TINY HOMES FAQ'S
TINY HOME FAQs
General ‘Why Tiny’ Questions:
Q: Why get a tiny home?
(1) Financial freedom. Love to own your own home without the 30 year mortgage? Want to reduce all those ever climbing utility bills? You can enjoy a quality dwelling with all the comforts and mod cons at a greatly reduced cost. options.
(2) Have time to pursue what you love. With reduced financial pressure & bills you open up possibilities to pursue worthwhile & enriching interests, relationships & lifestyle patterns. Chase the things you value, the things that make you happy and healthy.
(3) Sustainable & environmentally conscious. Tiny Homes promote sustainable, low carbon footprint, eco-friendly living without sacrificing quality, beauty or functionality.
(4) Increased lifestyle flexibility. Need a change of scenery? Take your home with you!
(5) Income Source. Need some guest accommodation or want to make some extra pocket money? Use a tiny home for Air B&B or many other accommodation options.
(6) Low maintenance. Less space means less stuff, less clutter, less mental load, less to clean.
(7) Stepping Stone. A Tiny House can reduce your living costs while you pursue working toward something else.
Questions Regarding Customisation:
Q: What level of customisation does Aussie offer in builds?
A: We want you to feel completely at home in your tiny home which is why we endeavour to accommodate your needs and preferences as best as possible! Our approach is to design beautiful, well-made tiny homes that will suit the needs of many people. With co-founders who live tiny full time and customers across an extensive demographic range, we seek to offer a collection of designs within which most ‘tiny housers’ can find something that suits them and their unique situations, ready to go.
Many aspects need to come together to perfectly create that blend of aesthetics, functionality and personal touches that make a house truly a home. In a small space, the need to make sure everything ties together is amplified, and, as one of Australia’s longest established tiny house companies, we pride ourselves on the giving the attention to detail necessary to create masterful designs that really work, are of exceptional quality and look amazing to boot. It’s these details you want to be looking for in a tiny home builder.
As you can imagine, there are a thousand and one factors which need to be considered in each design and one small change, can start an avalanche of implications not previously thought of! We’ve taken a lot of this hard work out for you, having tried and tested what works and what doesn’t. It might surprise you to know that our happiest customers are typically those who opt for our standard designs as there are a lot less surprises!
Saying all this, we do understand the need for some personal touches or unique adjustments and do our best to cater for these when they come up. We just recommend avoiding too much change as there can be trade-offs in space, weight, extra costs, resale value and possibly longer time to complete.
Working through changes to design takes time and adds complexity. There is often significant administrative time involved in communication between customer and design team, in ensuring that changes maintain structural and design integrity and adhere to restrictions within which we can build, in researching and pricing materials as well as the additional time involved in making adjustments to typical work flow. We charge set fees for customization as follows. Please contact our sales team to discuss your unique needs and obtain a quote.
Q: Can I customise the building materials?
A: At Aussie we’re all about quality so the materials we’ve chosen are those that will stand the test of time. We don’t use any chipboard, vinyls or MDF anywhere in our builds, only solid timbers and plywood when it comes to the timber aspects and only the best can source elsewhere.
We build everything from scratch and we buy in bulk so, despite the high end products we use, we aim to keep the price down as much as possible. Some changes may be possible but will attract a customization fee. Please chat with our sales team to discuss what you have in mind and obtain a quote.
Feel free to watch a video where Scott explains in more detail about the building materials we use, why we use them and the common alternatives.
Q: What are the maximum dimensions I can have?
A: The maximum height is 4.3m, the maximum width is 2.5m and the maximum length is 9m (10.5m including the draw bar). We keep our builds within the restrictions required for road legality. This means we are also limited to a weight of 4.5 tonne. We’re unable to build longer than 9m without going over 4.5 tonne.
One of our favourite features, is the ‘slide out.’ This provides almost an extra metre (900mm) of width to a section of the home, taking away from the corridor feel tiny homes can have. Modular extensions are also a possibility.
Questions Regarding Quality:
Q: To what standard are the Tiny Homes built?
A: As already mentioned, at Aussie we strive to build to the highest building standards possible, going beyond what is found in prefab granny flats and most conventional homes built today. Quality materials and outstanding workmanship are what we’re about. We build everything from scratch right here in Australia and are creating homes that will last for generations, not homes that will look worn in a few years. Aussie Tiny Homes are built by Australians to withstand transportation and Australia’s harshest conditions.
Questions Regarding Delivery, Installation & Setup:
Q: Can my new Tiny Home be delivered?
A: Yes,Aussie delivers Australia-wide. Please request a quote for delivery from our workshop in Herons Creek, NSW.
Q: Can Aussie install my tiny home for me?
A: Yes, we offer an installation service which involves levelling, and installation onto individually adjustable piers and tie-down system. This will help your tiny house be as steady as a rock. Our draw bars are removable and you can also take the wheels off your tiny house to create a very non-trailer looking tiny house.
Q. How do I connect power & water to my Tiny Home?
A: Our tiny homes come with the same connections you would find on a caravan. They plug in with a regular 240v power socket and water can be connected simply by clicking in a regular garden hose. Simple as that!
Q: How does the toilet work in a Tiny Home?
A: You have 2 main options. If you’re in a built up area, you can have a traditional flush toilet plumbed into an existing septic system (just check that your system is big enough to essentially sustain an extra bathroom – most would be). At the same time you would also have the drainage connected to your existing drainage system. This might cost in the realm of $1000 for both, depending on how far your systems are from where you’re positioning your tiny home.
The other option for the toilet is the composting toilet, allowing your tiny home to be completely independent. These are a great product and don’t smell at all. One great brand of composting toilets we use is Green Loo.
Q: What about grey water/drainage?
A: As mentioned above, your Tiny Home’s drainage can be plumbed into existing drainage if you are in a built up area. Alternatively a grey water filtration system can be installed. A simple slotted pipe in the ground with layers of gravel and sand to filter your grey water may also be suitable in some circumstances. It’s just important to remember to use earth friendly soaps and products.
Q: What about guttering?
A: Guttering can be fitted to your tiny home, however this needs to be fitted once on site as it puts the tiny house over the road legal width restrictions. Your guttering is best supplied and fitted by a local plumber (they may also assist in connecting up your toilet or grey water and could do this at the same time). Guttering can be colour matched to the Monument Matt Colorbond cladding we use.
Questions Regarding Ordering & Building:
Q: What is the current build time?
A: The build will take approximately up to 15 weeks depending on the model and what your position is in the build queue. We are often booked out for 6-12 months in advance so get in early if you have a time frame in mind.
Q: How do I get a quote for a tiny home?
A: There is a form on each model page which you can complete and submit via our website. We’ll get back to you soon with a quote for a tiny home build.
Common Design Questions:
Q: Some models have the wardrobe located in the bathroom. Won’t this allow for mould in the clothing?
A: For the steam to enter the cupboard through the very small cracks there would have to be some kind of suction or pressure drawing it into the cupboard. With the extraction fan in the bathroom on, quite the opposite will be happening. Air will be drawn out of the cupboard. Additionally, the growth of mould is encouraged by prolonged dampness. Good ventilation, a strong fan and the air-conditioning system all assist in keeping the Tiny Home dry throughout.
Q: Is the timber in the bathroom prone to mould?
A: The solid pine used in the bathroom is the same material used in saunas.
Q: Can I have stairs or no loft at all instead of a ladder in my Tiny Home?
A: Ladders are a great option. They’re safe, giving you three points of contact at all times and we also build them to extend past the floor so you have something to hold onto until you are all the way up. They can also allow for a more functional kitchen with generous bench space and a breakfast bar.