Cost Of Tiny Homes NZ & AU
18 Feb 2023
In This Blog Post
Pricing of a tiny house in NZ
The average price of tiny houses in NZ & Australia
The price difference between getting your itny house built and DIY tiny houses
Price insights into our tiny houses
The Tiny House Movement
If you're looking for an affordable housing option that doesn't usually need a building consent, you may want to consider a tiny house on wheels. Tiny houses are cheaper to build as they require fewer materials and have reduced living expenses than traditional homes.
In this blog post, we will look at the price of building tiny houses on wheels in New Zealand and Australia. Using our plans as a guideline, we look into the three options available from tiny house builders, and the difference between doing it yourself. Whether you've just started thinking about downsizing or you're serious about joining the tiny house movement, keep reading to find the information you need!
How much do tiny houses cost in NZ?
In NZ, tiny homes can range anywhere from NZD$55,000 to $250,000. However, this price will vary depending on your location, size, interior finishes, and whether you're getting it built by tiny house builders or doing it yourself. Keep in mind if you're willing to DIY your own tiny house, this can save you up to half of the price if you were getting it built! (More on this down below)
Tiny homes around the NZD$55,000 price mark are achievable by keeping to a small design and doing most of the work yourself. For the Tiny Haus you can get the watertight shell, DIY the rest! Including a Double Axle Flat Deck Trailer 6.0m x 2.4m. Steel or Timber framing.
If you're not looking to DIY, smaller tiny houses - fitted with standard features and materials, come in at around $80,000 to $180,000. Whereas larger and more luxurious tiny houses near the $250,000 price range.
Many things will affect the price of your tiny house, some of which can be reduced if you choose to do it yourself. Below I've outlined some of the key factors that influence a designs price and affordability;
Key Factors
Whether its a custom design or pre-set plan
Getting it built or DIY
Location
Size of your build (this will also determine your trailer requirements)
Quality and type of interior finishes
Is it cheaper to buy or build a tiny house?
When it comes to whether it's cheaper to buy or build a tiny house yourself, this depends on your specific situation. Of course, doing the work yourself will work out more reasonable than hiring someone. However, the size of your budget will determine how much you can get done by builders and how much you'll have to do yourself.
Professionally Built Tiny Homes
Getting your tiny house built by builders will add additional expenses to your build. As they are professionals in the industry, they will get your build done a lot quicker than if you were to DIY. However, you'll have to factor in labour expenses in addition to the price of materials.
DIY Tiny Homes
If you're willing to do most of the work yourself, this will help reduce the overall price of your tiny house. As you'd be taking your own time and working for free, you'll be able to skip the labour expenses of hiring a builder and only worry about material costs. Keep in mind affordable tiny houses are not strictly related to the design and size, but also how hands-on you want to be!
PS: DIY'ing your tiny home yourself can save you almost half of the cost! If you want to save money through DIY, we've designed our tiny house plans with all skill levels in mind, so even if this is your first build, these plans ensure it will be a success!
Smaller Designs
To indicate how much you can save by DIY'ing your tiny home yourself, let's consider the Tiny Haus design. This design comes complete and ready to go with the price tag of NZD$178,000 - fitted with high-end materials and fixtures. However, if you were to build this tiny house yourself, you could cut the costs and live this tiny house design for under NZD$65,000.
Larger Designs
If you compare this with one of our larger tiny houses, such as Petite Maison, it would cost around NZD$227,000 when completed by a builder. To save half of these costs, building this design yourself might give you the option that would be otherwise out of reach with your budget.
Summary
If you are on the fence about whether or not to downsize and build your own tiny home, we hope this post has given you a good overview of the price of tiny houses in New Zealand and Australia. Building a tiny home can be a very rewarding experience. By doing some research and planning, you can create a tiny home that is perfect for you without breaking the bank.
For those who want to get started straight away, our tiny house designs offer a great starting point you need to take your first step. Whether you're a beginner or have some experience behind your belt. If you want to learn more about our plans, read last weeks blog or our website to find out more!