Question 1

Do you do international shipping?

Accepted Answer

At this stage we're not offering international shipping and are unlikely to do so in the future. Our homes are built for NZ weather conditions, to NZ Road Transport Legislation, and to NZ building code requirements (in-so-far as is possible and practical for a vehicle). You're welcome to purchase one of our tiny homes and arrange your own international shipping. We can assist with delivery to the nearest international port and you can then take charge of your own shipping form that point onwards at your own risk. You will need to find your own shipping line and source pricing for this yourself. You will also need to do your own due diligence around any relevant vehicle or building code legislation in your home country as well as payment of any necessary insurances, import duty and taxes.

Question 2

Will I need building or resource consent?

Accepted Answer

Our tiny homes meet the definition of a vehicle under the Building Act 2004 provided that it remains movable. Therefore our tiny homes on wheels are not buildings and are exempt from the Building Act.

That said, whether a tiny house is a building for Resource Management Act purposes will depend on the particular provisions and definitions of the relevant council’s district plan, which can differ from council to council across New Zealand. Even though your tiny house may be classed as a vehicle under the Building Act, it may fit as a dwelling under the Resource Management Act. You will need to discuss this with your council.   Please read the Tiny House Guidance Document produced by MBIE in November 2021 for a comprehensive explanation of how the Building Act, the Resource Management Act, and the Land Transport Act do and don't apply to tiny homes on wheels   Some Councils have produced guidance documents that are specific to their jurisdictions    - Western BOP this discussion paper written by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council,  covers definitions, and discusses many useful topics from a council perspective.  - The Hutt City Council has written this resource. - The Marlborough District Council has this information sheet - Christchurch City Council wrote this helpful guide in conjunction with the Canterbury Tiny House Society. - This guide by the Waimakariri District Council provides some clarity for those in this region ​ If you would like to see more clarity about how various regulations do and do not apply to tiny homes on wheels across the country we recommend that you become a member of the NZ Tiny House Association. The Association has been formed to represent members of the Tiny House community, with the aim to foster innovation, promote the growth of the tiny house movement in New Zealand, and empower people with information and resources to assist them while they are working with councils to apply for consent to live legally in tiny houses. Build Tiny Ltd are proud to be a founding member of the NZTHA.

Question 3

Do you sell plans for your tiny house designs?

Accepted Answer

No, our plans are not available for sale in NZ or overseas.

Question 4

How big can a tiny house be?

Accepted Answer

Our tiny homes on wheels can either be built as lightweight road legal vehicles that you can tow yourself, or as a vehicle that's an oversize load. We have maximum size recomendations for each type below, but there is more in-depth information about sizing recomendations here.   Lightweight road legal vehciles: 8m x 2.4m
 Vehicle that is an oversize load on a trailer (Requires truck transport): 10 x 2.9m

Question 5

How long does it take to build?

Accepted Answer

We'll do our best to work to your time frame. We can turn a tiny house build around in roughly 3 months time. We suggest booking a build slot to get certainty of your time frames. You'll get a specific completion date specified in your build contract, and this will take into consideration the availability of major build elements such as the trailer and frames, as well as what other work we have in the pipeline. If you're going for a custom build, you'll need to allow some time for the design and quote process to take place before the build, here is a bit more information about that process.

Question 6

Do you offer delivery?

Accepted Answer

Yes! For a detailed account of the different ways to transport a tiny house please read more here

Question 7

How are they built?

Accepted Answer

We use a varitety of quality, lightweight building materials, and preference local NZ made products where they are available. You can see the full list of materials we use here.

Question 8

Where can I park a tiny house?

Accepted Answer

See what's available in your area on Land Share Ask friends and family Drop flyers in letterboxes in your community, you never know who might have the ideal spot! Ask in your local community Facebook group, or groups like NZ Tiny House Community and Tiny House Buy/Sell NZ Check with campgrounds in your area if they accommodate for long term tiny house parking.

Question 9

Do you do custom tiny house builds?

Accepted Answer

Yes! that's our specialty, here's some more information about this process.   We've actually never built two tiny homes exactly the same, there is almost always some level of customisation involved in every tiny house we build. By using a previous build as a starting point, we can customise any of our tiny house designs to meet your specific needs, or even start from scratch. We have a 2 designers in-house (Gina and Karen) who will create plans and 3D models of your dream tiny house together in collaboration with you. That said, if you fall in love with one of our previous builds, we'd be more than happy to produce a replica for you.

Question 10

Can I come and visit the workshop and see a tiny home?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we'd love to meet you, you can make an appointment here, please check our visitors policy to see current protocols for visiting during the different levels of the Covid Protection Framework. Under orange and green settings we're available weekday mornings (10:00) and afternoons (1:30), and every second Saturday morning (9 or 10am). Under the red settings we are only available ever second Saturday, for in person visits, and zoom visits only during working hours throughout the week. See what is currently available here.   We're a busy workshop, so have set times for visits, and we cant accept walk-in visits. You must be wearing closed-in shoes in the workshop, no jandals or sandals, this is a health & safety requirement. We prefer not to have children in the workshop, but if you are not able to arrange alternative childcare during your visit, then children must be strictly supervised by you at all times inside the workshop. If you can't find us, or are running late, please call us on 07 549 2864   You're also welcome to book a nights stay in one of our Airbnb Tiny homes, that way you can truly test out tiny living.

Question 11

Do you also build tiny houses that are not on wheels?

Accepted Answer

No, at this stage we're focusing our efforts on building the best tiny homes on wheels in New Zealand.

Question 12

How much do your tiny homes cost?

Accepted Answer

We can design tiny homes to suit varying budgets. Our designs are available as complete builds, or in 2 different stages of completion, allowing DIYers to build upon a solid foundation. As our builds are bespoke, there is not set pricing (as it is based on your specifications) but an average 8m tiny house will cost around $150,000-$170,000. We provide a quote for customs builds and have fixed price contracts - here is the process for custom design builds.

Question 13

Is it possible to get financing for a tiny house?

Accepted Answer

Bank Financing: Firstly, because a tiny house is a vehicle, it's unlikely to qualify for a home loan through a bank. However, they may offer you a personal loan, or if you have an existing home loan, you may be able to add the cost of the tiny house to this. Alternatively, if you don't have an existing home loan to leverage, some banks have issued home loans for tiny homes provided there is a guarantor to secure the loan. Contact your bank to discuss the options available to you. ​ Kiwisaver: We often get asked if you can use your Kiwisaver to purchase a tiny house on wheels, unfortunately a tiny house is considered a vehicle and you can not withdraw your Kiwisaver to purchase a vehicle.    Alternative financing: There are independent financing companies and brokers who offer financing for tiny homes, here are a couple that we know of... ​ TMF finance Squirrel Money ​ We are not affiliated with, nor do we endorse these companies. We recommend that you seek independent financial advice before you enter into any financial agreement.

Question 14

What are your payment terms?

Accepted Answer

If you choose to book your build slot in advance, this requires a $5,000 deposit. Once your contract has been issued, we work on a progress payments system, and request a 40% deposit on signing of the contract (any booking fees paid will be deducted). We then have 2 further progress payments of 25% to be paid at set milestone points based on the progress of your build. There is then a final 10% payment to be paid upon completion before pickup/delivery.

Question 15

What are my options for solar power?

Accepted Answer

As a customisation / upgrade, solar panels can be installed on the roof of your Tiny House at an additional cost, making you fully off-grid. We’ll tailor a solar package to your power usage/requirements, but a typical tiny house set up costs $17,850 and the basic specifications are as follows:   Inverter: Victron Easysolar 24/3000/70-50, Panels: 6 x Trina 270w Honey Poly Module, Batteries: 4 x C&D 12V 192Ah c20 FT Lead Carbon Cyclic Battery. Battery Monitor: BMV700 (Battery monitoring module) & 1 x Victron VE Direct Bluetooth Smart Dongle. Please allow for a generator for use on multiple days of limited sunshine.

Question 16

How are waste and grey water treated?

Accepted Answer

Our homes come standard with a fresh-water inlet and a grey-water outlet with a piece of hose. You'll need to set up a greywater collection/treatment system on site, here is a great starting point/resource on this topic. Environmentally friendly composting toilets eliminate black water, meaning that there is only grey-water requiring treatment/disposal - contact your district council to discuss the requirements in your area.

Question 17

What are my options for water tanks?

Accepted Answer

We don't recommend on-board water tanks unless you are building a super portable, small tiny home that is designed for travel. If like most people you are going to be parked up on a piece of land for an extended period, we recommend that you either use mains water available on site, or use a large standard water tank that you place near the tiny house, and pump water from there to your tiny house. This is much cheaper than custom onboard tanks and will reduce the weight on your trailer.

Question 18

What kind of toilets do you use?

Accepted Answer

We install a variety of diferent toilets depending on the clients needs. Our popular plans come with a bambooloo as standard, but are prewired for alternative composting toilets as well, so these can easily be upgraded. We can install any type of composting toilet, chemical toilets, incinerating toilets, and flush toilets depending on your situation.

Question 19

Can I visit the build tiny workshop to review the progress of my build?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we welcome arranged visits from our customers to check up on the progress of their builds. We encourage people come and take a look at the completion of each building stage.

Question 20

Do you offer a warranty?

Accepted Answer

Build Tiny are proud of the tiny houses that we build and take great care in our choice of materials, design and craftmanship. We are proud to extend a 3 year limited liability warranty on our Tiny Houses that will give you peace of mind. You can see our full warranty statement here

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