What you'll learn
Learn how to build a tiny house with our DIY short courses in Sydney.
The tiny house movement has made its way to Australia.
This intensive course is hands-on and practical running over 6 days where you and a team will build a tiny house on wheels using recycled materials.
Learning to build a Tiny House from recycled materials is an endeavour that harmoniously combines environmental stewardship with personal empowerment, creativity, and financial savvy. This unique approach to housing is not just about constructing a smaller living space; it's about embracing a sustainable lifestyle, fostering self-reliance, and challenging conventional norms about what a home can be.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this Tiny House course, you should understand:
- The tools needed to build a tiny house
- The laws and regulations that may apply
- Trailer weight restrictions and any towing considerations
- Sourcing and using recycled materials
- How to use tools and equipment to actually build a tiny house!
Course content
What will be covered in this Build a Tiny House course
Day 1: Introduction, foundations and subfloor
Following a detailed introduction and OH&S overview, our instructors will lead you through the design for the Tiny House being built during the six-day course. You’ll be taught about the considerations when selecting a trailer on which to build a moveable Tiny House, including size, weight and towing restrictions. You’ll then prepare the trailer for building upon and begin attaching the subfloor framing and laying the floor of the Tiny House.
Day 2: Walls
You’ll learn how to build light timber frame walls and the theory necessary to convert your ideas into construction plans including stud spacing, calculating window and door openings, lintels, corner framing.
Together as a group, you’ll cut all the timbers for the wall frames, join each wall frame together, standing the walls on the trailer. Then square the house, add cross-bracing and secure the walls to the trailer.
Day 3 & 4: Roofing and loft framing
These are 2 big days! You will learn how to marking out and cut rafters then you’ll construct the roof of the Tiny House, sheet metal roofing, ridge capping, guttering and ceiling considerations.
Instructors will explain the importance of waterproofing and selecting the right roof insulation. By the end of these two days, the Tiny House will be an open frame with a waterproof and insulated roof.
Day 5: Exterior wall cladding
It’s important that your Tiny House be weatherproof and this is a key focus of Day 5 & 6. You’ll be working with salvaged corrugated iron and recycled weatherboards to attach the exterior cladding of the Tiny House. As well as learning how to install windows into the house frame and finish off window and door openings.
Day 6: Exterior trims and finishing off
By today, the Tiny House shell is complete. Today the door to the Tiny House will be hung and our instructors will show you how to install external trims around windows, doors and roofs. In the afternoon instructors will provide you with further learning resources for carpentry.
Intended audience
Who is this Tiny House course for?
This course is for anyone who wants to build their own tiny house.
Course venue
The Bower, Summer Hill
7 Prospect Road, Summer Hill NSW 2131
Course materials
What materials are needed for this course?
All materials required for this course are provided.
Additional information
- This course is both theoretical and practical and will involve the use of power tools and some lifting and moving. Although the course does not preclude those unable to lift and/or operate machinery, you should discuss any injuries or physical limitations with course facilitators at the information evening.
- As this course requires significant investment in equipment, hire space, materials and personnel, it is priced accordingly. The purchase of materials and equipment requires a minimum number of enrolments. If the minimum numbers are not met four weeks prior to course commencement, the class may be postponed or cancelled. If the course is cancelled, the deposit of $500 will be refunded. The deposit is not a guarantee that the course will proceed. If the course goes ahead deposit is non-refundable after the cut off date unless in special circumstances as per Sydney Community College cancellation policy on the website.
Should you have any questions about this course or what is involved in enrolment, please give Sydney Community College a call on 02 8752 7555
Course testimonials
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Ping-Tsung said: Good program to attend. The tutor are knowledgeable. However, I am hoping it can run a bite longer to finishing the project.
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Elise said: It was a very unique bit of learning with a great bunch of people. The hands on learning was fantastic and we all got a great buzz out of the power tools!
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Nick said: Great course with excellent teachers, generous with their time and information The external stuff (plumbing/electrical) was perhaps a bit long, could reference external resources eg youtube/internet for this - main thing is just to identify the various options there and some idea of benefits or disadvantages, so people can follow up themselves Would be really good to run a second course with internals, if you can make it work that participants don't have to pay and just exchange their time and labour to help out that would be nice Overall very good and well done for running something that was no doubt slightly speculative at first!
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Euan said: This course provides a wealth of relevant and necessary information for anyone thinking of building a tiny house in Australia. There was an excellent balance of theory and practice. The former covers everything from towing regulations, materials selection, to how to correctly and safely use various tools. Over the course of six days we collectively build a tiny house from laying the floor to completion of the outer shell, complete with windows, door and roof. There were around 16 like-minded students (gender mix 2:1, ages 20s to 60s) and 4 excellent tutors at any time, which allowed for close instruction.
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Mischa said: Excellent teachers, a wonderful group of students and life-changing skills.
Course tutors
Great reasons to enrol in a short course with us
Small classes
A personal approach means quality learning, so you can enjoy plenty of interaction with your instructor and the chance to ask questions.
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Easy, secure enrolment
Enrol online 24/7 with a safe, convenient 3-step process, and you can change your mind up to 7 days before class starts.
Quality instructors
Our educators bring first-hand experience and knowledge, with up-to-the-minute practices from diverse industries.
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Our courses help you rapidly increase your skills and knowledge, for professional development or personal interest.
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This course has no current classes. Please join our waitlist and we will notify you when we have places available. Join waitlist for Build a Tiny House Course
This course has no current classes. Please join our waitlist and we will notify you when we have places available. Join waitlist for Build a Tiny House Course