Access to plumbing and gas pipes: these have been run under the house up to the point where they penetrate. into the house - easy access to gas 40% of plumbing and 80% of gas pipework Internal access to services at back of bathroom sink, through screwed panel in main bedroom cupboard Services 'corridor' provided along back of kitchen sink/ benchtop to make it easier to access the sservices to sink and dishwasher if required Power: three additional cables provided for future pumps x 2 and for heat pump. Toilet: Water supply provided to facilitate installation of a flush toilet in the future. Additional insulation through the use of 10mm RAB panels under the external cladding and 10mm RAB strips between steel roof framing and timber purlins Foor insulation: butyl rubber strips on steel frame, plastic sheeting, 19mm ply, timber floor, all underlain by 100mm thk polystyrene Ceiling insulation in ceiling (floor of mezzanine) Thermal blinds in lounge and rear door (to retain heat during winter) Deeper cavity between ceiling and roof cladding CAT 6 cable installed from Mezzanine to TV (should it be decided to hardwire the external signal to TV) Double building wrap on vertical walls (on back of RAB plus additional Solitex building wrap. Tescon Naidec on vertical steel frame (walls) and underneath timber purlins 32 Amp plug connection for incoming power supply All internal lights are LED Electric meter in Switchboard External plugs for gas califont and for deck area in front of house House is mounted on 12 screw piles. Additional 4 screw piles installed away from corners and attached to house with chains - additional stability against high winds Entire deck constructed using screws (can be dissembled to recycle bearers, joists and decking) Large Deck, 40m2 - lots of flexibility for outdoor living House completely fenced - pet friendly Steel cupboards either side of beds in main bedroom. Bedroom can be completely cleared and remodelled if required

The house is a LARA design by Shayes Tiny homes. We purchased a plan for this house. The layout is very open and light. The main bedroom sits at the far end under a mezzanine and is very cosy. Main Bedroom: one built in cupboard with a bifold door that enables us to open the cupboard door to one side without touching the bed (easy access), The cupboard has a low level shelf and a clothes hanging rail. we use cubes under and on top of the shelf to store. the bed is queen size and comes with underneath storage that is accessed by lifting the mattress (gas lift assisted). On either side of the bed we have steel cupboards instead of built in cupboards (flexibility to change in teh future should we wish to do so). We have installed magnetic bedside lamps which attach magnetically to the steel sides of the cupboards. These are easily removed for charging. Either side of the beds we have USB ports for charging phones etc overnight. on the one side of the bedroom we installed shutters instead of drapes - much cleaner look. Curtaining on the sliding door to the deck has blockout lining and shear linen-look don doulbe tracks recessed into the low ceiling. This combination softens the room, provides thermal insulation in winter and keeps the room 'dark' in the morning for those weekend sleep-ins. The curtaining tracks for these are recessed into the ceiling. A large full length mirror is hung off the wall behind the shower. We decided against having a bedroom door - this opens up the passageway from the main living area, provides a feeling of space and also helps with natural light. KItchen: This has a full size fridge, a small dishwasher, oven and two plate hob. The glass splashback features art from a friend of ours. The benchtop is acrylic with a kitchen basin set into it. We love the kitchen because it is so user friendly and is the hub of our house. In fact the kitchen and lounge are one integrated and open plan living area. The kitchen has amazing views in two directions and having a back door makes it easy to get the groceries inside. Lounge: as mentioned above the lounge and kitchen are one integrated living area. We fitted a really comfortable sofa against one wall and a Samsung frame TV on the other. The latter enables us to have art on the TV when not in use. Behind the sofa we have another of our friend's paintings . Similar to the kitchen the views from the lounge are amazing. The windows and doors let in so much natural light and the high ceiling gives a feeling of space. We have installed motorised blockout roller blinds on the sliding doors and back door to the kitchen. These are softened by shear linen-look drapes hung on separate tracks. Together the blinds and drapes help hold the heat in the house. On cold nights, we use a small heater to warm the area,which does not take long to do. In Rotorua, winter nights can be cold (the external dog water bowl can ice up) and a warm house can be very cosy. There is a natural linkage to the outdoors via two sliding doors, one at the end of the house and one on the side of the house. The indoor/ outdoor flow is seamless and onto a large deck with a 3 x 4m pergola. Outdoor living: The deck really makes a difference when it comes to tiny house living. It gives us amazing flexibility. Our runs around the end of the house and can be accessed from the three sliding doors, one at the end of the house. The deck can also be accessed from outside. The pergola enables us to sit outside (albeit with radiant heaters in winter) and has blinds to protect us from any cold breezes. We have designed it to be large so that we can set up different living spaces - a covered 'lounge' area, an outside table for eating/ entertaining, an area where we can lounge on recliners (summer!), an area where we can sit around a fire (winter!) and an area for barbequeing. The entire deck has amazing rural views, which we love, as well as our dogs! Mezznine: our mezzanine area works well for visitors (usually our adult children, but also our friends). It is light, well ventilated, carpeted for warmth in winter and large. We have kept it simple - two separate beds with a flower stand/ table in between. The beds can be folded into a chair when we have young children over and is a space that they really love. Bathroom: We have a shower, cabinet with mirror and a composting toilet. It is simple. The window have PVC shutters which are elegant. We have wallpapered the room to keep it interesting. The shower looks amazing, has a recess for all the different soaps that a wife may need (in her lifetime) and also works so well - good pressure and hot water (making it difficult to use for a short time!). We have installed a composting toilet but currently only use it to pee. We are fortunate to have an outdoor flush toilet. The urine from the composting toilet flows to an outdoor storage container, which is connected to a hose pipe and can be emptied simply by turning the tap to the hose on. Very convenient. To be honest, I am not sure how we would feel about fully utilising the functionality of the composting toilet, but we can if need be. The toilet has an inbuilt fan which is ventilated externally). Ventilation system: we have installed 3 x Lunos e2 60 HRV for ventilation. One in lounge, one in mezzanine and one in main bedroom clothes cupboard (to reduce sound impact. This system comes with a Smart_Comfort Controller that ensures that we do not have internal condensation.

I project managed the build of the house using professional tradesmen when I needed to (roofing, cladding, plumbing and gas, electrical, stairs). I was blessed in so many ways by the tradesmen who helped me and most of the quality workmanship was accomplished by these men and women). I consider the following as examples of exceptional craftsmanship: 1. Roofing and cladding - this was undertaken by a master craftsman (Aaron) from Ironclad. His attention to detail and pride in his work was second to none. I have included a photo of some flashing (apex flashing at the top of a triangular window) - Iron Masters 2. the plumber was very creative as evidenced by his copper plumbing work of art (Pipemasters) 3. The shower floor and wall tiling was done so well (Sinclair Tiling) 4. The floors turned out to be exceptional - I provided the used the recycled timber for the floor and this was transformed into beauty by Abstract Floors 5. The steel framing (Steel Frame Solutions) was so accurately installed 6. Electrical - because this is hidden in the walls, the installation of the electrical components is often overlooked. What I appreciated was the advice that was provided and the way in which they were able to interpret and deliver my requirements. My photo is simple - the external plug connection (Reid Electrical) In terms of high quality building products, I have to mention the following suppliers: 1. Proclima - for their weather tightness products, that are top of the range, and for their technical advice and availability to talk 2. Rylock (Tauranga) for their quality joinery, willingness to talk through their product, and assistance with lifting the heavy joinery into place

The bedroom is situated at one end of the house and the living area at the other. In between sits the bathroom. The Lara design is simple and amazing and integrates so well with the outdoor areas. What i like about the build is the indoor outdoor flow with three points of access to the deck from the tiny house. However, in particular, the integration of the internal living area is so well incorporated in the house design. The living area itself is open plan, but with the inclusion of the deck functionality is expanded exponentially. The tiny house alone would be incomplete without a deck and our deck has expanded our living space and provided a base for different uses as described elsewhere. This is a house for all seasons. We can cocoon in winter and relax outside in summer. During periods of wet weather we still are able to enjoy the vistas where inside or under the pergola on the deck. Natural light cannot be ignored, and the house design provides this in heaps. Natural light flows into this house, and this is accentuated by the use of white paint internally. The backdoor (accessed from where the car is parked) opens directly into the kitchen, making it easy to unload groceries. Cooking is also a breeze, with all utilities in the same zone. Overlooking the lounge area the kitchen allows free social interaction between the two areas.

Certainly the window design at the living area end is what makes this tiny house unique. We have located it adjacent to a tree and this makes it very interesting at night from inside and without when the external light at the end of the house is on. What sold the design to us was this window design together with the sliding door from the lounge/ kitchen to the outdoor area. We could see the potential for indoor outdoor flow. the internal stairs to the mezzanine area are also a great feature internally, and this is complemented with the timber framing to the mezzanine area, which gives it privacy but also allows light from the mezzanine windows and skylights to flow into the house. Oh, yes, the skylights above the stairs to the Mezzanine also add to the interesting features internally. The deck is amazing and I have already mentioned that above. Surprisingly the access to the deck turned out to be very unique and interesting, framed by the tree and a landscaped area on the one side and the house on the other. This section of deck is narrow, given that it is primarily access, but it also extends into the main deck and provides an excellent location for a barbeque, one with amazing views. We have also furnished the house well and made use of wallpaper in areas that add to the charm of the house.

We have endeavoured to build a house that will stand the test of time: 1. Withstand wind and rain 2. Timeless - the house design will appeal to everyone. Specific tastes may change internal decour but will not need to change the functional areas such as bathroom and kitchen 3. We did not try to build a light house that cold be carried on a compliant trailer. Whilst the house has a detachable trailer it is heavy (6,100kgs) and needs to be transported by a suitable vehicle (not the trailer). This was a decision taken prior to the start of the build. We did not want to compromise on quality and comfort by building a light tiny house that, together with its trailer would weigh less than 3,500kg. 4. Whilst the tiny house is attached to its trailer in its current location, it is supported on 12 screw piles and anchored via 4 chained connections at each corner to an additional 4 screw piles 5. We have built the tiny house to be our 'forever' home - for retirement 6. We are both over 65 and don't have any property or savings that we can fall back on to see us comfortably through retirement. This tiny house is our pathway to retirement, enabling us to live a simpler life and a less costly one.

Pipemasters/ Reid Electrical/ Ironclad Roofing/ Tiny towing Solutions/ Steel Frame Solutions/ Bay Engineering/ Stop Digging/ Plyman Tauranga/ Grounded NZ/ Blixm Scaffold/ Sinclair Tiling/ Kieth Langman