So, picture this: Sam’s a builder. Not one of those “look at my drone footage” builders with a slick logo and a full-time content team. No. He’s a good, honest, “boots on at 6am” kind of builder.
Last year, he almost didn’t enter the NZ Tiny House Awards.
Too busy. Too modest. Too covered in sawdust to take proper photos.
But then a past client (one of those really nice ones who bakes banana bread for site visits) said, “Sam. Enter that last build. It’s gorgeous. People need to see it.”
So, he did.
He threw together a few photos, fillen in the entry form, hit submit.
Didn’t win. Didn’t even make it as a finalist.
And then? His inbox went bananas.
Turns out, being seen is kind of powerful. within two months, Sam was booked solid. Messages were coming in from people who’d seen his entry, remembered his name from a caption, or just liked the look of his build and thought, that’s my guy.
He didn’t need to win. He just needed to show up.
The Awards aren’t just a competition. They’re a spotlight. And when you're a builder who’s genuinely good at what you do, but maybe not amazing at tooting your own horn, being in that spotlight makes a difference.
If you’re reading this thinking, "Ah no, I was going to enter and then the dog got sick and the apprentice drilled through the kitchen benchtop and now it’s all too late…” good news.
The deadline has been extended. You’ve now got until 31 August to enter. Yes. An extra month. You’re welcome. That’s a whole four weeks to:
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Take some photos (they don’t need to be architectural digest, just tidy)
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Fill out the form
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Tell us about the brilliant thing you built
And then sit back while tens of thousands of people, potential clients, curious onlookers, maybe even your mother-in-law, admire your work.
It’s not just about winning Though the prestige is pretty cool. And yes, winners do win cold hard cash, and bragging rights for the rest of the year.
But honestly? It’s not about that.
It’s about what it says to the world (and potential clients):
💬 “Look what I built.”
🛠 “I care about my craft.”
🏡 “You can trust me with your tiny house dream.”
And even if you don’t win, you’re in good company. Your build is featured on the Awards website, shared publicly to media during the campaign, and you get to be part of a growing, passionate community of people who love doing small homes properly.
So, what do you need to enter?
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A build you’re proud of
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A few decent photos
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A little bit of time
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The courage to press send
No marketing team. No drone footage required (unless you really want to).
Just you, your build, and a bit of courage to enter your work.
Categories include:
🏆 Best Commercial Build
🎨 Most Creative Design
🔧 Best DIY Build
🏅 People’s Choice
🏡 Tiny House of the Year
And again: entries now close 31 August. That’s not a fake deadline. That’s a proper, final, last-chance-saloon type deal.
Ready to enter?
Go to www.nztinyhouseawards.co.nz and get your entry in.
You’ve built something brilliant. Let’s show the rest of New Zealand.
