Sometimes you just know when it’s time for a change. For Alan and Nicola, that meant swapping their big old family home for a warm, easy-care HouseMe transportable home, and they reckon it’s one of the best moves they’ve made for their health, their happiness, and their sanity. A transportable tiny home seemed like the simplest way to stay close to family while trimming away the excess space they no longer needed.

We had a yarn with them about their experience, why they chose a tiny home, and why being closer to family has been "bloody good for the soul".

Discover how Alan and Nicola downsized into a HouseMe transportable home — a smart move for family, freedom, and well-being. Explore our tiny homes, cabins, and granny flats at our HouseMe Show Homes.

Q: What made you decide to downsize in the first place?

Alan:
We’d been rattling round in this big house for nearly 30 years. Kids gone, rooms we never set foot in, bloody stairs everywhere. Good for the cardio I guess, but after a while you’re over it. Raised the kids there, hosted birthdays, Christmases - the lot. But once the kids moved out, it just felt too big. Empty rooms, too many stairs, and maintenance that didn’t stop. We weren’t using half the house.

Nicola:
Yeah, we’re at the stage of life where we just want things simple. We’re both retired now, and we want to enjoy that freedom — travel a bit more, spend time with the grandkids, not be tied to mowing lawns or fixing gutters every weekend. We wanted to simplify. A home that’s practical and future-proofed without giving up comfort. A modern tiny home ticked every box. And honestly, being closer to family has been good for the heart, and the head.

Q: Why did you choose HouseMe? There’s a few companies out there.

Nicola:
We had a good nosey around. We did our homework — looked at lots of transportable homes and tiny-home builders, but HouseMe stood out. Straight off the bat, they were professional and upfront. No fluff, no pressure. Just black and white answers to every question we had. HouseMe just felt right. Straight shooters, and no mucking around.

Alan:
Their prices were right there to see, none of that “call us for a special deal” rubbish. And they could explain things properly, like the building consents and insurance side. Most places just shrugged when you asked the hard questions. We liked how transparent they were. The pricing was right there to see, no hidden costs. And they didn’t dance around the consent side of things either — they explained how it worked and that they offered a CCC, which was a big deal for us. Not many do, and that gave us real peace of mind with insurance and future resale value.

Nicola:
Plus, they had actual Show Homes we could walk through. Seeing a completed tiny home in person made all the difference. We could picture ourselves in it straight away. Seeing the real thing made it easy to picture ourselves living there.

Q: What kind of home did you end up choosing?

Alan:
We went for the 12.5m x 3.6m Deluxe Two-Bedroom, the extra-wide one. It’s not too flashy and fancy, but it’s solid, roomy, and it’s all we need. It’s just the two of us, so we didn’t need heaps of rooms, but we still wanted space to spread out.

Nicola:
One room is our bedroom. The second bedroom’s a bit of a multi-use room. It’s my little home office most days, but we’ve got a portacot tucked in the cupboard for the grandkids if we’re on babysitting duty. It’s perfect for what we need.

Alan:
You can swing a cat in there if you need to, not that we recommend that!

Q: How was the process once you placed your order?

Nicola:
Honestly, we thought we’d be in for a bit of a circus. But no, HouseMe did what they said they would, when they said they would. We were expecting delays and headaches as you hear horror stories from other builds. But HouseMe stuck to the timeline, kept us in the loop, and everything happened when they said it would.

Alan:
If anything changed, they gave us a bell straight away. None of that waiting by the phone nonsense. It was smooth. No chasing, no radio silence, we got a phone call, not an excuse.

Q: Was the pricing and all the extras what you expected?

Alan:
Yup. We were pleasantly surprised. They were one of the few companies that didn’t play pricing games. We could see the base price, see the optional upgrades, and decide what we wanted. No funny business. We knew exactly what we were paying for. Some places try the old bait and switch, cheap headline price, then hammer you on the extras. HouseMe just laid it all out.

Nicola:
It felt honest. Like dealing with proper people, not cowboys. We’ve been through enough big purchases to know how dodgy some can be. HouseMe were refreshingly upfront. And when we made our selections, it was all clearly costed — no surprises later on.

Q: Talk us through the delivery day.

Alan:
Mate, you haven’t lived until you’ve seen your new house rolling down the road on the back of a truck. Nearly had the neighbours out waving flags. It was actually pretty exciting. You don’t often see your home coming down the road on a truck. The delivery crew were absolute pros. They were careful, respectful, and had everything sorted in no time.

Nicola:
The delivery crew were great. Polite, professional, and they didn’t stuff around. Set everything up properly and made sure it was all bang-on before they left. We expected a bit of chaos, but it was all under control. They didn’t just dump it and leave, they stuck around, checked everything, and made sure the setup was right before leaving. Really reassuring.

Q: What was the experience like choosing colours and interior options?

Nicola:
Super easy. I thought that part might stress me out, but it was actually easy. The team gave us a few good combos to pick from. We went for light, neutral colours to keep it feeling open. Didn’t want anything too flash that’d date in two years. The team had good suggestions without being pushy. 

Alan:
If I’d picked, it would’ve been wood panelling and green carpet so it’s lucky Nicky took charge there. We didn’t want anything too trendy that would date. What we picked feels modern but timeless. Suits us perfectly.

Q: How did HouseMe perform on customer service during the build?

Nicola:
Brilliant. Honestly, couldn’t fault them. They were responsive, clear, and helpful even with the small stuff. You felt like you were dealing with people who genuinely cared, not just ticking boxes. Every question we had, no matter how daft it sounded, they answered properly.

Alan:
Didn’t feel like they were rolling their eyes at you behind the emails, you know? Good, old-fashioned service. Every question we had, they answered. If they didn’t know off the top of their head, they’d come back quickly. It made the whole thing feel a lot less daunting.

Q: What about after the house was delivered — any issues or follow-ups?

Alan: 
No real issues, but we did have a couple of little things to ask about after settling in. They came back to us straight away, no mucking around. That follow-through counts. They always help and never fob us off.

Nicola:
We’ve bought appliances with worse customer service. HouseMe actually sticks by what they sell. They've been excellent.
 

Q: What difference has living next door to family made?

Nicola: We often pick up the grandson from Daycare, which means extra laughs for us and free babysitter for his parents. My doctor says my blood pressure has dropped — I put that down to more hugs and fewer motorway kilometres. Having a close family nearby really does do wonders for your health.

Alan: I used to drive 40 minutes for a cuppa with our son. Now it’s a 40-second stroll. Staying active and connected has done wonders for my knees and my mood.
 

Q: How does it feel living in your new home now?

Nicola:
It’s warm, dry, quiet. Everything we wanted. It just feels right. And being close to the grandkids has done wonders for our well-being. We see them all the time now.

Alan:
I’m not tripping over stairs anymore, and the power bill’s about half what it used to be. It’s a nice feeling not having to rattle around in a big, cold house anymore. Wins all round. 

Q: What do your friends and family think?

Alan:
They were a bit sceptical when we first mentioned moving into a tiny home—thought we’d be living in a shoebox. Then they saw it and were blown away. 

Nicola:
Now some of them are looking into granny flats, cabins, and transportable homes themselves. Once you see it, you get it.

Q: If you could change one thing, what would it be?

Alan:
Probably would’ve added an extra sliding door off the living room. Would’ve made it even breezier in summer. But that’s a minor thing.

Nicola:
Yeah, nothing major at all. We’re really happy.

Q: Would you recommend HouseMe to others?

Nicola:
Absolutely. They made the whole process simple, clear, and actually enjoyable.

Alan:
We wish we’d done it sooner, to be honest. If you’re thinking about simplifying your life, this is a great way to do it without giving anything up.

The Final Word: Why HouseMe?

For Alan and Nicola, moving into a HouseMe tiny home wasn’t a downgrade, it was a blimmin’ smart upgrade. They’ve got more freedom, a better lifestyle, lower costs, and best of all - family just down the road.

Looking for a warm, practical granny flat, cabin, or transportable home of your own?
Pop into one of the HouseMe Show Homes — you’ll see what all the fuss is about. 👉 houseme.co.nz/show-homes