About Cabin Funders

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

What we do: Consumer cabin loans for New Zealand buyers, covering cabins, sleepouts, granny flats, minor dwellings, transportable homes, tiny homes (on wheels or fixed), DIY kitsets, 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, securing the loan against the cabin itself via the PPSR.

Key facts:

  • NZ-owned and operated, lending nationwide
  • Regulated under the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA)
  • Financial Service Provider registration: FSP1010017
  • Decision typically within one business day
  • Direct payment to your cabin supplier on request, with staged drawdowns where appropriate
  • PPSR security taken against the cabin where required by law

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

What we finance: Transportable cabins, sleepouts and studios, granny flats and minor dwellings, tiny homes (on wheels or on foundations), DIY-built kitsets, off-grid and lifestyle-block cabins.

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 Transportable cabins in NZ?

Yes. Cabin Funders specialises in loans for Transportable cabins 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 Transportable cabins loan?

Deposit depends on the build cost and the cabin type. Many Transportable cabins 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

Lending built for transportable cabins.

Loans for cabins, sleepouts, granny flats, transportables and tiny homes. $5,000 to $150,000. Decision back in a business day.

NZ owned and operated
FSPR-registered

Get a real cabin loan quote.

Takes a minute. No credit check at this step.

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

Cabin Funders is a specialist New Zealand consumer lender that finances transportable, relocatable and pre-built cabins from $5,000 to $150,000. The cabin itself is the security, registered on the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR), so the loan structure suits cabins that sit on skids or a chassis rather than a permanent foundation. Decision in one business day, funds paid to your supplier on settlement.

$5k–$150k
Cabin loan range
Paid direct
Funds to your supplier
1 day
Decision in 1 business day
11.95%
Indicative rate from

What cabin buyers struggle with for this type of build

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

Transportable cabins are the largest single segment of the NZ cabin market. They're built off-site in a factory or yard, trucked to your section on a low-loader, and craned or skidded into place. Sizes typically run 18m² up to 60m², with everything from a bare sleepout shell through to fully-fitted two-bedroom units complete with kitchen and bathroom.

Because the cabin isn't a permanent structure, transportables sit outside mainstream mortgage lending. The right product is a secured consumer loan written against the cabin itself, with the supplier paid direct so the deposit doesn't sit at risk between order and delivery. That's the product Cabin Funders writes, priced below an unsecured personal loan because the cabin stands behind the loan.

Three things that block this kind of cabin purchase

The pain points we hear from transportable cabins buyers, almost word for word, every week.

Stuck between the buyer and the builder

Most NZ transportable builders need a deposit at order and full payment before delivery. Without a finance path that suits a transportable, buyers end up trying to bridge $40,000 to $90,000 out of personal savings.

Generic personal loans don't fit the cabin

An unsecured personal loan at 14 to 22% ignores the real value of the cabin. The interest cost over a 5 to 7 year term adds tens of thousands to a build that didn't need to be financed that way.

Builder liquidation risk

Recent NZ tiny-home builder collapses have left buyers losing deposits. Borrowers want a lender who pays the supplier directly on staged milestones, not into a builder trust account.

With a Cabin Funders loan vs paying outright

Cabin Funders writes a secured cabin loan against the transportable itself, registered on the PPSR so the cabin is the security. We can fund the supplier deposit on day one and the balance on delivery. Loans from $5,000 to $150,000 with terms up to seven years. The borrower never has to find $40,000 to $90,000 in cash to settle, and the supplier never has to chase a buyer for the balance.

Entry-level transportable sleepout

$28,000 loan

Repay $485 per month over 7 years

18m² unit from a North Island portable builder. Single-bedroom, no plumbing. Loan covers full purchase plus delivery.

Mid-range two-bedroom transportable

$65,000 loan

Repay $1,128 per month over 7 years

Fully-fitted 36m² unit including kitchen, bathroom, deck. Loan covers $15,000 supplier deposit on order and balance on delivery.

Top-spec transportable home

$120,000 loan

Repay $2,082 per month over 7 years

60m² two-bedroom unit, fully consented as a minor dwelling. Loan covers cabin plus site-finishing costs (deck, plumbing, power hook-up).

What we cover

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

Pre-built portable cabins (under 30m²)
Fully-fitted transportable homes
Relocatable two-bedroom units
Containerised cabins
Self-contained sleepouts on skids
Site-finished transportables (deck, plumbing, power)

Buy from any NZ supplier

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

We pay your supplier directly, so your deposit is never at risk between order and delivery. Just tell us who you're buying from when you apply.

Why borrowers choose Cabin Funders

What makes a Cabin Funders loan different for transportable cabins.

Built for transportables

Transportables are exactly what we lend on. The cabin doesn't need to be on a permanent foundation, council-consented, or sitting on land you own.

PPSR security on the cabin

We register a security interest on the cabin under the Personal Property Securities Act, which is how a transportable can legitimately secure a loan.

Supplier paid direct

Funds settle to your transportable builder on the day delivery is confirmed. The money never sits in your account.

Decision in a business day

Online application, CCCFA affordability assessment, signed agreement. Most decisions come back inside 24 hours.

Repay early without penalty

Sell the cabin, top up with KiwiSaver-funded equity, or settle from a refinance. There's no early-repayment fee on a Cabin Funders loan.

You don't need to own the land

Lease arrangements, family land, lifestyle blocks, parents' section. The loan secures the cabin, not the land underneath it.

How a Transportable cabins 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

We pay your supplier

Loan funds settle direct to your cabin supplier, either in a single payment or in staged drawdowns on the contract milestones. 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, no foundation, 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, off-grid and no-foundation cabins
  • Secured rate via PPSR, lower than unsecured personal loan
  • Supplier paid direct, no money sitting in your account
  • Repay early without penalty when your situation changes

Common questions

What transportable cabins buyers ask us most often.

Will the cabin be the security on the loan?
Yes. We register a security interest against the transportable cabin on the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR), the same register used for vehicles and machinery. That's how a non-fixed asset can legitimately secure a consumer loan in New Zealand. You don't need to own the land. The PPSR registration fee is included in the loan setup costs.
How much deposit do I need for a transportable cabin loan?
Most Cabin Funders transportable loans are written with a 10 to 20% deposit, depending on your affordability assessment and the cabin's value as security. Lower deposits are available case-by-case if your income servicing is strong. Some applicants qualify with no deposit when the cabin's value is well below the loan-to-value cap. Talk to us about your situation before assuming you need to save more.
What happens if I move the cabin to a new property later?
That's exactly the point of a transportable. The PPSR security follows the cabin, not the land, so you can move it without refinancing the loan. Just let us know where it's being relocated to so we can update the security registration. Most borrowers move their cabin at least once over the life of the loan, particularly if they start on family land and later buy their own section.
How does a Cabin Funders loan work?
Cabin Funders is built specifically for cabin finance. Because most cabins can be moved or relocated, the cabin itself is registered on the PPSR as the loan security, which is the right legal mechanism for a transportable asset. Bring us your build quote and income evidence. We will run our affordability assessment under the CCCFA, give you a decision in a business day, and pay your supplier direct in staged drawdowns.
What's the maximum loan term?
Cabin Funders writes loans on terms up to 7 years. The right term depends on the loan amount, your income servicing and your repayment preference. A longer term means lower monthly payments and more total interest, a shorter term means the opposite. We'll show you both options before you commit.
Start your application

Ready to finance your transportable cabins?

Five-minute online application. Decision in a business day. No early-repayment fee.

Start your application