How to Build a Tiny House in Australia
If you haven’t heard of a tiny house before, then you have to have been living under a rock for the last few years! Tiny Houses are making global waves and have become quite a sensation.
If you’re not familiar with the concept, a tiny house is basically a small dwelling, often made out of a shipping container, that is designed to be more sustainable and efficient than a traditional home. They are often used as vacation homes, guest houses, or even permanent residences for people who want to downsize their lives and live more simply.
Tiny houses are becoming increasingly popular in Australia, as more and more people are looking for affordable, sustainable, and efficient accommodation options. If you’re considering building a tiny house in Australia, then Ross’s Discount Home Centre is the perfect place to start!
At Ross’s Discount Home Centre, we have everything you need to fit out your very own Tiny House, from flooring to feature tiles, to complete kitchens and bathrooms.
So today, we’re going to show you how easy it is to build your very own Tiny House with the help of Ross’s products!
Preparation
The first step is to find a suitable location for your Tiny House. Once you have found the perfect spot, you will need to obtain any necessary permits and approvals from your local council
Once you have sorted out the legalities, it’s time to start preparing your build site.
1. Purchase a Shipping Container
As mentioned, tiny houses are often made from second-hand shipping containers in Australia because they act as the perfect shell to construct your tiny home. The benefit of using a shipping container is that you essentially already have your roof, walls, and floor constructed, which is the difficult part of any build. While most Tiny Houses in Australia are made from just one shipping container, you can stack two on top of each other to create a two-storey dwelling, as shown in the above image. You would never believe this is two shipping containers!
If you cannot find a decent shipping container for sale, you could also look into building a timber frame Tiny House. This is a more traditional way of building a tiny house and will require more work, but it can be just as effective.
2. Design your floor plan
Before you start construction, it is important that you have a clear idea of what you want your Tiny House to look like on the inside. This means having a floor plan drawn up so that you know exactly where everything is going to go.
When designing your Tiny House, keep in mind that less is more. You don’t have a lot of space to work with, so try to use every inch efficiently. For example, consider having a loft bed or bunk bed instead of a traditional bed or using fold-down furniture to save space.
You’ll need to design a compact kitchen and bathroom with all the essentials, too, such as a sink, toilet, and shower. And, if you must have a bath and shower, then choose a shower/bath combo. It’s clever design choices like these that will make all the difference to the living areas of your tiny house.
Read ‘6 design secrets to make a small kitchen look larger‘ and ‘How to make the most of a small bathroom‘ for further tips.
3. Find a level spot to build
One of the most important things to consider when building a tiny house is where you’re going to put it! You’ll need to find a level spot of land that is large enough to accommodate your tiny house. It’s important that the ground is level because this will make it easier to build on and stop your tiny house from shifting over time.
If you’re planning on creating a potable tiny house, you’ll need to find a spot with water and power hookups. This is so that you can easily connect your tiny house to the utilities.
Start building!
Now that you’ve prepared everything, it’s time to start building your tiny house.
This is where Ross’s Discount Home Centre comes in! We have a wide range of flooring options, tiles, kitchens, and bathroom fittings that will help you create the perfect Tiny House.
1. Gather your tools and materials
Once your design is sorted, it’s time to gather your tools and materials. Depending on the type of build you’re doing, you may need different tools.
For example, if you’re using a shipping container, then you’ll need some basic hand tools to cut holes for windows and doors. If you’re building a timber frame tiny house, then you will need more traditional carpentry tools.
In terms of materials, as well as the products you purchase from Ross’s Discount Home Centre, you’ll need things like insulation, electrical fittings and plumbing fittings.
2. Doors and windows
What makes a shipping container a tiny home is the addition of doors and windows. Without these items, you’re just living in a shipping container, which isn’t nearly as appealing.
Ross’s Discount Home Centre offers a range of Jason Windows doors and windows, perfect for such an installation. Our doors and windows range includes sliding, awning, and casement styles, so you can choose the perfect style for your home. However, quick tip, you don’t want to get too fancy with your selection; just stick to the basics, such as sliding doors and sliding windows, for the best results.
Before you install the doors and windows, you’ll first need to cut holes for your doors and windows. You can do this with a hand saw or an angle grinder. Just make sure that you measure twice and cut once!
Once the holes are cut, you can install your doors and windows. If you’re using a timber frame, then you’ll need to build your doors and windows from scratch.
Installing doors and windows is a simple process that anyone with basic carpentry skills can accomplish.
3. Insulation
The next step is to insulate and line the inside. This will ensure that your Tiny House is comfortable all year round, no matter what the weather is like outside.
There are a few different ways to insulate a shipping container, but we recommend using quality ceiling and wall installation batts, such as Earthwool.
Once you have insulated your shipping container, you can then start to line the inside with whatever materials you like. We recommend using plywood over plasterboard as it is strong and easy to work with.
4. Plumbing
Before you can think about fitting out the bathroom and kitchen, you first need to get plumbing to your tiny house. You should have already established where you need plumbing in your floor plan, so this step simply involves calling a local plumber to connect the plumbing to your mains.
5. Kitchen
Now for the fun part! Fitting out the kitchen of your Tiny House is where you can really get creative and make it your own. Ross’s Discount Home Centre has a range of products perfect for tiny houses, including:
- Kitchen sinks: being space-conscious, opt for a single bowl sink such as the Nugleam Edge 1TH Single Bowl Sink or Padbury Single Bowl Sink. These sinks offer much-needed functionality without taking up too much bench space.
- Taps: go for a single lever mixer tap such as the Round Hi-rise Sink Mixer, which allows you to easily control the water temperature.
- Kitchen Cabinets: take advantage of every nook and cranny with a compact design comprising kitchen base cabinets and wall cabinets. Ross’s Discount Home Centre has an extensive range of modular kitchen cabinets to choose from in a range of sizes. They’re pre-assembled, so all you have to do is fix them into place.
- Splashbacks: splashback tiles are always a popular choice. However, if you’re after a simple approach, you can also consider using our waterproof wall panels as your splashback. With popular marble designs, they offer a lux look for less.
When choosing your kitchen finishes, consider using light colours to make the space feel larger.
6. Bathroom
The bathroom is another important part of your Tiny House and needs to be given just as much attention as the kitchen
Ross’s Discount Home Centre also offers a great range of products perfect for small bathrooms, including:
- Tapware: as with the kitchen, go for a single-lever basin mixer to make life easier. The Bianca Basin Mixer Chrome is a good choice. As for shower tapware, a twin shower set like our Celia/Bianca Twin Shower Square Chrome is a great space-saving option – plus it’s easy to install!
- Toilets: our toilets are available in a range of sizes, so you can be sure to find one that will fit perfectly into your Tiny House bathroom. The Montana Rimless Toilet Suite is a great choice as it has a slimline design, making it perfect for smaller bathrooms.
- Vanities: our vanities come in various sizes, so you can find one that fits perfectly into your bathroom space. For a small bathroom, we recommend our 75cm Asha wall-hung vanity, as wall-hung vanities take up less floor space.
- Shower screens: our shower screens are available in a range of sizes to suit any bathroom. For a small bathroom, we recommend our Quadrant Shower. Because of its design, it doesn’t take up any room opening and closing the shower screen door. Another smart option for tiny houses is to use one of our shower bases with shower wall panels – this eliminates the need to hire a tiler to tile the wet area.
Remember to keep things simple when it comes to the bathroom. Don’t forget about storage!
7. Choose your finishes
Now that you have a good idea of the products you need and a shipping container (or timber frame) ready to go, it’s time to start thinking about the finishes.
Some things to keep in mind when choosing your finishes include:
- Use light colours to make the space feel larger – white bathrooms and kitchens are the way to go.
- Avoid using too many different finishes and stick to a cohesive theme – use the same tiles in your kitchen as your bathroom.
- Choose durable materials that can withstand wear and tear – brushed gold tapware may look fancy, but chrome will always offer the greatest longevity.
- Think about how you will use each space and what finishes would suit that purpose -for example, the living area will benefit from having different flooring to the bathroom.
- Don’t forget about storage – be clever about how you store things in your tiny house.
- If you’re building a tiny house to advertise accommodation on Airbnb, then consider your ideal guest and the type of accommodation you’re offering. For example, will be it no frills or a luxury tiny house? If you’re looking to offer luxury accommodation, then you’ll need to choose high-end finishes.
Conclusion
There you have it! Everything you need to know about how to build a Tiny House in Australia. By following these simple steps, you’ll be able to create the perfect space for yourself, your family or your guests. Plus, you’ll be able to save money by doing it yourself.
If you have any questions that this article hasn’t answered, then be sure to read our post, Top 10 Tiny House Questions Answered!
And best of all, you don’t have to go far for all your products. Ross’s Discount Home Centre has just about everything you need to complete your build, including tiles, flooring, DIY kitchen cabinets, vanities, and shower solutions, all under one roof.
Get started today by visiting Ross’s Discount Home Centre.
