If you've ever been jealous of Frodo, there's a home on the market that might make you feel like a character out of the Lord of the Rings.
A ranch located outside of the village of Bridesville (population about 35) has hit the market. While there are more than a handful of ranches in southern B.C., this one has a very unique feature befitting Arda.
A hobbit house.
To be clear, it's officially an "Earth House" according to the real estate listing. There was a lawsuit threat from multinational mass-media company Warner Brothers, but the home was clearly designed as a "hobbit house," built into a hillside with round doors, a cozy fireplace and furniture befitting a Baggins.
The $2.5 million property offers a lot more than just a house from Hobbiton in the Okanagan. While one part might look like it's straight out of Middle Earth, there's actually a more typical three-bedroom home on the property and a cabin. And barns, because this is a working ranch with 400 acres of land.
In Metro Vancouver, the benchmark price for a standalone house is around $2.1 million, and higher than that within the city of Vancouver. There are several homes listed for similar prices right now in Vancouver, including a three-bedroom starter home, a Kerrisdale bungalow, or one piece of a land assembly.
The hobbit house is actually meant more for Gandalf (a guest from afar visiting the area) than any of the halflings. It's currently listed on Airbnb as Second Breakfast Hideaway, a copyright-safe nod to hobbits' love of meals.
A few years ago, the owners spoke to V.I.A. about running the unusual Airbnb, which was named one of Canada's most wishlisted unique stays.
"I can't actually believe that I'm in a position to facilitate something that means so much to people," Christina LeComte said. "The reactions that I get from people... I don't know how to say any other way, but sometimes they're really profound."
With files from Cameron Thomson
