For those wanting to get on the housing ladder a trip to Bunnings – and New Zealand – may be in order.

The DIY specialist has reported a brisk trade for its selection of flatpack homes which have been on sale across the Tasman.

The hardware giant is offering the pre-fabricated two-bedroom homes for about A$65,000 (excluding GST), and up to $107,000 for four bedrooms.

But so far Bunnings says it has no plans to include the range in its Australian stores.

Tiny houses in Australia face bureaucratic red tape and rules differ between states and council areas.

Bunnings NZ has sold more than 50 of its Clever Living Co homes in 12 months.

The company’s New Zealand commercial manager, Des Bickerton, said the flatpack two- and three-bedroom homes were popular with retirees and first home buyers with young children.

“The early result is encouraging,” Bickerton said.

The flatpack designs are built with multi-proof certification so any council across New Zealand can approve consent within 10 working days.

Christchurch builder Richard Trent said his business is receiving at least two enquiries a week about the Bunnings flatpack houses.

“We can currently build a three-bedroom [flatpack] home in six to eight weeks,” Trent said.

There is some debate in New Zealand over whether people are legally allowed to DIY the Bunnings flatpack homes.

The two-bedroom flatpack houses range from 37.5 sq metres up to 59.6 sq metres.

Australian Tiny House Association secretary, Jan Stewart, said the pint-sized homes are gaining popularity but laws were yet to catch up here.

She said a lot of tiny homes in Australia were operating “under the radar” of authorities.

Tiny houses on wheels are in a grey zone, she said, and are classified like a caravan.

Stewart said people adore tiny houses because they are cute, cheap and practical.

“For some people, they are being priced out of the housing market so tiny homes are an affordable option,” Stewart told Guardian Australia.

“For some people, they are looking to down size or they are concerned about sustainability and climate change so tiny houses appeal for those reasons.”

She hopes to move into her own tiny house in the next three years but has already tested out the concept with an Airbnb stay.

Tiny Homes Australia manufactures small houses out of a factory in Ringwood in Melbourne.

Sales manager Henry Hangan said in the past 18 months they’ve built 22 orders and sent them across Victoria, Tasmania, ACT and South Australia.

Business is split about 50/50 between older and younger people.

“Some people love the green idea of it, you can have something that’s completely off the grid,” he said.