By Laura House For Daily Mail Australia
Published: 16:51 EDT, 14 February 2018 | Updated: 19:02 EDT, 14 February 2018
Over the past few years, more people than ever have been foregoing traditional housing for luxury 'tiny houses' in a bid to save money.
And now, the Brisbane-based Tiny House Company has released their newest tiny home - a design that is perhaps their most 'flexible' and luxe design yet.
At just $79,000 the 'Swallowtail' home is described as a 'complete tiny house on wheels' and at just 7.2 metres x 2.5 metres (the size of two parking spots) in size it can be set down almost anywhere.
Over the past few years, more people than ever have been foregoing traditional housing for luxury 'tiny houses' in a bid to save money
And now, the Brisbane-based Tiny House Company has released their newest tiny home - a design that is perhaps their most 'flexible' and luxe design yet
At just $79,000 the 'Swallowtail' home is described as a 'complete tiny house on wheels' and at just 7.2 metres x 2.5 metres (the size of two parking spots) in size it can be set down almost anywhere
The Brisbane-based Tiny House Company are known for their 'compact, fully functioning, transportable dwellings' and not only do the founders sell them, but they live in them too.
Young couple Lara Nobel and Andrew Carter both have a masters in architecture and teamed up with their friend Greg Thornton, an experienced builder, to design tiny homes that were also high quality.
After noticing that Australian homes were among the largest in the world, the trio were determined to offer some alternatives to the traditional 'suburban 4-bedder'.
With this came their first tiny home. One that brought with it the flexibility to move if required and a well-balanced mortgage-free lifestyle.
The new model has been designed to 'grow and expand' with homeowners as their needs and budget grow, with the structure, spatial arrangement and functionality able to accommodate a range of optional extras and different furniture arrangements
Dwellers can add storage, shelving, optional window/door upgrades and additions, awnings, a planter box, higher-end fixtures and additional cabinetry and there is ample room for clear wall space in sensible locations for TVs and pictures to be hung
The outside of the abode features a butterfly roof with an integrated box gutter and downpipe for easy connection and water collection and the materials used were selected to protect from the harshest of Australian climates
The new model has been designed to 'grow and expand' with homeowners as their budget and needs grow, with the structure, spatial arrangement and functionality able to accommodate a range of optional extras and different furniture arrangements.
Dwellers can add storage, shelving, optional window/door upgrades and additions, awnings, a planter box, higher-end fixtures and additional cabinetry and there is ample room for clear wall space in sensible locations for TVs and pictures to be hung.
The outside of the abode features a butterfly roof with an integrated box gutter and downpipe for easy connection and water collection and the materials used were selected to protect from the harshest of Australian climates.
The loft can be used as a bedroom or as a storage space and can be adapted over time with different add-ons
The high-end design and construction for the 2.5 x 7.5m abodes (the size of two parking spots) costs between $75,000 and $150,000 and each one is both flexible and built on a trailer (pictured is Miss Noble's home)
Just as much thought has been put into the interior, with a drop-down loft ladder allowing for a relatively open floor plan, giving maximum options for arranging the space as homeowners see fit.
There is also a spacious living room area, a kitchen section and a bathroom which offers views of outside through the louvres above the chic vanity.
The kitchen cabinetry itself is based around Ikea's modular system and can be changed and expanded as desired.
Optional extras include a small entry deck and step kit, an awning, an Ikea desk and modular shelving unit, extra Ikea draw units to extension of cooking bench, a front loader washing machine, a composting toilet kit, lighting upgrades and an electric queen size raising bed (custom built).
Young couple Lara Nobel (right) and Andrew Carter (centre) both have a masters in architecture and teamed up with their friend Greg Thornton (left), an experienced builder, to design tiny homes that were also high quality
Miss Nobel and Mr Carter previously spoke to FEMAIL about their experience living inside their tiny home.
'The main idea for us is to test and propose more diversity in our housing,' Miss Nobel said.
'After doing our research and having many discussions between the three of us about how we might execute it we eventually decided that if we didn't give it a go we'd regret it so we did.
'For people our age, it's also not affordable to keep living in the city but we have to for work and there's all of these tricky factors.'
- A fully-functioning or off-grid dwelling
- A studio space for hobbies and visiting guests
- A space for dependent and semi-dependent family members
- A discrete, manageable rental space (Airbnb studio)
- A space in which to downsize from an 'empty nest' without having to leave the place you call home (ie. park it out the back and rent out the old house)
- An office suite or retail fitout
- Temporary accommodation or relief housing
'For people our age, it's also not affordable to keep living in the city but we have to for work and there's all of these tricky factors,' Miss Nobel said
The modern bathroom is also impressive, with continuous hardwood flooring, a glass shower and a vanity
Their home, which costs around $100,000, is a fully-functioning unit with a unique loft, a living area compatible with IKEA furniture and cabinetry, rustic, recycled decor and a large window with louvres.
The couple's bed is situated above the couch, and when it is required, they push a small button and the bed makes its way down the wall.
'Our retractable bed has three metres of headroom by night and floats over a 2.4 metre lounge space by day,' they said.
'Controlled wirelessly by remote, this bed needs no folding, no packing away... you don't even have to make the bed. Out of sight, out of mind.
It is empowering to have more control over your waste, energy use, and consumption in general. It's great knowing that when you are showering the water is being used to water the plants.
Because of the grey water we are also forced to use 'eco' soaps which are better for the planet. The composting toilet is also a terrific way to save water.
We really enjoy the feel and look of the home. It has everything we need and want and it's great having people over or even just being at home on our own.
It's also very quick to clean. Because it is so small we hardly spend any time cleaning.
Helps you to be Organised
Because it is a small space you can't accumulate heaps of unnecessary stuff.
This means that you carefully choose quality items to bring into the home and don't own many things that you don't want or don't need.
Need to be Super Tidy
Not having the space to be messy is both a positive and a negative.
Because the space is small you have to get into the habit of tidying up and putting things away frequently so the space doesn't get messy.
Because it is not a long term housing there is the uncertainty of tenure.
We have an under counter bar fridge which is great and enough space for us.
But the freezer in it is so useless I can't keep ice cream at home.
Luckily there is an excellent gelato shop just down the road!
Their home, which costs around $100,000, is a fully-functioning unit with a unique loft (pictured), a living area compatible with IKEA furniture and cabinetry, rustic, recycled decor and a large window with louvres
Careful design decisions have been made to ensure their 18 square metres feels as spacious as possible, despite almost everything being visible from the one living space
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'The bed and lounge seating work in unison. As the bed lowers onto the cushions it slips past the backrest which becomes a padded headboard when fully lowered.'
Careful design decisions have been made to ensure their 18 square metres feels as spacious as possible, despite almost everything being visible from the one living space.
The modern bathroom is also impressive, with continuous hardwood flooring, a glass shower and a vanity.
The demountable deck is the final impressive feature and almost doubles the floor area of the house.
Each tiny home takes between 10 and 12 weeks to build and once completed, can be transported anywhere
'For the off-grid enthusiasts, the deck roof almost doubles the rainwater catchment area and provides an ideal North-facing location for solar panels,' they explain.
Each tiny home takes between 10 and 12 weeks to build and once completed, can be transported anywhere.
It is registered to be on the road and doesn't need a permit and can also be placed on footings for a more permanent residence.
This also improves the safety of the tiny homes.
Flexibility is one of the most appealing things about these small houses, with home owners able to park their trailer anywhere a caravan can be parked
'When it is sited more permanently we have footings such as surefoot or megaanchor that tie it down. The house is fully engineered so it is safe in a storm if it is tied down on these footings,' Miss Nobel said.
The differences in price for the tiny homes are to do with high-end models and materials, detailing and whether or not the buyers want a retractable bed, deck or recycled materials.
Flexibility is one of the most appealing things about these small houses, with home owners able to park their trailer anywhere a caravan can be parked.
The homes also fall within a 'grey area' in some planning zones and in many cases, the homes can be parked in a backyard and lived in or rented out to people for extra income.
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The little houses are also prepared to go 'off-grid' and have capacity for two nine kilogram gas bottles to fuel the hot water, oven and cooktop
'We are very lucky that we have been able to find a terrific location to park it and the people who own the block are happy for us to live there on very minimal rent to test out the idea,' Miss Nobel said.
The little houses are also prepared to go 'off-grid' and have capacity for two nine kilogram gas bottles to fuel the hot water, oven and cooktop.
They are also wired for solar and/or mains power and there is a grey water plant and composting toilet which removes the need to connect to sewerage.
They are also wired for solar and/or mains power and there is a grey water plant and composting toilet which removes the need to connect to sewerage
For those who wish to live in one of these homes with more than one other, special pods can also be arranged to extend the space
'Once sited, a rainwater tank would be required, or the house can also be connected to town water,' they explain on their website.
'The composting toilet diverts liquid waste and turns solid waste into compost. It is approved for use in all states, operates odour-free, and can save 35,000L of water per year.
'Greywater and blackwater are treated on-board by a series of filters and grease traps. The end product is certified for direct release into the landscape.'
The toilet chamber only needs to be changed every six months or so, based on full-time use from two adults.
Tiny: The homes are so compact, that 13 of them would fit inside the average Australian home
For those who wish to live in one of these homes with more than one other, special pods can also be arranged to extend the space.
The homes are so compact, that 13 of them would fit inside the average Australian home.
The houses could also be driven through a car wash.
Miss Nobel said so far, she and Mr Carter are very much enjoying living in their tiny home.
'We love our little home and we've been so lucky with the location. Obviously it doesn't suit everyone but it's perfect for us,' she said.
Wow. Someone invented a caravan.
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