NZ Tiny Homes has gone into liquidation. Photo / Supplied
NZ Tiny Homes has gone into liquidation. Photo / Supplied
The owner of a New Plymouth tiny house building business called in a liquidator after struggling financially, leaving some partially-finished places due to be delivered to buyers.
“It’s nothing we wanted and nothing we planned. Construction is in reasonably tough times,” co-founder Jamie Cameron said of the business which employed15 staff who were all being laid off.
Cameron called in Tony Maginness of Baker Tilly Staples Rodway in Auckland this week to liquidate his NZ Tiny Homes company.
Maginness said today his first report wouldn’t be out till next week but it was uncertain what will happen to homes partly built, and which buyers have paid deposits on.
“There are about six homes under construction,” Maginness said of places in various stages of completion at the New Plymouth-based business.
“There may be interest in buying the business. There have been people contacting me,” Maginness said today.
All six homes were due to be delivered to clients in the North Island, he said.
Cameron said the company had built 135 homes in the last three years. They were sold for an average $150,000 and it was “an incredible business,” he added.
“We thought we were going to move forward but through the pandemic, we had to shut down so many times and we’d get behind. It’s been tough on that side.
“With all the staff - the builders and admin team have been fantastic. They gave their heart and soul to everything,” Cameron said.
NZ Tiny Homes had employed 15 staff, he said.
“At this stage, we’re working hard with the liquidators to try to get funds to pay staff their last pay,” he said.
The six homes were due to be delivered in the Wellington, Waikato and Napier areas, Cameron said.
Money was being sought to complete those but added: “That’s out of my hands”.
He said he’d battled constantly rising building costs and trouble getting materials here.
Cameron had been importing materials from China, especially kitchen sinks, but said most materials came from this country.
“With every provider, it’s always been a battle getting stock in New Zealand,” he said.
The Companies Office shows the business was incorporated in February 2020 and Cameron of New Plymouth is its sole director and owner.
“We build and sell not-so-tiny homes to be lived in by all ages,” the company said, showing on social media how it built and delivered places to Napier, Cambridge, on the Kapiti Coast, and elsewhere.
It was giving away a free Panasonic LED TV to a person visiting its display home at Christchurch’s Ferrymead earlier this month.
Just a fortnight before calling in the liquidator, the company issued a reassurance.
On November 4, the company told people via social media: “We are aware of some incorrect information circulating online regarding our New Plymouth office. Please be assured, our business is open and operating as normal.
“We value our customers and any important announcements would be communicated here, or via our website.”
One of the NZ Tiny Home places off to its site. Photo / supplied
Cameron said today: “At that stage, we had a plan moving forward.”
One fan said the company built excellent homes.
“I saw one of your show homes when I was looking for a home ... it was stunningly beautiful, well made, roomy and so much storage. Please don’t give up. Your houses are more than that, they are homes..the best on the market in my opinion.”
One-bedroom homes were sold for $176,000 plus GST. That came with a smart TV, fridge freezer, blinds and a washing machine.
Homes were put on the back of trucks and taken to sites. Often cranes had to be used to life them into place.
Just six days ago, the company showed “another successful delivery” with a place being delivered to a family via a crane.
The business sold tiny homes in the North and South Islands.
Last year, two Auckland tiny house/transportable cabin companies specialising in the affordable end of the market went under, with the owner blaming Covid and reduced demand.
NZHousing and Affordable Homes Construction of Dairy Flat went into liquidation and receivership, owner and director Ian Ralph Fotheringhame of Orewa confirmed.
In his first report, liquidator Greg Sherriff of Waterstone Insolvency said Fotheringhame put both businesses into receivership and liquidation.
Inland Revenue, Metal Line Roofing of Tamaki, World Coffee and Fotheringhame are creditors known to date.
Sherriff cited a $40,000 shareholder loan from Fotheringhame, unsecured creditors claiming $45,000 and security holders with $25,000.
