QUESTION 4: DO I NEED A BUILDING CONSENT TO PUT MY GO TINY HOME ON MY PROPERTY?

The short answer is: Yes, you do need a building consent. 

Many other “Tiny Home companies” will skirt around this, but if you are planning to live in the home, have it hooked up to council services, and fix it to the ground, so it doesn’t blow over, your will require a building consent. Also, if you want to insure it and have it form part of the capital assets of your property, and/or rent it out, then you will need a Building Consent. 

There is really no grey area around this in the Building Act, despite what others may tell you. For your peace of mind and the investment you’re making it should be a no brainer

The good news at Go Tiny Homes we build to comply with the NZ Building Code – which should make the consenting process relatively simple - and we work with you to get both construction and your site-related building consents processed and over the line!

QUESTION 5: WILL GO TINY HOMES APPLY FOR A BUILDING CONSENT FOR ME? WHAT ARE MY OBLIGATIONS AND WHAT DO I NEED TO PROVIDE? WHAT DO GO TINY HOMES PROVIDE?

Ultimately as the property owner you will be responsible under the Building Act if your house does not meet the required standards, so make sure you employ skilled people you trust who know all the building requirements, regulations and keep up to date with new standards.

It therefore makes perfect sense to work with a company who is already doing this - Go Tiny Homes!

We work through all aspects with you. We can also engage professional consultants, on your behalf to:

• Provide the relevant help, advice and information required for Building Consent application;

• Provide you with all the technical documentation required, including information on compliance, plans and specifications.

• Provide engineer designed foundations and Geotech reports as required.

• Provide site surveys, and locate public services on your site. 

• Generate on-site wastewater design plan (where applicable).

QUESTION 6: WILL THE COUNCIL DEFINIATELY ISSUE A BUILDING CONSENT FOR MY GO TINY HOME?

IS THE ISSUE OF A BUILDING CONSENT GUARANTEED?

No. However, provided the building consent application is complete with all relevant information, your application should result in a building consent being approved.

Talk to us: we’re experts in this area and have dealt extensively with councils all over NZ!

QUESTION 7: WHAT IS A RESOURCE CONSENT, AND DO I NEED ONE? 

A resource consent is formal approval from your council to do something that they haven't clearly identified in their plan as either permitted or prohibited. It will cover things that may affect the environment and people (as opposed to a Building Consent which is more specific to actual construction details and building regulations).

However, we work with consultants who can be engaged to advise what activities are permitted on your site, and how to attain any requisite Resource Consents, so if it’s required, we can sort it!

QUESTION 8: WHAT IS THE LIKELY COST ASSOCIATED WITH CONSENTING?

Council fees vary throughout the country. Most councils have an easy-to-follow guideline and explanation on the costs involved. However, the fees are normally set around the value of the building work and have an hourly rate applied for processing.

The completeness and quality of the application should result in minimizing the fees, so let us connect you with our Resource Consents Consultants to take you through the whole process!

QUESTION 9: DO I NEED TO ENGAGE ANY SPECIALISTS OR CONSULTANTS?

We recommend the use of a planning consultant: we have worked closely with ours for several years, and we’re happy to engage them to complete these applications on your behalf.

All councils advise you to engage with a professional – they know the regulations and what documentation to present to council to help council make their decision, and these specialists (such as an engineer or planner) will be required if there are site-specific issues that need to be addressed (i.e., ground conditions, foundations, or services). Rules, regulations, and ground conditions are all site specific.

QUESTION 10: WHAT DO I NEED TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT NEW FOUNDATIONS?

Foundations are the structure built on site that your Go Tiny Home is fixed to, they are what fixes it to the ground and keeps your home secure and level, and what stops it from being moved around in high winds. 

Foundations can be of a conventional design (which is generally timber piles cast in concrete in good ground), or they may be another proprietary foundation system such as Stop Digging with their screw piles which can cater for expansive soils as well.  Wording on foundation explanation needs to change, bit long winded

We evaluate your site and work through your requirements - and the conditions found on site - to arrive at the best option for you.

In most regions Councils have records of the different soil types and their bearing capacity, or if the subdivision is relatively new there will most likely be a geotechnical report in the information for the subdivision. This will need to be established to determine the capabilities of the soils in order to design the foundations.

If it is discovered that the ground does not meet the NZS 3604:2011 requirements of good ground, or Council advise you of such, you may have to engage the services of an engineer to assess the soil and design a suitable foundation system. The foundations are then constructed in accordance with these recommendations.

Our consultants can take care of this for you and recommend the best solution, to protect your investment.

QUESTION 11: ARE THERE ANY MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE TINY HOME?

Yes, a maintenance guide is supplied by Go Tiny Homes in our homeowner’s manual.

With regular washing, gutter cleaning and other general maintenance, your Go Tiny Home will perform long-term.

QUESTION 12: WHAT WARRANTIES does my Go TINY HOME come with?

Your home comes with a 10-year weathertightness and structural builders’ warranty. 

All individual products and appliances used in your home come with their own specific manufacturer’s warranties, which are supplied by Go Tiny Homes in the homeowner’s manual. 

QUESTION 13: CAN I USE MY TINY HOME AS A RENTAL PROPERTY?

All Go Tiny Homes can meet the requirements of the Residential Tenancy Act 2021. ‘Healthy Homes’ Standard requirements are met by our homes except for a fixed heat heating source. A heat source can be installed on request to meet the requirements that can maintain the living area at a temperature of 18 °C. There are many options for this item, which when chosen can be added and installed on request.

QUESTION 14: DO YOU BUILD TINY HOMES ON TRAILERS OR WHEELS?

No. All our homes are built in a controlled environment and are designed to be transported to your site and to be fixed in place. 

Our Go Tiny Homes are best described as ‘Small Footprint’ Houses, or as minor dwellings. As such, they have a specifically designed sub-floor structure built on top of bearers that run the full length of the unit and are designed to be fixed to pre-prepared piles. 

If you are told that trailer homes don’t require a building consent, what else are you not being told?

Go Tiny Homes comply with Building consent and can be issued with a Council Code of Compliance Certification. Not an annual roading Warrant of Fitness!!!!

You don’t need to pay for an annual WOF test for our homes!

QUESTION 15: I LIVE NEAR THE BEACH. WILL MY GO TINY HOME COPE WITH THIS ENVIRONMENT? 

The great news is that all Go Tiny Homes are designed and built for Exposure Zone D – sea spray zone - as standard, and to a Very Hight Wind Zone so all products are designed to cope with a coastal environment. 

We even build them all to a Very High Wind Zone, for with added structural comfort and long life.

QUESTION 16: I ONLY WANT A ONE BEDROOM HOME AT THE MOMENT; CAN I ADD TO THIS LATER?

Yes! As well as our range of 1, 2 or 3 bedroom homes, Go Tiny Homes also have single room sleepouts which can be added as and when required or your circumstances change, all built to the same high standards. 

We also have home office units, specifically designed to be a comfortable and stylish place to work and conduct business from. Visit our display yard for more details.

QUESTION 17: CAN I CHANGE YOUR GO TINY HOME PLANS TO SUIT MY SPECIFIC NEEDS?

Our plans have been carefully designed and built to reflect the requirements of the Building Code, to be constructed in an optimized time frame, and to achieve best value. However, if you have specific requirements outside of this, we are more than happy to work with you to achieve them. Changes to our plan range will result in extra costs and possible build timeframe extensions, depending on the complexity of your design choices.