- Get started on your mortgage
- Buying your first home, next home, investing in property or just keen to review your mortgage?
- Apply online
- Put your savings to work
- Earn better returns and access your money with no penalties.
- Start investing now
Livin' the tiny dream
Finance your tiny house the easy way. Apply online for an amount up to $100,000 using your tiny house as security. You won't even have to put down a deposit if your tiny house is below $70,000.
Apply for a tiny house loan
Applying is fast, secure and easy
With a simple online process, it’s the easiest way to make your tiny house dream a reality. Interest rates range from 9.95%p.a to 15.00%p.a. and unlike a fixed rate home loan, you can make early repayments whenever you like or pay off the whole thing off without penalty.
Use our handy calculator below to figure out your repayments.
What will your tiny house loan repayments be?
Work out your regular repayments and how quickly you could pay off your personal loan.
Our interest rates
| Risk Grade | A | B | C | D | E |
| 2 - 3 years | 9.95% p.a. | 11.95% p.a. | 12.45% p.a. | 13.45% p.a. | 15.00% p.a. |
| 5 - 7 years | 9.95% p.a. | 11.95% p.a. | 12.45% p.a. | 13.45% p.a. | 15.00% p.a. |
Example: A borrowed amount of $10,000 over 2 years would result in repayments of $480 per month at 10.35% p.a. based on our highest A Grade risk grading. This monthly repayment includes a $375 establishment fee and a $100 progress payment fee. Affordability and credit criteria apply. Maximum borrowing amount reduces based on risk grade.
Why choose Squirrel to fund your tiny house?
Generally tiny houses don't qualify for a home loan in the eyes of a bank, because they're considered a vehicle. We're one of the few lenders who provide finance specifically for them.
Our Loans are transparent and there are no sneaky hidden terms or fees.
- No ongoing monthly account keeping fees
- Competitive interest rates
- The ability to make extra payments or pay it all off early with no extra cost.
- Applying is quick and easy and done entirely online.
- Borrow up to $100,000 (using your tiny house as security).
- A deposit is only required when borrowing more than $70,000.
What to look out for when going tiny
You wouldn’t choose a new car or buy a house without doing a bit of due diligence, and the same goes for buying Tiny House.
- Make sure you're not buying from a cowboy. We recommend looking up the company's owners on Company's Register - tip: if they've owned lots of companies before, it can be a red flag.
- It's also a good idea to have a lawyer take a look at the sales and purchase agreement, to make sure everything is ship shape.
- We've financed a fair few tiny houses so we know a bit about the process. Give us a bell on 0800 21 22 30 if you're unsure about anything - we're happy to help.
Phil C
New Plymouth, New Zealand
Such a easy process..all done online would highly recommend to anyone looking for a loan rather than the traditional bank or finance companyPC
Jessica
Southland, New Zealand
The process was easy and straightforward. I'm glad we got the support we needed for our project. Thanks so much!JS
Emily
Auckland, New Zealand
Such an easy & efficient process. Very happy with the interest rate offered & money was in my account by the end of the day.E
Magnus Kriel
Auckland, New Zealand
The application process was easy and super fast. Just the right amount of questions to get an accurate quote. Interest rate was the best compared to competitor quotes.MK
JOHN EVANS
Sefton, New Zealand
Despite not fully understanding some things answers were always easily available and explained. patience, understanding and a feeling that we actually worked together to achieved things made the experience a pleasant oneJE
John
Canterbury, New Zealand
I found squirrel to be excellent to deal with on all levels, especially communication. Squirrel took the time to understand my finances fully and made the right decision. Banks could learn a thing or two from squirrel.J
Steve W
Canterbury, New Zealand
Wow-signed documents sent back at 2pm, funds cleared in my bank account by 5pm the same day! The application process was well managed and communicated. There really are no competitors that come close to Squirrel...keep up the good work.SW
Shalini
AUCKLAND , New Zealand
The best finance company so far...very helpful and fast service. I would recommend you to everyoneSN
No early repayment penalty
Pay back your loan early at no extra cost.
Low interest rate
We offer a fair and transparent deal. We've got great rates for those with good credit.
Flexibility and choice
Apply for up to $100,000 over a term of up to 7 years. We offer flexible loans, on your terms so you’ll know exactly how much you’re paying and when you’ll be debt-free.
Do it all online
No need for meetings and paperwork. Apply for and manage your loan entirely online. Just make sure you have your NZ Driver’s licence or NZ Passport handy.
Where your money is coming from
Through the concept of peer-to-peer, your loan is funded by other kiwis who have invested their money into our platform. Think of it like Tinder for money; we match their investment with someone like you that's keen to borrow.
Will Squirrel lend to me?
We’re not the right lender for everyone. Our focus is on high quality creditworthy borrowers, and as a single applicant you'll need to have an income of at least $50,000 per year. If it's a joint application, your partner will also need to have an income of at least $25,000 per year. You also can’t be earning the majority of your income from Government benefits. If you’re not good with money and have poor account conduct or a poor credit file, then we are unlikely to lend to you.
Can I repay my loan early?
Yes. You can repay your loan as quickly as you like and at no additional cost.
How much money can I borrow?
We've got 4 different loan types with varying limits from $20,000 to $100,000. Our loans start at just $1,000. To find out which loan type is right for you, check out our loan comparison table.
How much does it cost to borrow?
Our set up fee for a Tiny House Loan is $375. If you require us to make progress payments, they're charged at $100 each. To find out how our fees work, check out this page.
Where does the money come from?
There are no fat cats getting a cut here: your money is actually coming from other kiwis like your mate's uncle who lives down the road, through the concept of peer-to-peer lending. Think of it like Tinder for money; we match up people who want to invest their extra cash into our platform with customers who are keen to borrow. We just facilitate it, and the principal plus majority of your interest goes back to them. Win win! The rest of your interest (around 2%) goes into a Reserve Fund and another 2% into our platform to help keep it running. We're all about transparency here.
How long can I borrow for?
This depends on what type of loan you decide to go for but the minimum loan term is 1 year and the longest is 7 years. Once you have a loan you can pay it back as quickly as you like at no additional cost.
What happens if I miss a payment?
If you miss a payment we’ll follow up with you to find out what’s up and give you 5 days grace to get the account back in order. Should your account remain out of limit after this period you will be charged a default fee per month and begin accruing default interest on your loan account at 10%p.a. above your normal interest rate. The default fee will vary according to your loan type, for more details check out our fees table.
How safe is my banking information?
Squirrel hosts its data with Microsoft Azure – one of the largest cloud computing companies in the world. We also encrypt all personal and sensitive data.
We use an online verification tool – Credit Sense (a highly secure Australian Credit Reporting Body) to view your bank information. The Credit Sense process is quick, convenient and secure and allows us to process your loan.
While you're required to provide your internet banking login details during the Credit Sense process in our application, neither Squirrel or Credit Sense sees or stores your internet banking credentials. Your credentials are encrypted when you enter them, passed to your bank to allow us read only access to your transaction history, and then permanently deleted. If you'd like more info on Credit Sense, you can read more about how safe it is here.
Phil C
New Plymouth, New Zealand
Such a easy process..all done online would highly recommend to anyone looking for a loan rather than the traditional bank or finance companyPC
Jessica
Southland, New Zealand
The process was easy and straightforward. I'm glad we got the support we needed for our project. Thanks so much!JS
Emily
Auckland, New Zealand
Such an easy & efficient process. Very happy with the interest rate offered & money was in my account by the end of the day.E
Magnus Kriel
Auckland, New Zealand
The application process was easy and super fast. Just the right amount of questions to get an accurate quote. Interest rate was the best compared to competitor quotes.MK
JOHN EVANS
Sefton, New Zealand
Despite not fully understanding some things answers were always easily available and explained. patience, understanding and a feeling that we actually worked together to achieved things made the experience a pleasant oneJE
John
Canterbury, New Zealand
I found squirrel to be excellent to deal with on all levels, especially communication. Squirrel took the time to understand my finances fully and made the right decision. Banks could learn a thing or two from squirrel.J
Steve W
Canterbury, New Zealand
Wow-signed documents sent back at 2pm, funds cleared in my bank account by 5pm the same day! The application process was well managed and communicated. There really are no competitors that come close to Squirrel...keep up the good work.SW
Shalini
AUCKLAND , New Zealand
The best finance company so far...very helpful and fast service. I would recommend you to everyoneSN
