After 16 years as a builder he caught wind of the tiny house movement which has taken off in America and decided to bring the idea down under and start building tiny homes on the South Coast.

In February he gave up building full sized houses to focus his efforts on his new business, Designer Eco Tiny Homes.

“I put the concept out and had a client who wanted one immediately. He’s using it as a office, library space” Grant said.

“It’s a new concept and there are only a handful of these in Australia. It could be the future of housing.”

The tiny houses come in several sizes, from nine square metres to 60 square metres for the full granny flat and take only 45 minutes to install. 

Each house can be totally customised to suit the buyer and can be constructed entirely from recyclable materials. 

Tiny houses are governed by the same rules as a caravan in terms of transport and they do not require council approval to be installed, however Grant reminds buyers they are not aerodynamic and are designed for occasional transportation. 

Grant builds his tiny houses with a hybrid power supply of partial solar with the ability to be connected to a main power supply.

Grant has recently completed Australia’s first and only tiny house display home at Burrill Lake for people to view if they are considering building a tiny house.

“People can use them for anything,” he said.

“Including a quick extension for growing families, granny flats for elderly parents, a backyard office, extra space for university students or a teenager who isn’t quite ready to leave home. 

“They are a great idea for people who are building. There is no need to waste money on rent; simply buy a tiny house and live in it on site during construction. You can then use it as an additional room, guest accommodation or sell it.” 

In February Grant headed to America to attend the International Tiny House Conference where he got a sneak peak at the emerging trends in tiny homes and has applied this to his designs. 

For more information visit www.designerecohomes.com.au.