HouseMe Skyrockets - How a South Auckland Tiny Home Builder Became One of NZ’s Top 5
In a country battling high housing costs and tight urban planning rules, one tiny home builder is breaking records - and reshaping how Kiwis think about affordable living.
Meet HouseMe - a South Auckland-based company that has quietly become a giant in the residential construction space. In just two years, HouseMe has jumped from the 21st busiest residential builder in New Zealand to the 5th, outpacing many traditional homebuilders in volume, scale, and speed.
That’s not a typo - HouseMe has grown 143 percent in output since 2022, and their prefab homes now make up a significant chunk of New Zealand’s new residential builds.
The Numbers Behind the Boom
According to data published by the New Zealand Herald, HouseMe completed around 285 homes in the year to March 2024. But internal estimates suggest the real figure is closer to 350 units, including both homes delivered and those under consent or installation.
Each unit is typically 35m² - compact, efficient, and transportable.
Average sale price: $114,000 NZD
Entry-level units: Starting around $65,000 NZD
Turnaround time: Some units are delivered in 8 to 12 weeks
These are fully constructed, fully consented dwellings - not just shell boxes. They’re insulated, plumbed, wired, and meet most council requirements for long-term use.
The total output value is estimated at $33 million - and that figure is rising.
Why the Demand Is Exploding
New Zealand’s housing shortage is well documented. With the median house price still hovering around $770,000, and even higher in urban centers, many people are priced out of the traditional market.
But it’s not just first-home buyers feeling the squeeze:
Retirees are downsizing to simplify life and reduce costs.
Parents are putting tiny homes in the backyard for adult children or elderly parents.
Investors are adding fully self-contained units to rental portfolios.
Lifestyle seekers are building off-grid or remote cabins in rural areas.
What they all want is the same - something affordable, quick, legal, and reliable.
And that’s where prefab companies like HouseMe are winning.
The HouseMe Advantage - Factory-Built Precision
Unlike traditional builds that require months of on-site work, HouseMe homes are built in a factory-controlled environment in South Auckland.
Benefits include:
Faster build times - not affected by weather delays
Consistent quality control
Easier consent process - especially for repeat models
Lower labour and materials cost due to scale
Once completed, the home is transported by truck and placed onto prepared foundations. Some customers opt for permanent connections and full council consent. Others treat them as transportable dwellings under the temporary structure category - though this depends on district rules.
Who’s Buying - Not Just Young People
One of the most surprising insights is who HouseMe’s customers are. It’s not just budget-conscious millennials or solo buyers.
A large portion of sales come from older Kiwis, aged 55 and up, who:
Already own land (or have family land available)
Want to free up capital by downsizing
Are building for relatives, visitors, or tenants
Value privacy and independence - but also proximity to loved ones
There’s also strong demand from rural buyers who need a standalone office, farm worker accommodation, or secondary dwelling far from council infrastructure.
And in a growing number of cases, business owners are purchasing tiny homes to use as staff accommodation or on-site dwellings.
What This Means for the Industry
HouseMe’s rise proves that tiny homes aren’t a fringe concept anymore - they’re a scalable, in-demand solution to New Zealand’s housing crisis.
But it also sets a new bar for prefab builders:
You must offer code-compliant builds, not just budget cabins.
You need consent-ready documentation to gain council trust.
And you have to provide local support and after-sales service - not just ship-and-forget.
With more competition entering the space - especially from overseas suppliers - Kiwi buyers are becoming more informed and more demanding. Companies like HouseMe that invest in quality, compliance, and customer care are reaping the rewards.
The Bigger Picture
HouseMe’s story is about more than just sales. It’s about shifting the conversation around what homeownership can look like.
Not every Kiwi needs a 4-bedroom house with a lawn. Many want something smaller, more affordable, and faster to secure.
And with proposed changes to the Building Act and the 60m² granny flat rule (still not yet passed as of August 2025), the appetite for small dwellings is only growing.
Prefab tiny homes are no longer an alternative - they’re becoming the mainstream solution for a wide range of buyers.
