With many more people keen to live more affordable, sustainable lifestyles it’s of no surprise that the tiny house movement has been growing. But how much does a tiny house actually cost in Australia? One thing’s for sure, even if you’re buying the land to put it on, they’re much cheaper than your typical home. But, depending on the size of the home, who builds it and what materials are used, there’s still a huge variation. So, let’s break down the factors that affect how much a tiny house costs in Australia.
Tiny vs normal house
Depending on where you want to live in Australia, the savings you’ll get from a tiny house can vary significantly, but when compared to buying a standard house, you’re still likely to save a few hundred thousand dollars, at least. In Melbourne, for example, the median house price is $918,350 and the median unit price is $554,306. With tiny houses costing $150,000 (on the higher end of the spectrum), even if you need to buy the land to park it on, they’re still much cheaper than your typical home. And, if you choose to rent a small part of someone else’s land in the country, you could be looking at some life-changing savings. Let alone the fact that if you ever want to move, your house can come with you!
The DIYer
There’s a certain pride that comes with building your own home, including a tiny one. When done by yourself using recycled materials you could even spend as little as $20,000. In saying that, this home isn’t likely to be a modern, comfortable home suitable for fulltime living. And, this doesn’t include the hidden costs of running to the hardware store to get the necessary tools, which can add up quite significantly. It’s also worth remembering that just because it’s tiny, doesn’t mean it’ll be easy. Building a tiny house should be taken as seriously as building a standard home as it still takes good project management, a lot of building knowledge and the skills to build it. You also need to consider how much time you can commit to building your home. If you work full time and can build for 16 hours every weekend, it’ll likely take 62.5 weekends—but with delays and time off, you’re looking at closer to 1.5 years. Check out this blog for some important things to consider before building your own tiny house.
Material choices and build quality
Whether you build it yourself or hire a builder, your choice of materials and build quality will affect how much your tiny house ultimately costs. Choosing new materials over recycled options will naturally cost much more. In addition, getting an engineered trailer and frames will cost more, but they’ll also give you peace of mind that your build is safe and will remain durable for a long time. Your average tiny house trailer costs between $10,800 and $16,000 new, and if you want all the standard inclusions like a shower, full kitchen and space for at least one bed, it would be very hard to build a tiny house for less than $30,000. If you want your tiny house to be capable of off-grid living, you’re looking at least $20,000 more.
Delivery
If you’re getting your tiny house built by a professional tiny house builder, you’ll need to think about the delivery costs. At Aussie Tiny Houses, all our homes are fully insured from our workshop all the way to your doorstep anywhere in Australia. They’re undertaken by an experienced towing company with specialised vehicles designed to deliver your home safely. A temporary plate will be attached to your trailer during transport, so you won’t need to register your home right away or get a permit.
Delivery fees are charged per km depending on your location:
- South East Queensland: AUD4.00/km + GST
- New South Wales: AUD3.00/km + GST
- Victoria: AUD2.50/km + GST
- ACT: AUD3.00/km + GST
- South Australia: AUD3.00/km + GST
- North Queensland: AUD2.60/km + GST
- WA, TAS and NT: quote provided upon request
Insurance
Whether you build your tiny home yourself or get a professional builder, you’ll need to think about insurance. However, insurance companies do require various documents under legislation that typically only registered builders, like us, can produce (something to consider if you’re building it yourself!).
Long-term savings
No matter whether you build your own tiny house out of recycled materials or buy one completely new, your long-term living costs will be significantly reduced in a tiny house. Less operational energy is needed to heat, cool and provide power to such a small home, making many tiny houses have an energy rating of seven stars, and a very low utility bill.In Australia, you can live in a tiny house on land with an existing dwelling without a Development Application. This makes it an attractive, cost-effective way for two households to share land, its resources and potential for growing food. Some of our customers who live on a friend’s block of land, harvest rainwater, use gas appliances and share the main house’s solar electricity have reported a 70% decrease in utility bills! Check out this blog for a comparison of living costs in a tiny house compared to a standard home.
In this post below, Amy and Greg from @life_done_simple give us a look into their monthly bills for tiny living compared to what it used to be when living in a traditional home. Scroll to the side and to see how much they are saving.
How much do Aussie Tiny Houses Cost
At Aussie Tiny Houses, we offer tiny houses that can be bought at three different stages:
These range in price from $107,000 to $149,900 depending on the design and inclusions:
| Stages | Lock up – Stage 1 | Shell – Stage 2 | Turn-Key – Stage 3 |
| Inclusions | – Trailer – Subfloor – Steel Frame – Cladding – Colorbond Roof and Flashings | – Stage 1 inclusions – Insulation – Walls and Ceiling Lining – Waterproof Flooring Full Electrical (15amp + Switchboard) – Full Plumbing (Gas + Water) | – Stage 1 and 2 inclusions – Kitchen Cabinets and Fittings – Bathroom Fittings – Custom Cabinetry Stairs – Custom Cabinetry – Appliances (Cooktop + Oven) |
Aussie Tiny Houses Costs Overview
On the table below you can see the costs for some of our designs:
| Model | Sleep Arrangement | Dimensions | Features | Price |
| Coolum 6.0 | 1x Queen size ground level bedroom | 6.0m Length 2.4m Width 4.3m Height | Single Level Gable Roof Exposed Rafters 1.0m bathroom and shower | Lockup – from $78,900 Shell – from $91,900 Turn-Key – from $107,900 |
| Teewah 7.2 | 2x Queen size loft bedrooms 1x Optional extra Sofa Bed | 7.2m Length 2.4m Width 4.3m Height | 2x Queen size Loft Bedrooms Storage Stairs + Ladder Large Bathroom Design Cabinetry Storage Stairs Large Bi-fold Kitchen Window | Lock Up – from $88,900 Shell – from $104,900.00 Turn-Key – from $129,900.00 |
| Mooloolaba 7.2 | 1x Queen size loft 1x Optional extra sofa bed | 7.2m Length 2.4m Width 4.3m Height | Breaky bar bi-fold window 2.7m long kitchen Rear storage stair to loft 2x sliding entry doors | Lockup – from $88,900 Shell – from $102,900 Turn-Key – from $126,900 |
| Casuarina 8.4 | 1x Queen size ground level bedroom 1x Optional extra Sofa Bed | 8.4m Length 2.4m Width 4.3m Height | Separate Ground Level Bedroom Single Level Design with Storage Loft Feature Cathedral Ceiling Central Bathroom/Ensuite Design Double Built In Robes | Lock Up – from $85,900 Shell – from $101,900 Turn-Key – from $122,900 |
| Hazel 8.4 | 2x Queen size loft bedrooms 1x Double Size loft bedroom 1x Optional extra Sofa Bed | 8.4m Length 2.4m Width 4.3m Height | Breaky Bar Window Large U Shaped Kitchen Standing Landing to Lofts Large 2.7m Entry Triple Stacker Sliding Door Large Bathroom Design | Lock Up – from $97,900 Shell – from $115,900 Turn-Key – from $149,900 |
| Casuarina 9.0 | 1x Queen size ground level bedroom 1x Optional extra Sofa Bed | 9.0m Length 2.4m Width 4.3m Height | Separate ground level bedroom Single level design with storage loft Skillion roof design Central bathroom/ensuite design Double built-in robes | Lock Up – from $89,900 Shell – from $104,900 Turn-Key – from $128,900 |
If you have any other questions, or would like a quote for an Aussie Tiny Houses build, get in touch and our design team can help you out!
Leave a Comment