Off-Grid Homes NZ — Solar-Powered Portable Homes for Sale, Sized to Your Site
Power bills keep climbing, and getting mains power to a rural or lifestyle block can cost tens of thousands before you switch on a single light. An off-grid home gives you another way: generate and store your own power, and take more control of your running costs.
At Portable Dwellings, we supply portable homes made for New Zealand conditions and pair them with a solar and battery system sized to how you actually live — so your home arrives off-grid capable, with the system and the numbers agreed up front. A home is off-grid capable when the solar and battery system is sized to your appliances, daily usage, site conditions and backup requirements.
✔ Now included as standard — Heat-Recovery Ventilation
Every 20ft, 30ft and 40ft home now comes with a heat-recovery ventilation unit fitted as standard — fresh, filtered air that helps reduce condensation and damp while keeping your warmth in, at no extra cost.
Why off-grid makes sense in NZ
- Power prices keep rising. Generating your own electricity caps a cost that otherwise only goes one way.
- Rural connections are expensive. A new mains connection on a lifestyle block can run into the tens of thousands — money that can go into solar instead.
- Less reliance on the grid. Solar and battery storage sized to your backup needs can help keep essentials running during an outage. How much it runs, and for how long, depends on your battery, appliances and daily load.
What you need to live off-grid
It comes down to three things: a warm, well-insulated home; a solar and battery system sized for your usage; and a plan for water and waste (rainwater plus septic or composting, which we can help you scope with local partners). We supply the first two as one package, so you’re not buying a home and retrofitting power later.
Home + solar, priced together
Rather than buy a home and add solar later, we quote both together so you know your full number from the start. Homes come in 20ft, 30ft and 40ft; solar comes in 3.5kW + 10kWh or 5kW + 10kWh. See the full solar & battery packages, or read how off-grid living works (guide).
A worked example (incl. GST, before delivery): a 30ft home from $51,000 incl. GST plus the 5kW + 10kWh solar package from $14,999 incl. GST comes to $65,999 incl. GST before delivery. A 40% deposit on this example ($26,399.60) holds your order, with the balance ($39,599.40) due on delivery. Delivery is quoted for your exact site, and your final quote depends on model, layout, upgrades, delivery, site access and availability.
How much solar do you need?
- 3.5kW + 10kWh suits a bach or tiny home — lights, fridge, laptop, TV, occasional washing (≈12 panels).
- 5kW + 10kWh suits a household running a kitchen, washing machine, heat pump and the odd power tool (≈17 panels).
All include lithium battery storage for overnight use. How far it stretches through cloudy periods depends on your appliances, daily load and backup plan, which we agree when we size the system. Your final system is sized to your appliances, daily usage, site conditions and backup requirements — tell us how you’ll live in the home and we’ll match it.
Make it feel permanent
A portable home doesn’t have to feel temporary. Add a gable roof and front deck, choose steel or decorative outside cladding, upgrade to bamboo-fibre interior panels, and specify double-glazed thermal-break joinery. Kitchens, bathrooms and blinds are yours to choose. It looks and lives like a permanent home — without a permanent build.
Your 3-step plan to go off-grid
- Get a fixed quote — pick your home size and solar; we price it clearly, incl. GST.
- Pay a 40% deposit — your home is made to your spec and production moves ahead.
- Delivery, NZ-wide — your home and solar arrive ready for connection.
FAQs — Off-Grid Homes NZ
Do I need consent? Council requirements vary by site and by council. Check with your local council on what’s needed for your site and send us their requirements — we’ll tell you what we can and can’t do before you commit to anything.
Can my home really run off-grid? Yes, when the solar and battery system is sized to your appliances, daily usage, site conditions and a backup plan for low-sun periods. We size it with you so expectations are realistic from the start.
How long do batteries last? It depends on the battery, how it’s sized and how it’s used. We’ll include the battery specifications in your quote.
Can I expand later? Yes — the systems are modular, so you can add capacity as your usage grows.
Can I start small? Yes — begin with a 20ft home or compact cabin and scale your solar later. Compare models on our products page.
Why Portable Dwellings
- Proven — homes delivered to sites across New Zealand.
- Electrical cabling carries a Supplier Declaration of Conformity (SDoC).
- 10-year after-sales support — spare parts supplied at manufacturer price.
- Clear pricing — homes from $23,500 incl. GST, solar from $12,499 incl. GST.
Get your off-grid quote
Send your preferred home size and site location and we’ll send a fixed quote for your home and solar package. Viewings by appointment.
More Space. Less Waiting.
👉 Send your preferred layout and site location for a fixed quote
