#USA
Retail giant brings the tiny house trend to the masses – with free shipping, too!
Some Americans apparently love to fantasize about an extreme downsize that reduces their personal space to the bare minimum and slashes their cost of living to a fraction of what it once was. Hence, the rise of the tiny house trend.
How many people are actually trading in normal-sized abodes and going tiny? That’s not entirely clear, but they sure do love to watching others do it.
HGTV has capitalized on the fascination, launching a House Hunters spinoff that features home shoppers in the market for something tiny – like, less than 600 feet tiny.
Now, Amazon is making this tiny trend possible for any home shopper, offering a number of prefabricated houses on its site – and some are selling like hotcakes.
The 172-square-foot Allwood Solvalla Studio Cabin Kit – which can supposedly be assembled by two adults in eight hours – recently went viral and sold out almost immediately.
But fear not tiny house lovers, it’s back in stock and available for $7,250 (plus free shipping!) for anyone in the market for an “ideal home office or guest house.”
Looking for something slightly more substantial? Amazon’s got you covered.
A quick search of the site reveals a whole lot of these “container houses” and “cabin kits,” with prices that range from $5,000 to $65,000.
And, of course, there are additional costs to consider that are not mentioned in the product descriptions, like utility hookups or, if you live in a cooler climate, insulation.
A recent MarketWatch article noted that the prefab, modular housing industry is growing, with revenue jumping 8.6% from 2013 to 2018, according to data from IBISWorld, including a 4.1% spike in 2018 alone.
But is there more to this tiny house trend than just the desire for a cool garden shed or funky detached office? Will more people really flee their McMansions for a simpler, cheaper life?
Maybe…but probably not, affordability be damned. But it sure is fun to dream about.
Check out this this Lillevilla Cabin Kit, also by Allwood, that boasts a sleeping loft and is all 
of 292 square feet. This one will cost you more, though, with a pricetag of $18,800
of 292 square feet. This one will cost you more, though, with a pricetag of $18,800
Courtesy HousingWire Newsletter.
