Growing trend in tiny homes: Dive into the tiny trend

GROWING TREND IN TINY HOMES

Being little has never been lovelier, thanks to the giant growth in the appeal of tiny houses — full of everything you need in a compact package.

STORY: MURRAY SILBY. PHOTOGRAPHY: MEGAN FISHER/MY LITTLE HOUSE

My Little House agent Sam Loughran with his little family — wife Renee and daughters Lillyanna (left) and Karly.

It seems with the passing of each day there is another reason to go ‘tiny’.

At first, when the trend towards tiny homes emerged a few years ago, it was for the quirky of nature, those willing to abandon belongings for a minimalist lifestyle while doing their best to live off-grid.

Increasingly though, the tiny living concept is becoming more mainstream, while the constructions being offered are also adapting to a variety of purposes.

Sam Loughran, of My Little House, said people can get themselves into a tiny house for a fraction of what it might cost for a conventional home,

and that will also help with ongoing issues such as home loans, soaring energy bills and even a lower carbon footprint.

“There certainly is a trend towards tiny homes these days for a number of reasons,” Sam said.

“Interest rates, rental properties are hard to come across, people are struggling to buy their fi rst homes — yes, I believe that our tiny homes really do off er a solution to a lot of that.”

Sam said a tiny home could be a step towards a larger home, an addition to a current household or a home in its own right.

“They’re extremely aff ordable, they will hold their price, people can use them to live in, build a house and then sell the tiny home and pretty much get what they paid for it.”

The range of tiny homes on the market has also grown in recent years, providing something for most circumstances.

“Our basic unit is a studio cottage, which looks like a shipping container. It’s that size. It’s got a bathroom and a bedroom,” Sam said.

“Then we step it up — we do one, two, three and four-bedroom options. We do a 40 foot [12metres] option, which is new to us, and we also do what we call a premier studio, which is visually stunning.

“It’s shaped like a container — you fold down one wall and then you push out a glass room. So one whole wall is glass. It looks fantastic.”

Sam also believes his range of tiny homes can help ease the accommodation shortage in the Goulburn Valley region, and quickly — with the timeline between paying a deposit and delivery around 14 weeks.

“Granny fl ats are a big winner, but the one that I really think is a great option, especially in the Goulburn Valley area given the amount of orchards and farms, will be workers’ accommodation,” he said.

“We’ve already set up a few orchards with workers’ accommodation, but if you can put, for instance, if you can put four of these on your property, four twobedroomers, you’ve spent a little over $100,000 to sleep up to 10 people. »

“So I really think there’s a huge application there for farmers, orchardists and the like.”

Sam is the agent for My Little House Australia servicing Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia, and is opening a display centre at 109 Archer St in Shepparton on October 1.

“We will have a display of our tiny homes, our toilets, our toilet showers, as well as my other business Goulburn Valley Shelving, which will have a complete range of shelving,” he said.

“There will be a lot for people to view, as well as other associated products.

“We’re thinking about putting in a range of decking; obviously tiny homes and decking go hand in hand.” 

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