What's involved in building a tiny home? Here's how WA businesses go about it

May 13, 2023

In a warehouse 20 kilometres north of Perth in Wangara, two men called Dave are building tiny homes.

Civil and structural engineer David Barker, and master carpenter David Macdonald, are among many people suggesting tiny homes as the answer to the housing crisis.

The pair, who met by chance six months ago when one Dave bought some second-hand furniture from the other, have come together under Snug Living.

"The idea of tiny homes came up in conversation very quickly, and six months on, here we are standing in front of one," Mr Barker said.

"We're trying to provide affordable spaces for people to use in multiple environments.

"We've all got to start living a little bit more sustainably and within our means."

South of Perth in the Peel region, Sue Daley's background in renovation and design has been paired with Joe Maiolo's background in building to form another tiny home business, Pocket Condos, which is driven by a similar ethos.

"There are more people who want the smaller home and to live more sustainably and affordably," Ms Daley said.

Mr Barker said the Snug Living units were classified as "small dwellings" by councils, and since they weren't on wheels, council approval was "the same as a normal building" meaning they needed to meet safety standards and be installed by a registered builder.

But some tiny homes presented more complex challenges for councils.

"If it were on wheels, some of the shires actually don't have a classification for structures like this," he said.

Ms Daley said tiny homes on wheels got "lumped in" with caravans.

"There are significant constraints on living in a caravan in most local governments," she said.

"And WA does have one of the strictest conditions in that you can only live in them for three out of 28 days."

Ms Daley is the WA leader of the Australian Tiny Home Association (ATHA) and her partner Mr Maiolo is a building advisor for ATHA.

Together they advocate for legislative changes to get tiny homes recognised as acceptable, permanent housing.

Mr Barker said the Snug Living units provided 25 square metres of living space – about the same as a hotel room – and were built on a steel chassis which is covered with insulation and then flooring.

"We build the timber frame around that, and then the external cladding is placed on and then it's like a conventional build, just on a smaller scale," he said.

Mr Barker said the homes, which were adapted for each client, sold for about $115,000 to $120,000 and could be built in 12 to 16 weeks.

Once the units are completed, they are placed on a truck and installed by a local builder, or a client under an owner-builder licence.

The Snug Living team is in the process of obtaining a registered builder's licence so they can offer installation services too.

Ms Daley said Pocket Condos could be built "on wheels or skids, so on trailers or off" with a range of options to suit the client's needs.

"We are a steel frame construction, so we put together the framework … then for example, one we have on display at the moment has a Colourbond exterior with a timber feature."

Ms Daley said Pocket Condos sell for an ex-factory price of about $90,000 plus GST for a six-metre long home.

"Pricing is determined from there depending on what size the tiny house is and any upgrades chosen; whether you want to be on the main system or connected to off-grid systems, site costs, services, everything like that."

One couple in the Margaret River region decided to spend what would have been a year's worth of rent to build their own tiny home out of a 40-foot (12m) shipping container.

Second-year apprentice carpenter Beau Ziere said the idea of owning a regular home seemed "so far beyond reach" it didn't cross his mind.

Instead, for a small weekly amount, he and his partner built on his parent's property.

Mr Ziere estimated they had spent about $45,000 on the home so far, including outdoor decking, solar power, a simple gas burner hot water system and an outhouse.

"Rent for a year was around 25 grand or something, so I thought 30 grand would be good," he said.

"We went a fair bit over budget but now it's an asset rather than kind of wasting the money away."

The couple lived on the property while they completed the build doing the majority of the work themselves over the past three years.

"When we started, literally all I had was my brother's circular saw, my brother's nail gun and my own drill," Mr Ziere said.

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Mr Ziere said the first step was laying the foundations for the shipping container, which was transported on a truck from Perth.

"Then we cut out openings for the windows, which was a big job that was done with a nine-inch grinder.

"That was a struggle because we didn't have any power here, so I had to run everything from a generator or use powerless battery tools."

Next, the windows were framed, insulation installed, and gyprock lining put in.

Mr Ziere said if he and his partner were to have children, they'd either extend the home or purchase something bigger. But for now, they were doing just fine in the small space.

"If you start adding a lot more money onto a shipping container build, you might as well build a house," he said.

"It's so small, but it's actually perfect once you get inside."

They have even managed to fit in a piano.

"Yeah, yeah, it's a bit over the top but it's my partner's grandparents' and she loves it," Mr Ziere said.

The shire of Esperance became the first local government authority in Australia last December, to approve a planning policy for tiny homes on wheels. If the houses complied with the policy, it would recognise them as permanent dwellings.

Ms Daley hoped more councils would follow Esperance's lead.

"People have the right to choose the home that they live in," she said.

"If we as a nation want to address the housing crisis, we need to look outside the established channels and embrace genuine innovation."