Via Stuff:
Jamie Cameron and Kylie Thomson have nailed the tiny house concept.
The New Plymouth owners of NZ Tiny Homes have acquired a social media following of 26,000, which is why they have just sold their tiny house show home in three hours after posting it on Facebook – they have received 554 comments on the sale.
And Cameron says he could have sold it several times over. “We actually sold it at Fieldays in June, but the sale fell through, so we remarketed it last weekend with an off-grid solar package option, and it went in three hours.
“We’re having to build a whole run of them now,” he says. “We build seven to eight at one time in our New Plymouth factory and they’re going all over the North Island.”
Cameron says the stunning tiny house pictured here was a “demo”. “We won Best Site at Fieldays, and people know us now,” he says. “Our Facebook following is increasing by 1000 people every three to four days.”
So why the demand for a home that is just 22 square metres? Cameron believes tiny houses have been legitimised.
“Twelve months ago a tiny house was a bit of a gimmick – a buzz world. Now, a year later it has become a serious option for people. There is pressure on housing, and we have proved you can shrink a beautiful-looking home into a smaller space and make it work. They are no different from a GJ Gardner home – just smaller and transportable.
“Our tiny houses are going to people of all ages, including young couples with kids, retirees and investors. And they are taking them to be a home.”
Cameron says six to eight people from around New Zealand come to the factory every week to look at a tiny house. “This weekend we have had four lots from Wellington, and last weekend two lots came up from Christchurch.”
And there is no doubt it’s the fit-out that is appealing. And the kitchen can take a lot of the credit. “The kitchen is the pride point in the home for Kiwis, as is the bathroom. So we don’t compromise these areas. We always prioritise a great kitchen and a beautiful ensuite, and then ensure there’s a place to sit, eat and sleep.”
The demo kitchen has marble benchtops, a decorative laser-cut white screen to partially hide the bed, a triple-glazed stained-glass windows and a timber benchtop with stools for casual dining. Cameron says buyers can choose their flooring and lighting.
Cameron and Thomson already have nearly 30 people working in their New Plymouth factory, not counting numerous contractors, and they are now in the process of signing up builders throughout the country so they can grow the business even further. Cameron says they are aiming for show homes in every province.
The one good thing to come out of the tiny house movement is that tiny house denizens can’t reproduce, so they will be bred out eventually. That will a greater concentration of folks with more backbone to take on a system that is so corrupt that it can take a monumental crushing of future generations living standards and repackage it as a lifestyle breakthrough.
