors
- Customisation
- Every component — cathedral ceilings, garages, finishes
- Insurance
- Fully insured
How it works
Four steps, start to keys
You deal directly with the person running the build. No layers, no runaround.
1
Talk it through
A conversation about how you actually live, what you need, and what you're comfortable spending. No charge and no obligation.
2
Land & design
We design it with you rather than at you. Build on your own lot, or we'll help you find one.
3
Build it
Four to six months on site. We act as your general contractor, working local trades, and you watch it go up.
4
Hand over the keys
A final walkthrough, everything checked, and a home that's ready to live in.
Open for the next one
The next home hasn't
been designed yet.
We're looking for land this winter and drawing the plan over the same months, to build through next year. Nothing is fixed: not the lot, not the layout, not a single line on paper.
If you want that house to be yours, this is the moment to say so — before the decisions get made without you.
Questions
The things people ask us first
Where do you build?
Fredericton and the surrounding area. If you're not sure whether your lot falls inside that, call and we'll tell you straight rather than stringing you along.
Do I need to own land already?
No. If you have a lot, we'll build on it. If you don't, we can help you find one — and the lot matters more to your final cost than almost any decision you'll make inside the house.
What will it cost?
Less than a comparable home in the area — that's the commitment. We can't put a single figure on this page honestly, because land, size, site conditions and finishes all move it, and the lot matters more than almost anything you'll decide inside the house. What we can do is put clear numbers in front of you early, before you've committed to anything.
How long does a build take?
Four to six months on site once we're underway. We quote six to be safe, and we track the build against its budget the whole way — the first one came in slightly under at move-in. Finding land and settling the design happens before that, and how long it takes is mostly up to you.
How small are we talking?
Not small. The first build is roughly 2,000 sq ft of finished space across two levels, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Right-sized means no square footage you'll never walk into — it doesn't mean cramped.
Can I customize it?
Every component. Cathedral ceilings, a garage, upgraded finishes, an ICF foundation — all available. We design the house with you; it isn't a catalogue.
What if I want a bigger house?
Then we'll ask what you'd use the extra space for, and we'll be honest about what it adds to your build cost, your heating bill and your mortgage. If you've got a reason, we'll build it. If it's big for the sake of big, we'll say so — that's the whole point of how we work, and it's better you hear it from us before you're paying for it.
Do you do renovations or additions?
No. New builds only, and occasionally a cottage. It's better for you if we say no to work we're not the right fit for.
Who actually does the work?
Jon acts as the general contractor on every build and manages the trades directly, so the person you talk to is the person running the job. All the trades are locally owned New Brunswick sub-contractors, and we're fully insured.
How many homes have you built?
One, so far — the house on this page. We'd rather tell you that than imply a portfolio we don't have. What you can see is the whole build on film, the finished result, and the numbers behind it.
Get in touch
Let's talk about
your project.
Please reach out. We'd love to hear from you and hear about what you're planning — even if you're still at the “maybe someday” stage. The first conversation costs nothing and commits you to nothing.