Tiny House - Gary

[John H]

Excellent Gary - it all sounds so easy when it is recounted by an expert! I guess you decided to go this way rather than a motorhome?

I have seen a couple of the tiny house programmes on TV, and wondered how you go about finding a piece of land where you could site your home without falling foul of the RM Act, local and regional authorities, and meddlesome neighbours/covenants/ developers. Has this all been sorted out for your section in Hanmer, or are you taking it as it comes along? Possibly a meddlesome neighbour is behind the current enquiry from Hurunui Council, who would be much better off sorting out their crap water supplies than messing with you...

When you have settled on this section, can you reticulate to sewage and other services, or do you have to be self contained like a motor home?

[pctek]

Excellent Gary - it all sounds so easy when it is recounted by an expert! I guess you decided to go this way rather than a motorhome?

My BIL wants to do that, sell his place on t=retiring and get one.

You need a WOF and a Rego
They rust
They need maintenance
The devalue the second you buy it.....

I'd rather have Garys than a motorhome....

[John H]

Perhaps you misunderstood my comment pctek. Gary had asked some months ago about what to look for in a motorhome. I had sent him a lot of information, and was interested to see that he has gone down this track instead.

[B.M.]

Might interest some of you?

A mate sent me these photos of a guy living in a Rubbish Truck!







There are others but only allowed to post 5

[gary67]

We will be looking at motorhomes next year and thanks to JohnH we have plenty of excellent advice to follow. This is a stepping stone before we build a real house probably next year as we didn't want to live in a normal caravan due to smaller size, cost and lack of decent insulation. The tiny house has been built just as you would a normal house.

Water tank is 30000L we are on a rural Hanmer block that has water but only a trickle feed of 1800L every 24hours, mains power should be happening in the next couple of weeks.

I made everything myself including the cupboard fronts and benchtops, we only paid for a gas installer as son is an electrician and did that work for free.

We are currently arguing with the council who are trying to tell us that the Hanmer urban rules apply despite that fact we are way out and receive no services such as rubbish collection, postal delivery or street lights, oh and they don't think we are relocatable even though I sent them a picture of the trailer and wheels.

One other aspect is that I have been able to reduce my work, I have gone back to building but am only doing 3 days a week earning the same as I was for 5 days in my last job.

[Bobh]

I have lived in a caravan in the past. I did notice how easy it was to heat a small space. I went from a small caravan to a three bedroom older style cottage which takes a lot more electricity to keep warm.

[pctek]

This is a stepping stone before we build a real house probably next year.

Oh.
So you have no intentions of living in it long term then?



B.M. Nicest rubbish truck I've ever seen!

[gary67]

Oh.
So you have no intentions of living in it long term then?



B.M. Nicest rubbish truck I've ever seen!

No but we might keep it as holiday rental, even we are finding it a bit tight on space. Its 8m long by 2.4m wide plus the bedroom at 3.2m long

[dugimodo]

My brother had an ongoing dispute with his local council, he went through the rates bill and removed the costs for any services he wasn't receiving and paid them the difference. That argument went on for years but he never backed down on it and as far as I know never got into any real trouble. He's not around to ask now but that's how I remember it.

The tiny house looks cool, great worksmanship. But why do they not just get called homemade caravans when they are on a trailer? When I first heard of tiny houses and looked at a few I was expecting them to be permanently built on a section, the name doesn't suggest mobility.

[gary67]

Hi Dugi, the term does apply to both those on wheels and permanent's. It is annoying that they don't see us as a caravan knowing that there are at least 10 other people on this road alone living in caravans