Tiny Homes NZ — delivered finished, not flat-packed
Expandable tiny homes built for New Zealand conditions. Kitchen, bathroom, insulation and wiring already in — craned onto your site and unfolded the same day.
Expanders® is a New Zealand supplier of expandable tiny homes, with prices from $24,500 for a 13m² studio to around $67,000+ for a 40ft three-bedroom unit. Every home arrives fully finished — insulated walls, double-glazed joinery, a complete bathroom and kitchen, and NZ-standard wiring — and is unfolded on site in a matter of hours. Units are delivered nationwide from warehouses in Christchurch and Auckland, and carry a 3-year structural warranty. Over 350 units have been delivered across New Zealand and the Pacific.
What a tiny home actually costs in New Zealand
Most New Zealanders researching tiny homes are comparing three very different things: a DIY tiny house on wheels, a locally built transportable cabin, and an imported expandable. The DIY route looks cheap on paper but rarely finishes under $60,000 once you price joinery, insulation, wiring, plumbing and your own time. A locally built transportable home typically starts around $120,000–$180,000.
An Expanders® unit sits deliberately in the middle: a finished, warrantied building delivered ready to connect. The 20ft open-plan model starts at $34,000, a 20ft one-bedroom at $39,200, and the 30ft — which has a genuine living room — at $52,700. There is no drip-fed pricing: the number you see is the unit price, with delivery quoted separately based on your region and site access.
- Studio (13m²) — from $24,500
- 20ft Expander® — from $34,000
- 30ft Expander® — from $52,700
- 40ft Expander® — from $67,125
Why expandable beats a flat-pack kitset
A flat-pack kitset arrives as a pile of panels and a manual. An expandable arrives as a building. Ours ship in a standard container footprint, get craned into position, and the two side walls fold down to roughly triple the floor area. There is no framing, no lining, no cabinetry install — the interior is already finished at the factory.
That matters most in New Zealand's weather. A kitset sitting half-built through a wet Canterbury spring is a warranty problem waiting to happen. An expandable is weather-tight from the hour it lands.
Consents, councils and where you can put one
Whether you need a building consent depends on how the unit is used, not what it is called. Used as a sleepout or ancillary building with no cooking facilities, many councils allow placement without full consent under the exempt-building rules. Add a kitchen and permanent services and you are usually into consent territory.
Planning rules also vary by district — minimum setbacks, site coverage and how many dwellings a section allows. We recommend talking to your local council early, and we're happy to supply specification sheets, floor plans and structural details to support an application.
See one before you buy
Tiny homes are one of the few purchases where a photo genuinely misleads. Wall thickness, joinery quality, floor rigidity and cabinetry hardware are things you feel, not see. Our Christchurch HQ and Auckland showroom both have units set up and open, and we actively encourage customers to view competitor units first — most of the difference is obvious within thirty seconds of walking in.
Popular tiny home layouts
Our most-asked-about units for tiny home buyers.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a tiny home cost in NZ?
Expanders® tiny homes start at $24,500 for a 13m² self-contained studio, $34,000 for a 20ft expandable, $52,700 for a 30ft and $67,125 for a 40ft. Delivery is quoted separately based on region and site access.
Do I need a building consent for a tiny home in New Zealand?
It depends on the use. Units placed as sleepouts or ancillary buildings without cooking facilities often fall under exemption rules, while a fully self-contained dwelling usually requires consent. Planning rules vary by council, so check with your local district council early.
How long does delivery and setup take?
The unit is craned onto a prepared level pad and unfolded on the same day. Most installs are complete within a few hours; the DesignerPod™ V3 and some larger configurations take one to two days.
Are Expanders® tiny homes insulated for New Zealand winters?
Yes. Walls and roof are EPS-insulated, joinery is aluminium double-glazed, and every unit is wired to New Zealand standard and AC-ready.
Ready for a delivered price?
Build a quote in a couple of minutes and we'll come back with delivered pricing for your region.