NZ Tiny Homes has gone into liquidation. Photo / Supplied
NZ Tiny Homes has gone into liquidation. Photo / Supplied
Liquidators have named creditors of New Plymouth’s failed New Zealand Tiny Homes, saying Kiwibank has security registered over the business.
Tony Maginness and Jared Booth of Baker Tilly Staples Rodway said it was too early to tell how much trade creditors were owed or what the estimated deficiency would beto those who were owed money.
The company built around 130 homes and had national sales operations.
But the names of AB Equipment, ACC, Inland Revenue, Kiwibank, Kiwi Asset Finance, Naki Host, Tiny Home Projects and New Plymouth lawyers Young Carrington and Ussher appeared under a schedule of creditors.
NZ Tiny Homes, incorporated in 2020, held intellectual property to build tiny homes which it licensed to Tiny Town Projects, also in liquidation and is an associated company. Director Jamie Cameron said the Tiny Homes liquidation was due to Tiny Town Projects’ liquidation, the liquidators said.
Earlier this month, the Herald reported how Cameron had called in the liquidators after struggling financially, leaving some partially-finished places due to be delivered to buyers.
Co-founder Cameron said last week: “It’s nothing we wanted and nothing we planned. Construction is in reasonably tough times.”
Maginness said it was uncertain what will happen to the 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 last week.
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.
“At this stage, we’re working hard with the liquidators to try to get funds to pay staff their last pay,” he said last week.
One of the NZ Tiny Home builds off to its site. Photo / Supplied
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 with 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.
Cameron of New Plymouth is the company’s 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.”
Cameron said last week: “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 lift them into place.
Just six days ago, the company showed “another successful delivery” with a home being delivered to a family via a crane.
The business sold tiny homes in the North and South Islands.
