Choosing the Right Infrastructure Setup for Your Tiny Home

When setting up your tiny home, infrastructure choices play a critical role in determining comfort, functionality, and long-term sustainability. Whether your home is on wheels or foundations, the right combination of structural, water, and power systems can make a significant difference. Let’s dive into the different options available.

1. Wheels vs. Foundations

Tiny Homes on Wheels (THOWs):
THOWs are mobile and offer the flexibility to relocate. They require level ground for stability, often achieved with adjustable jack stands or chocks. A gravel pad or compacted ground helps provide a stable base. Ruru Tiny Homes, if remaining moveable, do not require a building consent.

Tiny Homes on Foundations:
For permanent setups, homes can be built on piles, screw piles, concrete slabs, or timber piles.

• Piles (Screw or Timber): These are ideal for uneven terrain and allow airflow beneath the home, reducing moisture buildup.

• Concrete Foundations: Best for long-term setups, providing a solid, immovable base. However, they are less eco-friendly and more resource-intensive.

Tiny Homes on wheels, transformed onto solid foundations, will require a building. consent for the foundations.

2. Levelling Groundworks

Proper groundwork is essential for stability, especially for THOWs or foundation-based setups. Please ensure cutting into the soil is compliant with your resource consent requirements.

• Gravel Pads: A cost-effective and easy-to-maintain option for levelling. Compacted gravel provides excellent drainage and prevents water pooling.

• Compacted Ground: This can be used alone or as a base for other materials, offering a firm foundation for your tiny home.

• Concrete: If you already have or would like to invest in concrete pad, this will make your life easier as the ground is literally rock solid. The expense often does not sit in relation to the leased land situation or the overall budget so from experience, most clients will work with gravel pads (happily ever after).

3. Blackwater Solutions

Managing blackwater (waste from toilets) efficiently is vital for hygiene and sustainability. Here are your options:

• Composting Toilets: Eco-friendly and waterless, composting toilets convert waste into compost, making them ideal for off-grid setups.

• Incinerating Toilets: These burn waste into ash using electricity or gas, requiring minimal maintenance.

• Flush Toilets with Septic Systems: A traditional option, connecting your home to a septic tank for waste processing. Council consent may be required.

• Flush Toilets connected to Council Sewerage: If present, and consent approved for the connections a tiny home can also be connected to public sewerage.

• Flush Toilets with Holding Tanks: Suitable for temporary setups, where tanks can be emptied periodically at a waste disposal facility, or baches, where people don’t live in permanently, or to start tiny home living, before investing in a full septic system with all it takes. Ideal for holiday baches & AirBNB.

4. Greywater Management

Greywater (from sinks, showers, and washing machines) can be reused or safely disposed of with the right system.

• Septic Tanks: Combine blackwater and greywater for processing and disposal.

• Public Sewerage: If present, and consented, an easy way.

• Greywater Filtration Systems:

  • Greywater Mate: Filters greywater for reuse in irrigation, reducing water waste and benefiting gardens.

  • Irrigation Systems: Filtered greywater can nourish landscaping, provided non-toxic cleaning products are used.

5. Power Options

Your power setup depends on the location and lifestyle preferences. Tiny homes can adapt to various energy sources:

• Mains Power:

  • 32 Amp Caravan Plug: Suitable for higher energy needs, common for larger setups.

  • 16 Amp Caravan Plug: A more economical option for smaller homes with moderate power usage.

• Solar Power: Ideal for off-grid living, solar panels combined with batteries provide a renewable energy source. Ideal for remote locations and leased land options without power.

• Wind or Water Power: Some off-grid homes use wind turbines or micro-hydro systems in suitable locations. These are location-specific and require careful planning.

6. Combining Infrastructure for the Best Results

Creating the perfect setup often involves a mix of these options tailored to your location, budget, and sustainability goals. For instance, you might pair a solar-powered system with a composting toilet and a Greywater Mate filtration system to minimize your ecological footprint while maintaining comfort.

Conclusion

The infrastructure for your tiny home is not just about functionality but also about aligning with your values, whether they include mobility, sustainability, or long-term stability. Take the time to assess your needs and explore these options to create a tiny home that’s not only beautiful but also built for the way you want to live.

Need help choosing the right setup? Reach out for expert consultations to make your tiny home dreams a reality!