Letter to the Editor re: 'Tiny Dreams' in June 2024

Dear Editor,

Re: 'Tiny Dreams' column by Ben Wollen in June 2024 edition

This is a great article, and we love the growing awareness around tiny homes.

Tiny Solar Homes is a small luxury tiny home builder based in Heathcote, Sydney. Our aim is to build high-end homes that can be completely off-grid or connected to the mains. Some of our key focus points are:

• Sustainability
• Longevity of builds (using premium materials like aluminium to prevent rust)
• Quality craftsmanship
• Minimalist style
• Transparent pricing
• Reducing your footprint

We would like to clarify some points from the article, as there is some misinformation regarding council regulations and NSW legislation (Subdivision 3 clause 77 - Installation for which approval is not required - Installation on moveable dwellings on land other than land in caravan parks or camping grounds). This ruling applies across NSW.

• Our homes are designed to be moved as needed, with some ready to travel as far as Perth. Our aluminium frames are roadworthy and come with VIN plates, eliminating the need to transport our homes on trucks.
• Many of our customers plan to relocate after a few years. Our homes with deck trailers (separate trailers with deck, pergola, and balustrades, which can even add extra bedrooms and classify as an annex) are a great option for those planning to move their homes to a different address or change locations on farms.
• We use our business's trade plates, so we don't need to get the homes registered, saving owners money on upfront costs and ongoing stamp duty each year.
• One of the biggest problems we see with tiny homes is that owners and builders often construct cheap homes that are not roadworthy or classified as caravans. The legislation does not cover homes that are:
• Not maintained in a safe and healthy condition
• Exceeding caravan sizes, as they are then classified as moveable dwellings. Caravan sizes must not exceed:
• 2.5m wide
• 4.3m high (from ground level)
• 4.5 tonnes

Answers to common questions:

1. No, you don’t need them registered. As long as the tiny homes are classed as caravans (as above), are registerable, have a VIN plate, and comply with your state's rules, you can use a trade plate or an unregistered vehicle permit to tow.
2. Different councils have different rules regarding this. At Tiny Solar Homes, we don’t see any problems with connecting to the sewer as long as it can be easily detached. (Tiny Solar Homes also offer other toilet and waste options.)
3. The Australian Tiny Home Association (ATHA) is currently working on a draft to standardise compliance for all homes, similar to the National Construction Code (NCC).
4. There should definitely be clearer guidelines, and one of the best people to speak to about this would be Briony from parkmytinyhouse.com.au.
5. Yes, if the tiny home doesn’t have one of our solar kits, you are required to run a 32-amp circuit to the tiny home (to run larger appliances) or a 15-amp circuit for smaller applications.
6. Tiny Solar Homes dislikes the ambiguity of "member of household" and we are constantly seeking clarification on what this means. It’s a broad term that could also include someone renting or even having clothing or belongings in the main house.
7. Tiny Solar Homes uses all non-combustible external materials in our builds. We also use low-maintenance materials and sheet the entire subfloor of our homes to hold in insulation, prevent fire, and stop pests from entering the house.

Feel free to send an email or visit our website www.tinysolarhomes.com.au with any further questions. The more we know about tiny homes, their uses, and their limits, the better we can help people achieve their dreams of going tiny.

Kind Regards,

Blake Walker, Tiny Solar Homes Director

From 9am-1pm this Sunday, June 23, Tiny Solar Homes will be having an "Open Day – Last Chance EOFY Deals" at 28 Burns Road, Heathcote. More info via the Facebook event page.