BUZZ around a worldwide housing trend is building in Ringwood, with two tiny homes set to go to auction this month. And for the smallest houses you’ll find in the suburb, they’re creating a big buzz around town, the phenomenon has officially gone viral. Phillip Webb agent and auctioneer Mitchal Towns, who will put the homes under the hammer on November 18, said the interest around the diminutive abodes was so strong it had been deemed viral. “Google actually sent one of their contractors to the factory to verify that it was real,” he said. “The response has been beyond belief.”
Tiny Homes Australia’s ‘The High Country’ model
The Hillside tiny house: chic, compact living
Mr Towns said the homes would be the smallest thing he’d auctioned, and a first for the country as well. “As far as I know it’s the first time in Australia a tiny house has been auctioned,” he said. Built by Ringwood-based Tiny Homes Australia, operated by local company Hangan Construction, each tiny house is professionally built, offers a chic Scandinavian-inspired interior, and a bathroom, stainless-steel kitchen appliances, a television and airconditioning. Mr Towns said the homes represented a unique lifestyle opportunity for buyers seeking a low-cost living option, a unique way to downsize, or to go off-grid. “It offers people a more financially feasible option,” he said.“And a lot of people are fed up with bills.”
The homes also offered a way for buyers to make the most of their own property through adding extra accommodation for family, friends or guests, Mr Towns added. “If people are looking to put in a bungalow or make money off Airbnb, this would be perfect,” he said.
A loft bedroom in The Hillside tiny house model
Two models will go under the hammer; the ‘The Hillside’ features a loft bedroom and pitched roof, usually retails for $79,000, while the slightly smaller single-level 'The High Country' model has a normal price of $59,000. At these price points, they’re a fraction of Ringwood’s median house price $847,000 as of July, CoreLogic data shows.
The High Country model offers a single-level option
Mr Towns said the fact a worldwide trend was finding its feet in Ringwood was exciting. “The fact it’s a local business we can get behind and something quite cute and fun, it’s really great we can support it,” he said. Tiny Homes Australia will also donate money to Phillip Webb’s Christmas hamper appeal, he added. All the mod-cons - stainless-steel kitchen appliances, air-conditioning - are included. Mr Towns said while there were two models on offer, tiny houses offered a broad range of prices and add-ons, with people exploring adding features like fireplaces, spas, and decking. “You could get one for as little as $30,000, and then the sky is the limit.” And while homes going under the hammer were in fact tiny, they won’t cramp the style of anyone keen for compact living. “I fit in one and I’m six foot four,” he said.
By: Hannah Scholte
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