Tiny houses

Just like the 1950s long past, so too should be the idea of having a bach and a Beamer that are only used for the occasional weekend or holiday getaway, or a house on a quarter acre with two cars in the garage and a white picket fence – or so say some advocates of tiny houses.

As the name suggests, tiny houses are just that: small. But perhaps not as small as one might assume, since they’re designed in such a way as to maximise efficiency and what space they have – and minimise the environmental impact. A growing movement worldwide, tiny houses are also becoming more popular in New Zealand due in no small part to the fact they’re often more affordable than larger homes and have enjoyed considerable positive press from envy-inducing social media coverage.

As Prefab NZ chief executive Pamela Bell told Stuff: “There’s a serious housing affordability crisis and we’ve been buying homes bigger than we actually need.”