– A tiny 18sqm home in Karori, Wellington, listed for over $350,000, has sold.
– Engineer Hugh Woodbury bought the property in 2023 for $300,000 and added a deck and caravan.
– With plans to start a family, Woodbury and his partner are selling to move to a larger home.
It’s a house on a freehold section in central Wellington with a $350,000-plus price tag. The catch? It’s just 18sqm in size.
The one-bedroom home Tommy’s listing agent Alice O’Styke sold earlier this week for $310,000 had been pitched as an affordable entry point in the capital’s housing market for those who have big dreams but wish to “live tiny”. It was picked up by a first-home buyer.
The unusual one-bedroom property on Victory Avenue, in Karori, was a dream come true for engineer Hugh Woodbury. He bought the 266sqm section and portable dwelling in 2023 for $300,000.
The house is 18sqm in size but has a lot packed into it. Photo / Supplied
Woodbury was just three years out of university and was saving up for a deposit when he spotted the listing over a colleague’s shoulder.
“It was kind of a coincidence, really,” Woodbury told OneRoof. “One of my really good friends and co-workers had been looking for a three-bedroom house for quite a while.
“At lunchtime, he would scroll through listings on his computer. One day, I was walking past his desk and saw Victory Avenue. I was like, ‘What is that?’ It had me curious.
“I was already interested in the tiny home movement, from a sustainability point of view, and working out what’s actually important in life.
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“I had been watching a YouTube channel called Living Big in a Tiny House. It’s this guy Bryce, who goes around New Zealand and Australia and sometimes further afield looking at tiny homes and talking to the owners about their way of life. When I saw the listing, I saw a lot of potential, and I realised that with the savings I had, I’d be paying less in mortgage payments than I was paying in rent.”
Once he moved in, Woodbury set about improving the property, adding a deck and, then, a retro caravan.
“My girlfriend was staying over, which drove home that maybe a little bit more space would be useful. We were folding out the couch bed every night to sleep, which wasn’t too much of a hassle, but we both started to think, ‘What could we do to improve things here?’.”
The caravan attached to the portable home on Victory Avenue has a double bed at one end and an office space at the other. Photo / Supplied
The answer was to buy the 1960s caravan. “It had a setup of a double bed and a set of bunks, which we converted into a home desk space.”
With more savings under their belts and the possibility of starting a family in the future, the couple are selling up and moving to a bigger home.
It’s the third time O’Styke has sold the listing. The first time she sold it was during Covid. The property was previously a council-owned playground, but was little used. “It was picked up by a first-home buyer and he put a portable home on it,” she told OneRoof.
“It had a pull-down bed, dining, kitchen, and bathroom.”
The owner was single when he bought it, but sold it to Woodbury once he was in a relationship and needed more space.
For those looking for a house with a tiny footprint in the Southland 2 Iona Street, in Mornington, Dunedin. is on the market. The relocatable home has an RV of $235,000 and sits on 233sqm.
A tiny home for sale at 2 Iona Street, in Mornington, Dunedin, sits on a 233sqm section. Photo / Supplied
The property is, according to the listing, a stylish option in a popular spot. Photo / Supplied
LJ Hooker listing agent Lawrence Schaumann said in his marketing that the one-bedroom, one-bathroom home came with a separate utility block and a shed.
“Whether you’re a first-home buyer, downsizer, or simply wanting a lock-and-leave town base, this is a smart alternative to taking on a bigger home and mortgage,” his listing on OneRoof stated.
Set on a hillside plot, the home has views and is a short walk from the Mornington shops.
Records show the property last sold for $75,000 in September 2018 and has an RV $235,000.
Tiny house fans in Gisborne would do well to check out the shipping container home at 29A Dalrymple Road, in Mangapapa.
Tiny living can also be found at 29A Dalrymple Road, in Mangapapa, Gisborne. Photo / Supplied
The property comprises three containers, one of which includes a kitchen fit-out. Photo / Supplied
The greeting sign outside the property says: “Welcome to the nut house”, and the house itself doesn’t disappoint.
The property, which is being marketing for sale by Bayleys agent Jenny Murray, comprises three containers on a 511sqm section.
“One is cleverly converted to include a kitchen fit out and connects to one of the others – ideal as a base while you plan your build, for storage, or as a creative project space,” Murray’s listing said.
The property has an RV of $198,000 and is for sale by tender, closing September 18.