Small enough to care - Freedom Cabins New Zealand
An Interview with Jodie Donovan from Freedom Cabins New Zealand
Business Details
Freedom Cabins NZ
Tauranga
m. 027711871
What products and services do you offer customers?
We offer Trailers in a range of sizes and configurations.
Detachable subfloors (including a trailer or without a trailer) with lifting legs that we can deliver on our own purpose built trailer.
Cabins up to 10m long on trailer or subfloor frames
Modular decking
We Deliver Nationwide
Why did you decided to build tiny homes?
We initially started looking around for a unit of our own and were appalled at the price tag “tiny houses” typically had. How could the average person afford to purchase this! Another driving factor to why we started was watching a lot of dodgy builds happening on trailers not built for the load. Being from an engineering background we really understand the requirements of a decent trailer and wanted to build something to last. Freedom Cabins was developed to deliver a decent straight forward unit to the market.
What is your business mission and or goals?
To provide a high-quality product at a cost-effective price ensuring housing is achievable for everyone. We are also building up a fleet of rental units to reach a wider range of budgets. Big enough to keep prices low but small enough to care.
What is your story how did you get here?
Tauranga owners Drew and Jodie spent much of their youth pursuing their passion in motorsport. Like any young couple they struggled to get on the property ladder and started to look at alternative options.
With a carpentry background which through the racing followed through to engineering and fabrication drew and Jodie started down the path of building their dream tiny home on wheels.
We focus on achieving a tiny home that feels like a house building them to maximum width that a load can be travelled on the road without a pilot vehicle and because of this a spacious apartment-style home is achieved. "We weren't so interested in going down the path of tiny houses that packed everything into a small space, our motto is that it's big enough that everything fits in comfortably."
Freedom Cabins NZ was born through the need of affordable housing for young people and have grown to be a market leader in producing a high-quality product, no shortcuts but without the inflated price tag. "We use top quality products and contract the only the best tradesman because the quality and our reputation mean everything to us.
Who are the people who work in the business?
We are a husband and wife team working with contractors to build these units.
What is your general price range?
Between $41,000 for our studio units up to $66,900 for our 2 bedroom units. We try and keep the costing as low as possible to make it more affordable for people to get into their own home.
What is the process once a customer contacts you?
We are happy to chat about your upcoming project via phone or email. Quite often Drew will spend a couple of hours initially working out what the customer really wants/needs then we keep in touch back and forth during the build process to really nail down the finer details. Due to the size of our company we are able to really work one on one with the clients to achieve their dream builds.
How long does it usually take to build your tiny homes?
We typically have a 6-8 week turn around on our units from date of deposit. We also try and keep a couple of standard units in stock for those in a hurry.
What are the hurdles people building tiny homes should be aware of?
We are true believers in having it as similar to normal house living as possible. Tiny houses are great for showing us the important things in life and stepping away from the materialistic side of life.
What else do you think people looking to purchase a tiny home should know?
When looking to buy a tiny house always make sure to be finding builders that use the best quality material to protect your investment in the long run.
Personally, we are not huge fans of the polystyrene, refrigeration sandwich panel as we did try it in the early days and found it would sweat and accumulate condensation.
Also, although the laws are changing to allow for larger sleepouts (not on trailers) there is a misconception that people can build housing within that size and not need to worry about permits etc, the issue being that this doesn’t allow for a kitchen and still has a lot of restrictions. Because our units are built on trailers they are road legal vehicles essentially making them a caravan, you have more ability to build a house with all amenity’s.
Tell us about the customer and what the major requirements of their build were?
Sarah came to us wanting to get into her first home and had found the perfect spot to put a unit. Sarah had a tight budget to work with and had a HUGE wish list. She needed a unit that could double as a home office and living accommodation.
What was the original budget for Sarah’s build?
Sarah was looking to spend around $55,000 - $59,000.
Describe the process and challenges, solutions found during the build?
We worked with Sarah to achieve her eco-friendly retreat with office workspace in the kitchen area. We also managed to do some custom bathroom cabinetry to fit her wishlist which came in under budget. The unit also had extra windows added to increase the open feel in both the living area and bedroom.
How long did the build actually take and why?
The build took 7 weeks to complete a week longer than estimated due to Sarah not being able to decide on the flooring :) We had a couple of last minute decision changes.
What are this Tiny Home’s Specifications?
Structure - Treated timber framing with aluminium joinery
Cladding - Treated Plywood and batten finish
Interior - 9mm finishing grade plywood
Services - Full bathroom and laundry, kitchen, living area and bedroom.
What was the final price of the Tiny Home?
$55,900
What else would you like interested people to know?
We are genuine in our passion to put people in their dream homes. We would love to hear about your dream units and make it happen for you.
