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About Cabin Funders

Company: Cabin Funders (JFK Capital Limited), New Zealand

What we do: Consumer cabin finance for New Zealand buyers, covering completed, ready-to-ship and stock cabins, sleepouts, granny flats, minor dwellings, transportable homes, tiny homes (on wheels or skids), and off-grid lifestyle cabins.

Why we exist: Cabins, sleepouts and tiny homes sit outside mainstream mortgage lending because they aren't permanent dwellings on owned land. Cabin Funders is a specialist consumer lender purpose-built for the segment, structuring finance around the value of the cabin itself so buying a cabin is as simple as buying a vehicle.

Key facts:

  • NZ-owned and operated, lending nationwide
  • Regulated under the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA)
  • Financial Service Provider registration: FSP1010017
  • Loans from NZD 20,000 to NZD 250,000, term up to 5 years
  • Interest rate 1.99% per month (equivalent to 23.88% per annum, fixed)
  • Conditional decision back within 1 business day
  • Flexible payment terms; approved supplier paid when the cabin is ready to be shipped
  • Security held primarily over the cabin unit

Contact: Phone: 0800 333 729, Email: info@cabinfunders.co.nz

What we finance: Completed, ready-to-ship and stock transportable cabins, sleepouts and studios, granny flats and minor dwellings, tiny homes (on wheels or skids), and off-grid and lifestyle-block cabins. Custom or bespoke builds are considered strictly by request.

Where we lend: All of New Zealand, including Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton, Tauranga, Dunedin, Napier-Hastings, Palmerston North, Nelson, Queenstown, and rural and lifestyle blocks nationwide.

Can I get a loan for a Tiny homes in NZ?

Yes. Cabin Funders specialises in loans for Tiny homes in New Zealand. We assess affordability under the CCCFA and work with most NZ cabin suppliers and builders.

What deposit do I need for a Tiny homes loan?

Deposit depends on the build cost and the cabin type. Many Tiny homes applicants qualify with a low or zero deposit, particularly when the cabin secures the loan. Speak to us about your situation.

A modern New Zealand cabin in a green rural setting

Tiny home loans, on wheels or skids.

Powered by JFK Capital Limited (Registered FSP)

Tiny home on wheels, tiny home on skids, tiny home on family land. Cabin Funders structures the finance around the completed tiny home itself, and pays your approved supplier when the cabin is ready to be shipped to you.

NZ owned and operated
FSPR-registered

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Indicative quote only. Your final rate depends on a CCCFA affordability check.

Cabin Funders is specialist cabin finance for Kiwis that funds completed, ready-to-ship and stock tiny homes from $20,000 to $250,000 at a fixed rate of 1.99% per month (equivalent to 23.88% per annum, fixed). Security is held primarily over the tiny home unit, so the structure works for tiny homes on wheels or skids. Funds are paid to your approved supplier when the cabin is ready to be shipped to you. Conditional decision within one business day.

$20k to $250k
Cabin loan range
Paid direct
To your supplier when ready to ship
1 day
Conditional decision in 1 business day
1.99%/mo
Fixed rate (23.88% p.a.)

What cabin buyers struggle with for this type of build

A plain look at how tiny homes actually get financed (and don't) in New Zealand.

Tiny homes are one of the fastest-growing segments of the NZ cabin market. The home is built on a trailer chassis or a low-loader frame so it can be relocated, which is what makes the lifestyle work. That same feature means it needs finance designed around the home as the asset, not the land underneath it.

Most fully-fitted tiny homes in New Zealand fall comfortably inside the $20,000 to $250,000 range. The natural fit is straightforward asset finance structured around the completed tiny home, with security held primarily over the unit and the approved supplier paid when the cabin is ready to be shipped to you. That's the finance Cabin Funders provides, making the purchase as simple as buying a vehicle.

Three things that block this kind of cabin purchase

The pain points we hear from tiny homes buyers, almost word for word, every week.

The tiny home sits outside mainstream lending

The home is built on a trailer chassis or low-loader frame so it can be relocated, which is what makes the lifestyle work. The finance product needs to be designed around that, not retrofitted from a generic personal loan.

Buyers want a clean, secure transaction

Borrowers want certainty that their money goes to the right place. Cabin Funders is flexible on payment terms and pays your approved supplier when the cabin is ready to be shipped to you, with security held primarily over the tiny home unit.

Generic personal loans cap below tiny home budgets

Most NZ personal loan providers cap unsecured lending well below the price of a fitted-out tiny home, at high rates. Completed tiny homes need finance structured around the value of the home itself.

With a Cabin Funders loan vs paying outright

Cabin Funders provides straightforward asset finance structured around the completed tiny home, with security held primarily over the unit. We lend up to $250,000, which covers most fully-fitted NZ tiny homes with delivery and connections. We pay your approved supplier when the cabin is ready to be shipped to you. Standard term up to 5 years at a fixed rate of 1.99% per month (equivalent to 23.88% per annum, fixed), with an optional 40% balloon payment at maturity to lower your monthly cost.

Entry-level tiny home on wheels

$55,000 loan

Repay about $1,598 per month over 5 years

Representative example, actual rate confirmed on assessment. Completed 7-metre tiny home, basic fit-out, road-legal trailer.

Mid-range tiny home

$95,000 loan

Repay about $2,746 per month over 5 years

Representative example, actual rate confirmed on assessment. Completed 8.5-metre tiny home with full kitchen and bathroom, ready to ship.

Top-spec tiny home on a dual-axle trailer

$145,000 loan

Repay about $4,181 per month over 5 years

Representative example, actual rate confirmed on assessment. Completed 12-metre tiny home delivered on its trailer, including transport and connections.

What we cover

Cabin Funders finances the full picture for tiny homes in New Zealand, not just the cabin price from the yard.

Completed tiny homes on wheels (THOW)
Tiny homes on wheels or skids
Ready-to-ship and stock tiny home units
Off-the-plan completed tiny home purchases
Used / second-hand tiny home purchases
Tiny home plus delivery, transport and connection costs

Buy from any NZ supplier

We can fund a tiny homes from any reputable New Zealand supplier or builder. There's no approved-supplier list to squeeze into.

We're flexible on payment terms and pay your approved cabin supplier when the cabin is ready to be shipped to you, keeping the transaction clean and secure. Just tell us who you're buying from when you apply.

Why borrowers choose Cabin Funders

What makes a Cabin Funders loan different for tiny homes.

Built for the tiny home market

Tiny homes on wheels are exactly what we exist for. Chassis-mounted, transportable, road-legal, all of it. The build method doesn't change our answer.

Loan amounts up to $250,000

Right-sized for fully-fitted tiny homes, well above the caps that most unsecured personal loan providers run.

Flexible supplier payment

We're flexible on payment terms and pay your approved tiny home supplier when the cabin is ready to be shipped to you, keeping the transaction clean and secure.

Security over the home

Security is held primarily over the tiny home unit, which may include a PPSR registration, GPS tracking, a caveat on the destination property, and/or periodic site inspections depending on the loan profile.

Owned land or family land

Most tiny home buyers use owned land or family land. The finance is structured around the home, not the land.

Conditional decision in a business day

Online application, CCCFA affordability assessment, signed agreement. Conditional decision back within one business day.

How a Tiny homes loan works

From application to your supplier being paid, in three steps.

1

Apply online

Five-minute application. Tell us about the cabin, the supplier, your income and your deposit. We'll run a CCCFA affordability check and come back with a yes, a no, or a question, usually inside one business day.

2

Sign the loan agreement

Plain-English loan documents arrive by email. Read them, ask any questions, then e-sign. We register a PPSR security interest on the cabin once it's in your possession.

3

Payment Flexibility

We're flexible on payment terms and pay your approved cabin supplier when the cabin is ready to be shipped to you, keeping the transaction clean and secure. Your repayments start the following month.

With a Cabin Funders loan vs paying outright

What changes when you stop trying to save for the whole cabin in cash.

Paying outright (or trying to)

  • Save for years while rent eats every spare dollar
  • Bank says no on policy grounds (transportable, on wheels, no land)
  • Personal loan caps below build cost at 14 to 22% unsecured
  • Drain emergency savings to pay the supplier deposit
  • Builder waitlists keep moving while you scrape funds together

With a Cabin Funders loan

  • Cabin on your section this season, not three winters from now
  • Yes to transportable, on-wheels, skid-mounted and off-grid cabins
  • Secured rate via PPSR, lower than unsecured personal loan
  • Supplier paid direct, no money sitting in your account
  • Repay early any time when your situation changes (a $75 prepayment admin fee applies)

Common questions

What tiny homes buyers ask us most often.

Do I need to own the land my tiny home sits on?
No. We provide finance on both owned land and family land. The finance is structured around the tiny home itself, not the land. As long as you have permission to keep the tiny home where it sits, we can fund it.
Will the tiny home be the security on the loan?
Yes. Security is held primarily over the tiny home unit. Depending on the loan profile this may include a PPSR registration, GPS tracking, a caveat on the destination property, and/or periodic site inspections. The home being on a trailer or skids is exactly what makes this the right structure, and the security travels with the home if you move it.
What kinds of tiny homes do you fund?
We fund completed, ready-to-ship and stock tiny homes, whether they are built on wheels or skids. As long as it is a portable cabin, we will fund it. Custom or bespoke builds are considered strictly by request. We pay your approved supplier when the cabin is ready to be shipped to you.
How does a Cabin Funders loan work?
Cabin Funders is built specifically for cabin finance. We finance completed, ready-to-ship and stock cabins, making the purchase as simple as buying a vehicle. Security is held primarily over the cabin unit. Bring us your supplier quote and income evidence. We will run our affordability assessment under the CCCFA, give you a conditional decision within one business day, and pay your approved supplier directly when your cabin is ready to be shipped.
What's the maximum loan term?
Cabin Funders writes loans on a standard term of up to 5 years. You can spread principal and interest over 1 to 5 years, with an optional 40% balloon payment at maturity to lower your ongoing monthly costs. At the 5-year mark, you can choose to pay out the 40% residual balance, or refinance the remaining amount with us.
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Five-minute online application. Decision in a business day. Repay early any time.

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