Question 1

What is the earliest I could start building with you?

Accepted Answer

Please contact us to check for the next available spot

Question 2

How much does a tiny house weigh?

Accepted Answer

The weight depends on the size of the house, materials used for construction and the amount of built-in cabinetry. Houses can range from 3.5T - 9T.!!

Question 3

Do you ship worldwide?

Accepted Answer

We do not ship our builds overseas from New Zealand. However, we are working with international building partners and continue to bring on new partners as the demand for our builds continues to grow at record pace! Check out our International Builders page for further information.

Question 4

Will I need to obtain council consent?

Accepted Answer

Building Consent
There is ongoing debate among councils as to whether or not a tiny house is a caravan (being exempt from the Building Act) or a permanent structure, which means the Building Act would apply. Auckland council have notified tiny house owners in their region that they consider a THOW as a vehicle and have stated that they are training their officers to this effect.
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Resource Consent
The purpose of your tiny house will determine whether or not you need to obtain resource consent. There are a number of questions that the councils will want answered, so we recommend you get in touch with your local council directly to find out exactly what you can and cannot do.
 
Generally speaking, each council has a differing opinion on tiny houses, so we recommend that you check directly with your local council for questions relating to building or resource consents.

Question 5

I'd like to see a tiny house in person, do you have any you can show me?"

Accepted Answer

Yes, if you are planning on building with us within the next 12 months you can book in for a tour of our workshop. We usually have around 5 houses on the go in our Auckland workshop, so there are usually a few different designs that we can take you through and all at various stages of being built. Due to health and safety reasons, we only show clients around the factory when the builders are not working. Please email us if you would like to book an appointment to discuss your build.  
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Question 6

Can I tow the house with my own vehicle?

Accepted Answer

Depending on the trailer you choose and if the house is under 3.5 tonnes as this is the maximum allowed weight to be able to tow on New Zealand roads. Anything above this will need to be hauled by the professionals.

Question 7

How do I connect to water and electricity?

Accepted Answer

We use a 16Amp or 32Amp caravan connections for electricity. We believe it is best to connect to mains power within 100m of the house. Our tiny houses come with water inlet pipes that can be connected to mains water supply or tank supply by your plumber once onsite.

Question 8

Do you use sustainable products?

Accepted Answer

Where possible, we use sustainably-sourced materials native to New Zealand.

Question 9

I'm not familiar with composting toilets, how do they work?"

Accepted Answer

There are a number of different options – here is a blog post by Shaye outlining common questions and how they work. Generally we suggest clients to do their own research as it really is a personal preference. We mostly use the Bambooloo in our tiny house builds.

Question 10

Can I have a plumbed-in toilet instead?

Accepted Answer

If you have resource consent you can plumb into existing grey water systems.​

Question 11

Can I customise my plan?

Accepted Answer

All plans are customisable as long as the changes are not structural. We have so many different plans available that there is a very good chance that you will be able to find something similar to what you are after for your dream home.
 
If you prefer to use your own design ideas or make structural changes to our plans, there is a charge as we need to draft the plans to ensure they are doable! The fee of $3,000 plus GST will need to be paid in advance before we proceed to quote your custom build.

Question 12

Do you build tiny houses without trailers?

Accepted Answer

In short no. The team is focused on building the best tiny homes on wheels in New Zealand. We recommend you try looking for a builder that specialising in transportable homes or a cabin builder.

Question 13

Do I need to place the house on foundations?

Accepted Answer

No, you just need a flat, level surface​. A professionally compacted space the size of your house is the best option if possible but we have had many houses simply park in a nice flat area. Beware of wet areas! Not a good idea!

Question 14

What if I wanted to add-on to my house in the future?

Accepted Answer

A number of our designs are specially designed so that modules can be added over time. This will need to be discussed when designing your home with Shaye.

Question 15

The location I want to put my tiny house has limited/difficult access. What options do I have?

Accepted Answer

It is best to discuss access with a us or a towing company. Steep hills, sharp corners, narrow access, low power lines, trees etc can all cause problems geetting your house into position. It is possible to crane your house into position where access is limited.​

Question 16

The houses seem to be quite high off the ground, how do I get into it?"

Accepted Answer

Due to the fact that ground levels may vary from site to site, we do not provide stairs. However, if you know your site is level, you can request some to be made for your house. Most people have decks made and steps up onto the deck. Temporary steps can be supplied as well upon request.

Question 17

Will my house have a warranty?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All warranties for the products in your tiny house will be passed onto the new owner. We also provide a Build Warranty of 3 years whereby any issues will be corrected if they arise and are a result of incorrect workmanship. It will not cover any damage that may result during transportation of the tiny house (as we cannot control the quality of the towing job done/accidents etc).
 
Electrical and gas work is carried out by our licenced professionals and compliance certificates will be issued upon completion.

Question 18

How long does a build take?

Accepted Answer

Our team typically take between 12-14 weeks to complete your tiny house build. We do usually get booked 6 months in advance, but it is best to check with us on current wait times and the possibility of being added to our waiting list if a spot opens up any earlier.

Question 19

Can I add in a fireplace to my tiny house?

Accepted Answer

If you let us know you are planning on installing a fireplace, we will make allowances in your design frames for a flue to be installed. However, we do not install fireplaces. This will need to be arranged yourself after the tiny house has been delivered to you.

Question 20

Can I have a solar system in my tiny house?

Accepted Answer

All our designs are prewired for solar and ready for your solar supplier to connect your system. The needs of solar requirements can vary greatly depending on numerous factors such as the number of people living in the home, appliances being used, site location and site position. We recommend you work with a local solar supplier in your area when the tiny house is delivered to your site.

Question 21

How do you find land?

Accepted Answer

Many of our clients have found land to lease for their tiny houses (even in Auckland!).
Below are our top recommendations on ways you can find land to lease for your tiny house.
Friends & Family: Give a shout out to friends and family, you just never know who might be interested in leasing out a spot on their back yard to you.
Landshare: This is a free website connecting land owners and tiny house owners www.landshare.nz.
Facebook: Join your local facebook community groups to advertise that you are looking for land to lease. Make sure you include as much information in your post to help land owners know exactly what you are looking for.
Flyer Drop: Put together a detailed flyer and drop them off in the areas you are interested in moving to.

Question 22

Rent to Buy

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately we don’t offer rent to buy options. Fear not, there are several lenders out there offering financing for tiny houses. We have put together a list of lenders that are offering financing. See Financing for THOW below.

Question 23

Financing for tiny homes

Accepted Answer

Tiny Houses on Wheels are considered vehicles and not buildings therefore they do not qualify for mortgages. There are several lenders out there however, who do offer finance for tiny houses. We have put together a list of lenders that are offering financing for THOW.
Vegalend
Alexander McAlpine
Phone: 021 0622 987 
alexander@vegalend.co.nz
https://vegalend.co.nz/
Credit One
https://www.creditone.co.nz/caravan-loans-finance
Squirrel
https://www.squirrel.co.nz/squirrel-loans
TMFNZ
https://www.tmfnz.co.nz/

Question 24

Could I get a shell build, and do the internal fit-out myself?"

Accepted Answer

Yes we do offer this service, for more information please contact us.

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Common Questions