A growing number of New Zealanders are moving into their very own ‘Hobbit homes’ amid a housing affordability crisis on the ‘Home of Middle-earth’.
Tiny houses – small, functional dwellings with floor spaces of up to 60 square metres – are becoming increasing popular among families and single occupiers.
New Zealanders have long been faced with one of the least affordable housing markets with the average house price currently sitting at a huge NZ$900,000.
But tiny homes are now being considered the solution on the island nation where the Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed.
The petite dwellings are much cheaper to build and sell, and can cost anywhere between NZ$50,000 and NZ$200,000.
Sharla May, who runs Tiny House Hub, a network that connects buyers and sellers of the homes, has estimated there are now ‘tens of thousands’ across New Zealand.
She told The Guardian she works with around 300 builders who can now build up to 60 tiny homes each quarter.
Ms May also explained that she runs a Tiny Homes expo that has soared in popualarity in recent years.
A growing number of New Zealanders are moving into their very own ‘Hobbit homes’ amid a housing affordability crisis on the ‘Home of Middle-earth’ (file image of a tiny home)
One couple, Truely and Mahue, have shared their story of moving into a tiny home on social media
Image shows the interior of a tiny home – dwellings that are surging in popularity amid a housing affordability crisis
Just 350 people attended the event five years ago, but last year she had more than 10,000 visitors.
One tiny-home convert is Liberty Van Voorthuysen, 34, who moved into a 6metre x 2.4metre home while she was taking a break from teaching.
She said she initally purchased the shell of a small house and parked it at the top of South Island.
Ms Van Voorthuysen then installed a composting toilet and solar panels herself and uses an outdoor shower.
She said this can get ‘pretty gnarly in winter’ but that she has learned to be resourceful.
‘It would be hard for bigger families but if you’re a solo person, a couple who get on really well, or a bunch of friends who want to live on a block of land, it’s ideal,’ Ms Van Voorthuysen said.
Meanwhile Kate Rowntree, 60, moved into her home in Hawke’s Bay four years ago when she separated from her husband.
The petite dwellings are much cheaper to build and sell, and can cost anywhere between NZ$50,000 and NZ$200,000
Image shows a tiny home – dwellings that are surging in popularity in New Zealand and other countries
She said: ‘It was the right size for one and more practical in terms of affordability.’
‘The thought of living in a bigger space seems weird now. I find it hard to understand people without large families building such huge properties, it seems so wasteful’, she added.
Ms Rowntree explained that one of the benefits of her tiny home is that she has been able to move it twice and likes the flexibility that it brings her.
Regina Speer, 39, also moved into a tiny home as a more affordable and environmentally friendly housing option in Christchurch.
Her house measures 3m wide, 6.8m long and 4.2m high and is also equipped with a composting toilet.
She said she has been able to move it twice to get out of danger zones such as flooding or wildfires.
Meanwhile, another couple, Truely and Mahue, have started sharing their ‘tiny home’ journey with their two young daughters on Instagram.
They said they started the account to ‘normalise a different way of becoming home owners’ and that their story shows that you don’t need ‘the biggest house to live a full life’.
While the tiny homes movement has gained particular traction in New Zealand, it is also starting to grow in other places such as the US, Europe and Australia.
The petite dwellings are much cheaper to build and sell, and can cost anywhere between NZ$50,000 and NZ$200,000
Image shows the exterior of Truely and Mahue’s tiny home in New Zealand
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