Are tiny homes the answer to our unaffordable housing prices?

New Zealanders are unable to purchase houses, and while the media have identified the reason for this being a lack of savings and love of avocado on toast, is this actually the case? 

When talking about housing unaffordability, Auckland first comes to mind. But what if we were to change our mindset of wanting big houses in Auckland, the ones our parents and grandparents are in right now? Spoiler alert: They worked their way up for that. Instead, choosing to live in a small but high-quality house that maximises on its use of space, and doesn’t cost you your whole wage to live in. After all, a smaller footprint means cheaper to build and requires less time and energy to maintain. 

We often believe that spacious lounges, bedrooms and backyards are what we need to feel luxurious. Sometimes people buy homes with extra bedrooms, which they never use, but they think they’ll need in the future. Much like money, we live within our means when it comes to space also. If you have space, you’ll likely fill it up with the kind of stuff you don’t actually need i.e. Gym equipment you haven’t touched in 8 months or storage of all the stuff you should have sorted through by now.

So do we need to shift our perception of housing to quality over quantity, in order to purchase and live the modern-day ‘kiwi dream’? We say yes! 

One of the most well-known architects Ludwig Mies van der Rohe once said,“Less is more”. It may sound like an overused cliche but it is the truth. 

At OSA, we believe that “happiness lies in a quality space and healthy homes.” 

If you’d like to chat about building a unique home within your budget, chat to us.