A REAL JOB · Tauranga, March 2026

They paid $48,000. By the time we arrived, the home wasn't safe to live in.

Rescue job photo

Broken cabinetry, scratched windows & sliding door, walls damaged, chipped cabinetry, failed electricals and plumping.

The owners had done what most people do. They got three quotes, picked the middle one, and trusted the brochure. The builder seemed legitimate — a website, a Facebook page, photos of completed units. Then, eight months after delivery, the problems started.

The cladding had begun warping. Water was getting in through the seams. When they tried to call the company, the number had been disconnected. The website was down. The Facebook page was still up, but no one was replying. They later found out through the Companies Office that the business had been struck off three months earlier.

We thought we'd saved $15,000 by going with them. We've now spent more than that fixing what they did wrong.

When our team did the initial inspection, the list was longer than the original quote. No building consent had been filed. The plumbing connections were non-compliant. The electrical work would have failed any inspection. The insulation in two walls turned out to be empty cavity.

We brought the unit back to our Christchurch warehouse, stripped it back to the frame, and rebuilt it to code. Three weeks of work. A full warranty going forward. The owners are now in the home they paid for — just not the one they were originally sold.

This isn't a rare story. It's the story we hear most weeks.

After rescue work
Before rescue work
Before After

What you actually get with a cheap tiny home.

In the tiny home industry, "too good to be true" usually means corners are being cut where you can't see them. Choosing a pop-up builder isn't saving money — it's taking on all the risk.

  • The Compliance Nightmare: Uncertified plumbing, illegal wiring, and structural framing that won't pass council inspection.
  • The Disappearing Act: 10+ companies have vanished in recent years. When they liquidate, your deposit goes with them and your warranty is worthless.
  • The "Bait and Switch" Materials: Cladding that warps in NZ weather and insulation too thin to keep you warm in winter.
Additional context image

The "cheap" home isn't cheap.

A real quote issued by our building partners in 2026. Rebuilding a failed tiny home to code can cost as much as buying a new one outright — sometimes more. The deposit is already gone. The original builder isn't answering. And the bill to make it right lands with the customer. You can end up with an unlivable house, and end up paying as much in repairs to make it consentable and actually livable

How to Spot a Pop-Up Builder

Run through this before paying any deposit. Two or more red flags? Walk away.

Red Flags

  • No warehouse or showroom Business exists only online. Nowhere to visit.
  • No trademark or trading history Recently renamed, or under two years old with no track record.
  • Vague on compliance "You won't need consent" or evasive on council requirements.
  • Stock photos, not real builds Marketing images are renders or supplier catalogue shots, not homes they've actually delivered.
  • No verifiable customer reviews No Google or Facebook reviews — or a handful of suspiciously perfect ones posted days apart.
  • High-pressure sales tactics "This price only valid this week," limited-time discounts that reset, or pressure to sign before reading the contract.

What to Look For

  • A real warehouse you can visit Permanent staff, builds in progress, a long-standing address.
  • Transparent financial protocols Clear answers on how your funds are handled and protected.
  • Registered trademark and history Established name with verifiable reviews going back years.
  • Direct, written compliance answers Specific guidance on consent, code, and site requirements.
  • A warranty that survives Backed by a company with the infrastructure to honour it.

This Changes With Expanders

Real People, Real Premises

A full-time team based in Christchurch, working out of our own warehouse — not a virtual office or a backyard. You can visit. You can meet us. You can see exactly where your home is being built.

The Original and the Authentic

Expanders is a registered trademark across New Zealand. We own expanders.co.nz and expanders.com.au. The name on the brochure is the name on the company — and it's not changing.

A Track Record You Can Check

The highest-rated tiny home seller in New Zealand, with years of verified reviews from real customers across the country. Easy to look up. Hard to fake. Impossible to rebuild after a liquidation.

HOW WE CAN HELP

If You've Been Left With a Half-Finished Home, You're Not Stuck.

Most of the issues we see are fixable. We've brought homes back to compliance, finished builds left mid-construction, and given owners a warranty they can actually rely on.

What We Can Fix

  • ✓
    Incomplete builds Finish a home left partway through by another builder.
  • ✓
    Compliance and consent failures Bring non-compliant builds up to code so they pass inspection.
  • ✓
    Structural and weatherproofing issues Framing problems, water ingress, cladding failures, roof issues.
  • ✓
    Plumbing and electrical remediation Replace non-compliant wiring and plumbing with certified work.
  • ✓
    Replacement parts and finishes Sourcing materials when the original builder is no longer trading.
  • ✓
    Ongoing warranty support A real warranty on the work we complete, going forward.

How It Works

01

Send Us Photos and Details

Fill out a short form with photos of your home and what's gone wrong. No appointment needed.

02

Free Initial Assessment

Our team reviews what you've sent and gets back to you within one business day with an honest read on what's involved.

03

Quote and Plan

If we can help, you get a clear written quote and a plan — what we'll fix, what it will cost, and how long it will take.

04

We Bring It to Spec

Work happens at our Christchurch warehouse or on-site, depending on the job. You're kept informed at every stage.

Being Straight With You

We can't recover your deposit from a company that's already liquidated, and we won't pretend otherwise. What we can do is get you into a home that's safe, compliant, and properly built — with a warranty that actually means something. You've been let down once already. We won't make promises we can't keep.

Request a Free Assessment

No obligation. Usually a response within one business day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sometimes yes, sometimes no — it depends on what was filed originally and what state the build is in. If consent was never properly applied for (which is common with failed builders), we'll work through the process with you and your local council.

We do a more thorough inspection before final quoting, and if anything significant changes, we tell you straight away with options. We'd rather lose a job than start work and surprise you with costs.

It ranges widely — from a few thousand for minor remediation to tens of thousands for major rebuilds. The free assessment gives you a real number before you commit to anything.

Most rescue jobs take two to six weeks from when the unit reaches us but it greatly depends on the job. We'll give you a specific timeline in the quote.

Fair question. We've been operating for 3 years, we own our warehouse premises, our trademark is registered, and our reviews go back years — all things you can verify independently. The "Spot a Pop-Up Builder" checklist above
4.7★
on Google · 104+ reviews
350+
homes delivered
9
Pacific Islands
3 Year
warranty
Expanders® · Christchurch warehouse · info@expanders.co.nz · +64 27 210 6839