Couple takes massive punt on tiny houses after tourism enterprise decimated

After bookings for their lodge dried up within two weeks of the Covid-19 lockdown, a couple in the Tasman District have started building tiny houses with three children raising and bills to be paid.

The first of the 47-square-foot homes will go on sale Monday at a price of $ 160,000. A second house is due to be completed in a few weeks, while construction of the third is also underway.

Fran and Daniel Huelsmeyer did not think they had time to wait for a hoped-for recovery in international tourism.

“Ninety-nine percent of our guests were international,” Fran said of the couple’s Split Apple Lodge and Spa business. “We have built the business over the past four yearsand … within two weeks it was completely wiped out. “

CONTINUE READING:
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* * TDC calls for coherence in government legislation for tiny houses
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Martin De Ruyter / Things

Daniel and Fran Huelsmeyer hope that their new little home business will provide security and stability for their family after they had to close their lodge business due to the decline in international tourism caused by Covid.

Before the lockdown in March 2020, the couple had invested heavily in the six-bedroom lodge between Kaiteriteri and Mārahau. This work included the installation of a spa and swimming pool, as well as upgrading the rooms, bathrooms and common areas. Four employees were employed full-time to provide a high level of service to the growing number of guests.

“This area was bulletproof [for growth in international tourism]”Fran said.” That’s why we’ve invested so much time and money. “

Delivered

The fully equipped kitchen has a standing height of 2 m and has a sink, an electric stove and a gas stove with four burners.

Then it wasn’t. The lock hit and everything changed quickly. Initially, The couple tried to target the domestic market However, the lodge was not the right choice as it was primarily intended for couples and was not suitable for family groups which seemed to dominate the domestic market.

Faced with a significant loss of income and the need to support 8-year-old twins Anton and Emil and baby Jacob, who was only 7 weeks old when the ban came, the Huelsmeyers began looking for a new source of income.

“There was also a risk of another lockdown,” said Fran. “If we’d lost a second season, we would have dealt with it. We needed some security and stability for the family. “

Delivered

The bathroom has a full size shower, 900mm vanity, cassette toilet, and space for a washer and dryer.

Since they already had plans to build additional accommodations that they had to cancel and were friends with a longtime professional builder they had previously worked with, they settled on the burgeoning tiny home industry and closed their lodge business.

Instead of creating bespoke real estate like other companies, the Huelsmeyers have over their Ruru Building Ltd businessbuild their tiny houses according to a high-end design with the possibility of small adjustments and bring them to the market after completion.

This design was suitable for 188cm tall people who said they wouldn’t have to bend down in their home to avoid touching the ceiling.

Martin De Ruyter / Things

The Huelsmeyers build tiny houses based on a design and put them on the market after completion.

The design has “maximized” the dimensions of the tiny houses with a floor area of ​​30 square meters plus two mezzanines and offers an interior space of around 47 square meters. The houses were 4.3 m high, which meant standing room everywhere, including the kitchen, bathroom and both mezzanines.

The tiny homes have cork floors, LED strip lighting, a full-size shower, 900mm vanity, cassette toilet, and a wood-burning stove. You are stocked with a range of items including a dishwasher, an electric oven, and a four-burner gas range.

“Just get a refrigerator and move in,” said Daniel.

Delivered

The view from an open mezzanine floor above the kitchen onto the second mezzanine floor, which is closed and contains a door.

The houses also had 10 windows, two French doors and certificates of conformity for gas and electricity.

Each would contain the platform but not the detachable wheels and the towing brake unit, although these could be purchased separately. According to Fran, the couple’s investigation found that most people did not have the vehicle and / or the skills to tow their own small home and that there were additional costs for maintaining the wheels and braking unit, including a fitness warrant.

So the Huelsmeyers had a kit and could tow the tiny house to its destination for an additional fee, or people could choose to have a specialist company move the house.

Delivered

The tiny houses have a floor area of ​​30 square meters plus two mezzanines and offer an interior space of around 47 square meters.