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The Client Journey – An Overview

We want to outline the journey taking you from the idea of purchasing and going tiny through to delivery so you can work through the stages logically and understand what will be required at each stage.

Stage 1: Project Feasibility and Estimate

1. Approved Finances

The first place to start is budget. Without having a clear budget for the project its hard to work through the design process and work out the scope of the build, size, ‘must haves’ and ‘love to haves’. Along with a budget outline, now is the time to secure the finances if they are not already in the bank. If you are looking to borrow money, we have an information page on our website about financing here.

Unfortunately, we see a staggering 90-95% of people not being able to secure financing from finance companies or banks without a guarantor that owns real estate. If you require financing, this is where you start so you have a written approval in hand and you are ready to move to the next stage.

2. Stakeholder Communication

Before looking at designs talk to people about the project. We have found in the past that clients have waited till after the design stage, and sometimes even after putting down a deposit to then talk with the neighbours or family members that might be affected. If you are looking for input or advice from the people below, now is the time to do it.

  • You’ve already discussed the project with:
  • Family members
  • Friends
  • Neighbours
  • Regulatory authorities

3. Access Confirmation

You will need to ensure that there is access to the delivery location that is feasible. This will vary depending on the size of the Tiny Home you are looking at. Either you can assess yourself or we can put you in touch with a Tiny Home delivery company that will assess your site and give you a delivery quote. Multiple times in the past we have been in the design stage when the client has figured out that the whole project is not feasible as the access is not possible.

4. Cost Estimate

At this stage we can discuss the size, shape, and scope of the project working within the constraints of the budget you have suggested. We will look at a broad outline of what you would like to build and give you an estimated cost to see if the project is feasible financially, or if you need to reduce the size or finishes to get it under budget.

At this point you will have a great understanding of whether the project is feasible for you and your site. If you want to move to the next stage and look at ordering a Tiny Home from Fox Cabins, we move to the quoting stage.

Stage 2: Quoting

Once we move onto the formal quoting stage we really drill down into the design and details of your Tiny Home. This meeting is either in person, phone or video conference. We work through the ‘Schedule 2’ which is about 8 pages long and details every specification for the Tiny Home from insulation type to tap colour.

This meeting normally takes around an hour and with this information we can create a formal quote, which is a fixed price quote (we will not increase the quote after you accept).

Key Points:

  1. Sketch design of your Tiny Home.
  2. Inclusion of all necessary components.
  3. All construction details, colours, finishes, cladding and lining types, window, and door specifications.
  4. The provided quote is valid for seven days. Once the quote is accepted and a deposit is paid, the price remains fixed. The only circumstance in which the quote would change is if you have requested, and agreed to upgrades during the build process as a variation.

Stage 3: Becoming a Fox Cabins Client

1. Deposit Schedule

To become a client, lock in the quote and a place on the build schedule we require the ‘Initial Deposit’ as detailed below. At this stage you will also receive the standard contract template for your review.

  • Initial Deposit:                                   $2,000
  • Design and Contract Signing:      $18,000
  • Commencement of Build:             $60,000
  • Completion of Lining:                     $30,000 – $40,000 (based on build value)
  • The Week of Completion:              Balance of the Build Price

Sometimes the period between initial deposit and commencement of build can be many months (talk to Fox Cabins about our current schedule) but the build time is very consistent, normally 6-8 weeks from commencement to completion for a full-size Tiny Home.

To understand when these payments would be due and help you budget, from ‘Initial Deposit’ to ‘Design and Contract Signing’ is normally about 4 weeks depending on the complexity of the design.

‘Commencement of Build’ to ‘Completion of Lining’ is normally around two weeks and ‘Completion of Lining’ to ‘Week of Completion’ is normally another 4-6 weeks.

2. Design Stage

At this stage, we utilize Computer Aided Design (CAD) software to create plans for your project. We will go back and forth with you on the design, so you have design input through the process. At this time, we will work through the final ‘Schedule 2’ specifications document in draft form to get ready for final sign off.

3. Confirmation and Sign-Off

Once the design is confirmed and you’re satisfied, you’ll sign off on the final plans and Schedule 2 specifications. If you’d like to make changes after signing off this is possible by doing a ‘variation of build request’.

This step ensures that we’re aligned and ready to proceed with the next stages.

4. Contract Signing

Finally, we’ll formalize our agreement by signing the contract.

Want To Suggest An Addition?

As the tiny home industry expands in New Zealand, there are likely a few that we’ve missed here. Feel free to drop us a line and let us know who you think should be included here.