PRESS RELEASE: Surge in Demand for Portable Homes as Housing Crisis Bites

SURGE IN DEMAND FOR PORTABLE HOMES AS HOUSING CRISIS BITES

With the combined impact of a rental crisis and affordable housing crisis in Australia, portable homes have become an increasingly popular solution to a number of thorny housing dilemmas.

Courtney and Iain Miles hired a two-bedroom portable home while building their dream home.

When Iain and Courtney Miles bought a block of land in Burpengary East, in Queensland’s Moreton Bay region, in August 2020 with plans to build their dream home, the pair optimistically expected to be moving into their new home by the start of 2022.

“We sold our house and moved in with my parents,” says Courtney, “but delays with building approval meant our new build wasn’t even approved until June 2022, with an expected completion of the end of 2022. Then we had major build delays and looked at renting near our block but prices were becoming prohibitive so we started looking for another solution so we could live on site while building and start some landscaping work,” says Courtney.

“I Googled ‘shipping container homes’ but they cost about $50,000 and upwards to buy one large enough as we both work from home and have two small dogs. Then a few months later I saw we could hire a temporary mobile home while building from a company called PennyGranny! We were so surprised at how affordable their portable homes were to hire and it seemed liked a perfect temporary housing solution while building a home.”

A two-bedroom portable home, The Brooklyn, was available in a couple of weeks, so Courtney and Iain quickly applied to their local council for a permit for temporary accommodation on their building block. “It took about four weeks to get permission from council but PennyGranny held the home for us and we had it delivered the next week,” recalls Courtney. “It only took a day to install and within a week we had the plumbing and electricity connected. The hot water took a little longer but cold showers for a few days were quite bearable.”

The convenience of being on-site full-time soon became evident as the couple saved time on commuting to check up on progress with the build, could deal with problems and decisions as they happened and could begin the process of landscaping the site. With turf laid around their temporary home and a fence erected for their dogs, Courtney and Iain soon settled into their new accommodation in The Brooklyn, a 12m x 2.4 metre home with two bedrooms, a bathroom and combined living/dining and kitchen area.

The portable home, built in PennyGranny’s factory in the ACT, was fully insulated with a split system air-conditioning unit installed, and sliding glass doors and windows fitted with fly screens and blockout blinds and cost $363.50 per week to hire.

“We enjoyed living in our temporary home,” says Courtney, “I worried that it might be too small but it was perfect, a proper little apartment with everything we needed. Even our builder said ‘You don’t need to build the house now, this is perfect!’. Our experience with PennyGranny was fantastic. The whole process was super easy and the savings as compared to renting locally were substantial.”

Courtney and Iain were among PennyGranny’s early customers, but the company has since grown to become the leading portable home manufacturer and supplier in Australia, solving housing dilemmas like Courtney and Iain’s with their one- to three-bedroom portable homes for sale and for hire across the eastern seaboard.

PennyGranny’s Expanding Horizons: Portable Cabins Across Australia’s East Coast

Says Elena Ridgway, Head of Operations for PennyGranny, “When we first launched we expected most demand to come from seniors seeking affordable granny flat accommodation. While that’s certainly a sector of our market, the rental crisis and affordable housing crisis have thrown up surprises.

“Not only have we had many customers like Courtney and Iain who are building or renovating and need an alternative to rental accommodation, but we’ve also experienced strong demand for emergency accommodation after disasters like the tornado that tore through South-East Queensland last Christmas Eve. People were calling us in a panic because their insurance covered rental accommodation while their houses were being rebuilt but no rental accommodation was to be had. We were able to accommodate them in our portable homes delivered and placed on their own blocks of land.”

As well as providing temporary accommodation, PennyGranny’s sales have also been strong as young people seek a more affordable entry into the housing market and empty nesters seek more affordable retirement living solutions.

“Our off-grid model has proved particularly popular,” says Elena, “not only because people are seeking a more sustainable lifestyle but because bush blocks with no services are far more affordable than town blocks or new developments.”

“Our homes are not for everyone,” adds Elena, “as the size is limited by the trucks that deliver them. But in the past few years we’ve been able to solve a lot of acute housing dilemmas for a lot of relieved and happy people!”

For more information, visit www.pennygranny.com.au

For hi-res images click here. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/pu4gwvnwroptqs4swxuge/APpMGjpmvp_EBNl0vxW_LF4?rlkey=vlnm0rsxbj2yvtokxh841huwl&e=1&st=yg8vvm90&dl=0