All our tiny homes are fully fitted-out shipping containers. We purchase brand new (one trip) containers, which are then fit-out to meet all habitable dwelling building codes and turned into tiny homes. All our interior fit outs are done to the same building standard as most new modern homes using licensed builders and tradesmen.
Whilst the homes are tiny, with clever use of space, many people are choosing tiny homes as their long-term primary residence. These homes have everything you need to live a minimal and sustainable lifestyle.
What you stand to gain by going Tiny:
Tiny homes can be shipped anywhere in Australia very easily! Given our tiny homes are literally shipping containers, they are a common size for many logistics companies to deliver.
Best place to start is this website - fill out our online enquiry form by answering a few simple questions including your best suited design option. This will send us a direct email and we will get in touch as soon as we can to discuss what is best for you. If you'd prefer to email us directly you can - our email is Tinyhomes.tas@gmail.com
You can also contact us via facebook or instagram.
Our Tiny Homes do not come furnished, however you can use our photo gallery for inspiration and style guidance. For a list of things that are included, you can view our standard inclusions list on our website.
We are a small Tasmanian business that operates from 30 Gilmore Street, Launceston. If you would like to make time for an appointment you can contact us to arrange a time.
This varies throughout the year, we always plan to have a display on site at any one time, sometimes we have multiple displays, but these often only stay on site for 3-6 months. We always have several projects under construction at any one time so there is always plenty for us to show you if you'd like to book an appointment.
Yes. Whilst regulations vary from council to council, we can provide you with some guidance on obtaining council planning & building approvals. We work with a local registered building designer who will assist you and facilitate your council applications.
Our Tiny Homes can be considered ancillary dwellings in circumstances where there is another primary residence on site, which means it is exempt from planning approval, meaning the process can be much faster than a regular newly built home. If you own vacant land, however, you will then still require planning approval.
First you need to know if your local council is okay with you installing a Tiny Home on your property. Contact the planning department and ask specifically about your land zoning and what you are allowed to do in regards to your property and if there are any restrictions. This will be a fairly brief and simple conversation. Your next step is to come to us.
Planning approval:
If your Tiny home is on land where there is already a primary residence it will be classed as an Ancillary dwelling – this is because they are under 60m2 floor area. This means you get to skip the planning approval stage – this is called a ‘planning exemption’. The building designer will apply on your behalf for the planning exemption.
If it is going on vacant land the Tiny Home will then be classed as a primary residence and you will firstly need to apply for planning approval. The building designer will do this for you.
Building approval:
Whether or not your Tiny Home is classed as an ancillary dwelling or a primary residence you will still require building approval. The building designer will complete a full set of site specific working drawings for you for the council submission. This will be submitted for approval and a building surveyor in your area will be assigned. From here the building surveyor and local council will approve the plans and you are ready to go.
Building approval is your main submission to council. There will be an application to fill out and a full set of site specific Architectural drawings will be required. Once you have submitted your application it usually takes between 4-12 weeks to get approval (each council is different and times may vary depending on workload).
We will take it from here as you are now ready for construction!
Construction time can vary depending on the size and final design. All our Tiny Homes can be built and ready to deliver in 10-12 weeks from commencement of construction. We often require up to 6 weeks lead time before we can begin construction. This is to allow for suppliers to manufacture certain elements such as windows & kitchen cabinetry. At times we may have a small inventory of Tiny Homes that are ready for immediate dispatch and can be delivered within 1 week.
Yes. Over the 6-10 week construction process, we will provide progress updates and photos as each of the major construction phases are completed.
Our set designs tend to be the most successful layouts for most of our client’s needs, however we understand each client is unique with differing circumstances. We will work to develop the perfect design for you.
Yes. Jason, the owner is a registered builder and he is hands on with every build. All plumbing, electrical, gas fitting and plaster work is undertaken by qualified local trades people. Tiny Homes are designed by a certified designer prior to construction to ensure Australian compliance with all building codes.
Yes. Your tiny home will be completely built at our manufacturing facility, however, you will need to organise your own electrician and plumber to connect you to these services onsite as well as a local builder or concreter for any other on-site works such as pier footings, decking & roofing. If your Tiny Home is to be located in Launceston we will be able to recommend our own Tradespeople for the site work. We will always endeavor to provide a full site install service to our Launceston clients if our resources allow it, however we are unable to travel to complete this work. Jason is committed to making sure the process is completed properly and will help assist you throughout the install process.
Footings will need to be constructed prior to delivery. This is your Tiny Homes final resting place and this will need to be constructed by a registered builder who will follow the plans provided to you.
Once your Tiny Home has been placed on site, there are a few things that need to occur before you move in. The plumbing and Electrical will need to be connected to your mains and often the council requires the storm water to be dealt with on site, which means installing a roof on the container. You may also want a deck to enjoy with your new home.
The internal plumbing is all contained within the walls of the container itself and once delivered on site a qualified plumber is required to connect the 100mm sewage pipe from underneath the container where the toilet is situated to the existing sewer line on the property. Alternatively, it can be connected to a septic system or bio cycle unit. The shower drain, vanity and kitchen sink will also need to be connected via 50mm pipes.
The hot water is delivered via LPG gas. The system is built onto the exterior rear of the container out of site and is installed prior to delivery ready to use. We make provision for two 45kg gas bottles to be installed on site, alternatively you can use standard 8.5kg ‘swap n go’ gas bottles. Alternatively if you do not want a gas hot water unit we can make provision for an electric hot water cylinder to be installed on site once delivered.
The water can be as simple as connecting a garden hose, however for best performance we recommend your plumber to connect a 25mm poly pipe to the Tiny Home as part of the on-site installation if you’d prefer a more permanent option.
For optimal performance and reliability the Tiny Home will be hardwired using the mains power on your site, this is by digging a trench from the power source and laying one power conduit.. If you don't have power to the site or you are remote then an off grid system can be designed to suit the power load of the Tiny Home.
In some instances where your Tiny Home does not have large appliances such as an oven, large fridge, washing machine etc you can opt for a 15 or 20 AMP caravan inlet, which means you can simply connect your power with a suitable extension lead. This is common for the Tiny 20.
Heating and cooling options are not included in the quoted price as this needs to be decided on a case by case basis depending on your needs, however the most common would be a reverse-cycle A/C unit or gas heater.
Heat pump/air conditioning unit:
An electric heat pump/air conditioning unit will require installation onsite due to the exterior unit that cannot be transported while attached to the container. Therefore, we provide all the necessary connections for a heat pump to be installed, however the cost of the unit and the installation on site is the owner’s responsibility and must be done by a licensed electrician.
Gas Heater:
As the water is heated using gas it is also an option for us to install a small gas heating unit that will heat the Tiny Home in a matter of minutes and wont draw much power. This option is a higher upfront cost; however, it can be installed prior to delivery and over time you save on power usage. This system, however, is a heating option only.
This is discretional, some councils require the storm water to be dealt with on certain sites. This will be decided on during the building approval process. If a separate roof is required a licensed builder will be required to follow the plans for on-site installation. During the design phase, you can have a say in the roofs design if you would like it to cover a decking or entrance area. This should be decided on before building approval is granted.
Yes, we can depending on location. If you are located in Launceston and surrounding areas, we would give you a separate quote prior to construction for on-site works. We will always endeavor to do as much as possible for our clients, but this all depends on our resources and workload.
All the work to be completed is drawn up in the detailed design documents. All you need to do is contact a local contractor and show them the plans and they will give you a quote based on the work to be completed. This can be done prior to us commencing construction so you know all the costs that you are up for.
Rough estimates:
- Within 50km of Launceston the delivery fee is $500.
- $1,000 elsewhere in Tasmania up to 230km of Launceston
- $1,000+ over 230km past launceston.
Elsewhere in Australia, will be subject to an individual quote based on the Tiny Homes destination.
Delivery will be organised 2 weeks prior to the completion of the construction and it would normally be picked up from our yard at 8am and delivered the same day.
This depends on the slope of the site and the design of the footings. If you require pier footings due to a sloping site, the container will need to be craned into place. This is very common and nothing to be concerned about. Tiny Homes Tas understand this can be a daunting process so we will act on your behalf to organise the transport and crane if required. However the cost of the crane is the responsibility of the client and a quote should be obtained prior to construction commencement to know the total cost of the project.
This should be one of the first questions to ask as some difficult sites may not be accessible enough to get the containers into place. Tiny Homes Tas has worked on some very complex installs with Cranes Combined (our local preferred crane company). You would be surprised what these guys can do. We always suggest getting a representative out to your site initially if you have access concerns and this will give you peace of mind that things will run smoothly.
Depending on the complexity of the site. If there is enough access for the truck to pull up beside the footings then they can simply side lift the Tiny Homes into place. Otherwise a crane is required.
Yes, given our tiny homes are literally refurbished shipping containers, they are the perfect size for shipping. All items located inside the container are fixed and cannot be damaged in shipping. There may be some instances where a small amount of scratching may occur on the exterior, however, this is rare.
Anywhere within Australia.
Are you ready to take the plunge and buy your first Tiny Home?