144 | Habitat Housing BUILDING Healthy and affordable Prefabricated frames with OSB offer the benefits of quick installation, along with high moisture resistance and rigidity, reducing warp. T T Lindy Andrews Tiny homes all the rage Footprint Homes is making its mark across New Zealand. T T Lindy Andrews Footprint Homes NZ For Habitat Housing, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Behind their modular homes is a belief that everyone deserves to have a home – one that combines style and individuality with affordability, sustainability and a genuine passion for community. The company’s senior sales manager, Esther Matafeo says the homes’ prefabrication is the key to significantly reducing labour costs, while flexible design choices allow homeowners to stand out from the crowd. What’s more, Habitat Housing’s dedication to delivering quality housing at a price families can afford is leaving a positive mark on local communities across the country. “Modular prefabrication is our preferred construction method,” Esther explains. “Building materials are only 23 to 25% of the cost of building. The rest is labour.” “They’ve been popular. We have eight homes going to Opotiki, where local iwi will help build them alongside a licensed building practitioner. The iwi will use building the homes to upskill their people, which is brilliant,” says Esther. Each wall is carefully manufactured to meet industry standards and certification and provides exceptional insulation qualities. The homes’ modular designs feature a 2.7m stud height to create a sense of light and spaciousness and come standard with external Oriented Strand Board (OSB board) on the face, allowing nogg-free frames. Prefabricated frames with OSB offer the benefits of quick installation, along with high moisture resistance and rigidity, reducing warp. Ease of building is further enhanced by prefabricated cassette flooring and concrete alternative Wild Boar footings, along with a Pryda Speed Truss roof, manufactured by Auckland frame and truss specialists Certified Frame and Truss. “That means a house can be weathertight, complete with windows fitted, within five days,” Esther says. Habitat Housing structural timber is locally sourced and renewable and FSC certified timber is available on request. Homebuyers have a choice of exterior claddings, including fashionably dark fibre cement board or weatherboard. None of the 1-to-4-bedroom homes are the same, with buyers also able to choose from hip, gable or mono-pitch roofs. Inside, UNO kitchens bring more individuality in a vast choice of styles and colours complemented by Robin Hood appliances. “We want to make sure that a house feels like a home, and we understand that looks different to everyone,” she says. Freeing up capital for retirement, soaring rates, high rents and rapidly rising land values have more and more Kiwis thinking tiny. “Tiny homes have become a popular housing option for those looking to buy their own home, downsize, simplify their lives, or minimise their environmental impact,” says Footprint Homes Managing Director, John Smith. As suppliers of flat pack tiny homes, granny flats and minor dwellings, Footprint Homes is making its mark across New Zealand. Demand is high, and there’s no sign of the market slowing. “People need affordable homes,” John says, “particularly with the current high interest rates and the fact that land is expensive.” While many younger people are building tiny in their parents’ back yards, thousands of Mums and Dads are selling up, building their own tiny homes and adopting new, financially freer lifestyles. “A tiny home is also a great investment proposition if you have a reasonably sized back yard. A two-bedroom, 50 square metre tiny rental will provide income on land that was previously costing property owners to maintain.” Footprint’s flat packs contain everything from light gauge steel framing to wall linings, insulation, pre hung doors, thermally broken double glazed windows and exterior doors, Coloursteel roofing and a choice of claddings. “We offer either prefinished Coloursteel or fibre cement cladding, which is sourced from Innova in Perth, the biggest manufacturer in the world,” says John. Steel framing is John’s preferred framing material for its light weight – a third that of timber – “straight and true” qualities and 50year design life. Footprint Homes are designed to go the distance. Meanwhile, Wildboar Surefoot concrete-free footings make foundation construction a breeze. When it comes to interior fixtures and fittings, clients can cherry-pick from a range of kitchen and bathroom furniture, floor coverings and appliances. Footprint Homes uses a network of trusted Licensed Building Practitioners contracting direct to the client to take its flat pack homes from foundation level to a fully closed in, lockup shell or completed home with a Code of Compliance Certificate. Footprint Homes is also an agent for Warkworth ITM’s timber framed, relocatable Habitat Housing range. THE FOOTING REVOLUTION IS HERE. Installation Services | Retaining Walls | Engineering 0800 WILDBOAR info@wildboar.co.nz wildboar.nz Wildboar Concrete free footings are revolutionizing the building industry. No concrete, no mess, no fuss, and unlike a screw pile any builder can install themselves in under 5 minutes per post. Starting at $110 + GST per pile, they represent great value for money. Rosvall Sawmill Proud suppliers to Warkworth & Mangawhai ITM Rosvall Sawmill Ltd is a modern Northland based Lumber/Timber Processing Sawmill, specialising in cutting Radiata Pine; targeting Clearwood and structural production.We operate a modern sawmill combined with a kiln complex with modernWindsor kilns, also a CCA pressure treatment plant and planermill.
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