Looking for a Tiny House Builder? Are you all set to choose a lifestyle that is eco-friendly and exciting at the same time? The tiny house on wheels (THOW) lifestyle has much to offer with some of the main drawcards being a low or non-existant mortgage and less time spent on cleaning and maintenance tasks, both of which ultimately give you back the time and freedom to spend on those things you deem most worthwhile in life. Add to this the reduced impact on the earth of tiny living – from both a building and living perspective, and you’ve got a win win win solution at your fingertips!
Making the decision to go tiny can feel like a big leap as it’s so different from how things are generally done in mainstream society, however once you’ve made this decision, the real adventure begins — Planning your tiny!
To start with, you need to consider:
Will you buy an existing design from a builder?
Will you custom design your own and have it built for you?
Will you perhaps even build it yourself?
There are so many options when it comes to new tiny homes for sale in Australia… and then on top of that, is the option to buy a pre-loved tiny house.
If you’ve decided to go down the route of having a tiny house built for you,it’s important to consider the following factors in choosing a builder who will ensure you’re thrilled with your new home:
Experience of the Builder (in Tiny Houses)
Tiny house building, especially in Australia is still in its early stages. An increasing number of regular house builders are entering the field but tiny houses are very different from normal houses and require certain materials, techniques and knowledge. In particular, the design stage of a tiny house is crucial as you need to fit a lot more functionality into a small space than what normal builds require and this is where inexperience can really lead to missed opportunities to optimise your new home. In addition there are a lot of little things that need to be considered and planned around that a tiny house builder will only learn with time (eg. don’t build the shower drain over the trailer joist!). It’s wise to choose a builder that has already built a number of tiny houses so that your build is not the one where they’re making a lot of mistakes and learning as they go. Make sure they’re able to deliver the quality and workmanship you’re looking for.
Off the shelf vs Custom Tiny House Designs
Before choosing a tiny house builder, you should decide if you are going for a ready-made design, a fully custom build, or somewhere in between.
Many tiny house companies in Aus offer base models that they will happily customise for you on a case by case basis.
Others will work with you from scratch to design a fully custom build (note* there’s often a design fee for a fully custom build), whilst some others prefer to just produce their standard designs without any alterations.
Communication
A well designed tiny should reflect you and your lifestyle. Creating a design that’s right for you can take a lot of back and forth between you and your builder and having a builder who is good at communicating in a clear and timely manner can make a huge difference to your overall experience and the final design and build.
Test out their responsiveness by asking a few questions upfront and noting how quickly and comprehensively they provide you with answers.
Tiny House Inclusions
Another important thing to be really clear on, ideally the earlier the better, is what exactly is and isn’t included in your build.
Often tiny house builders will promote offerings at several different build stages, for example, shell, lockup, fully built etc but be aware that the definitions of “shell” and “lockup” differ from builder to builder so it’s really important to understand what is included so you can compare prices and find yourself a great deal.
Eg. Is cladding included in the build? Are the inner walls lined? Is the floor of the loft built in, or is it literally just the frame of the loft? Will electrical and plumbing work be taken care of, or is this something you’ll have to organise later on? Are the windows single or double glazed? etc
In addition to questions and answer around what is and isn’t included, it’s also worth exploring what materials will be used in your build.
All of these things make a difference to the final result, and to how much you ultimately pay for your build.
Location of the Tiny House Construction Company
Before choosing a tiny house builder, it’s also smart to consider the distance from their work site to your intended parking spot.
In many cases, you will not have secured a parking spot prior to ordering your new tiny build but you will likely still have some idea of the area in which you’d like to settle in.
Transportation of tiny houses requires a big car or sometimes a truck, and unless you have the right vehicle, this is something you’re going to have to pay someone else to do for you.
Transportation costs are usually charged on a per km basis and if you decide to order from a builder that’s interstate you’re going to add thousands of dollars to your costs in relocating the tiny to its new location.
Tiny house builders often promote themselves as being “nationwide” and they are, in the sense that they can build your tiny for you, and then it can be towed to wherever you like, but this has significant costs associated with it so it’s worth considering if you’ll be better off finding a builder that’s based near to where you’ll ultimately settle.
If you do find a builder who is local, there’s also the advantage of being able to visit them and your tiny throughout the build process, and even to work with them in person on the design of your new home.
Tiny House Costs
It can be really worth doing your homework as not all tiny house builders charge the same prices. It’s hard to compare from builder to builder because often each design is unique, even off the shelf designs often have modifications made to them prior to delivery. Once you have a pretty clear idea of what you want, you can get quotes from several different builders. Unexpectedly, sometimes it’s the smaller businesses, those without the overheads of fancy marketing and big teams, that can actually offer the most competitive pricing.
Finance & Payment Plans
As the Australian tiny houses market continues to grow, so too do the finance options associated with this new housing option. Traditionally the only way to fund a tiny was through your own savings, or to take out a personal loan, but this is no longer the case. Not all builders offer financing options and even among those who do, not all offer good financing options so if this is something that’s important to you it’s well worth comparing various options before choosing one.
Even if you are providing the funds yourself, and not borrowing anything, there are also differences in how builders require you to pay for the house. Ie. Some require a 50% deposit prior to the build, and then 50% upon completion, others require 33% prior to the build, 33% at a pre-defined stage, and then 34% upon completion. This can also change from build to build within a given company, depending on how resource intensive a particular build is. If you don’t have all the funds ready to go, and are relying on earning them over time, it can be helpful to know upfront exactly what your builder will ask of you at each stage.
Time Period of Construction
Another thing to be clear on prior to deciding who to build with is your estimated delivery date. Some tiny companies are very small businesses that build just one house at a time, others have multiple employees and can construct multiple builds simultaneously. Being clear on construction time up front can help you to formulate exit plans from your current residence and also enables you to know when you need to find a parking spot by.
Tiny House Warranties, Insurance and Contracts
Does your build come with a warranty or guarantee? What is it? Is your build/builder covered by insurance during the build phase? Will your builder supply certificates for all electrical and plumbing work so that you can get insurance for your tiny if you want to? Is your wood heater, if you have one, approved in Australia, and is it installed in line with Australian legislative requirements? Is your hot water heater compliant with Australian standards?
These are questions worth asking to help ensure you’re protected as much as possible down the track if anything should go wrong with your tiny. Have a discussion with an insurance company prior to ordering your build and make sure that you will be able to get insurance on your new home. (Note – Current legislation (or lack therefore) means you’ll be looking at caravan insurance for your tiny). In addition, what are the terms of the contract supplied by each builder? Are you happy with these terms? Is there anything you would want adjusted or added and is the builder willing to negotiate on this with you? Tiny Houses in Aus are so new that there are not a lot of established industry practices or standards and so it’s important you do your homework to ensure you’re protected.
Testimonials and Recommendations
One of the best ways to check the credibility of a tiny house builder is by knowing what their previous clients have to say about them. It would be great if you could meet those past clients in person, have a tour of their houses and talk about their experience. If that’s not possible however, the next best option is to find a way to read their testimonials online. As the market is so new, testimonials are still quite few and far between and this is a gap that www.tinyhousesaus.com.au is seeking to fill with our opportunity to review builders after working with them. As you vet a builder, consider all of the things we’ve mentioned above and only proceed if you are satisfied with the reviews the builder has received.
Conclusion
There’s a lot to consider when choosing a tiny house builder — much more than most people initially realise. Considering the things mentioned above, although it takes time and effort, can help to ensure you find the best builder for you, and that you’re ultimately satisfied with the whole experience.. We encourage you to do as much research as possible but also to jump in and just get started… You’re never going to have all of the answers upfront but you can figure them out as you go. Tiny House Living has so much to offer and the sooner you get started, the sooner you’ll be living in your beautiful new home!
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