I don’t know if kit homes were ever popular, so I can’t say they’re “making a comeback.” However, kit homes today are making themselves known. MSN.com created a great slide show of beautiful kit homes. (Update: 2016 the link is no longer available. However, this MSN link details a few people who built their own tiny homes and their costs). Some of the companies I’ve never heard of, and considering I’m always researching ways to save money with buying or building a home, there were a few surprises. Here are a few companies worth mentioning that are reasonably priced (2010 pricing):
- Shelter-Kit: Most of their homes they offer have prices listed on the site. They range from as low as $10,000 for the materials, up to about $60,000. These prices are really reasonable, and some of the lowest priced, based on other kit home I’ve found. They are located in New Hampshire, so I’m guessing shipping the materials across country would tack on some additional fees that might match the price of the home!
- KitHAUS: I’ve come across this site before. Their structures are fairly small ,and I think most people build these to use as home offices. However, their K4 + bath could be built as a small starter home. They start at a little over $52,000.
- Gastineau Log Homes: According to MSN.com, their homes are priced between $48,000 and $93,000. However, they offer many different styles of log cabin kit homes. They don’t specifically price out their homes, but they do offer an excel spreadsheet that helps determine a budget.
- Multi-facettedhomes.com: These homes are beautiful, octagonal- shaped cedar sided homes. Too bad their website is really difficult to read. It is hard to figure out the pricing and floor plans. However, their site makes it seem like it’s very easy to put together with the help of a few friends! They are located in Hawaii, but will ship to the mainland.
[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”lifted-both” width=”auto” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]If you’re interested in building your own tiny house like this one instead of going prefab, tiny house plans might just be the ticket.[/dropshadowbox]
As much as I love the idea of building my own home, primarily to save money and include “green” features, finding land is problematic. The flat lots are pushing $200,000, and the less expensive lots are on dramatically sloping hillsides! My search for land continues! …Update 2016: I’m currently building a manufactured home in a community, but recently we’ve discussed purchasing land in the mountains and building an off-grid cabin. These kits just might come in handy.
4 Comments
@RainyDaySaver – It’s an option. It may buy us more time if we can find land in our area. We’ve been looking at many types of kit and prefab homes for a while. There are so many amazing choices out there now. Now, if only we could find land! Thanks for stopping by.
I am drooling over tiny homes! I want a small house for my next one if I move. 🙂
.-= Mrs. Money ´s last blog ..It’s More Environmentally Friendly to Pay with Plastic =-.
have you checked out shipping container houses? I like the kitHAUS. That is pretty cool.
I saw this couple on HGTV that bought a plot of land in secluded Oregon and built a small house, much like the kitHAUS, with solar panels, etc… pretty neat. And they paid like $200K for the land and house. I wouldn’t mind that option for the sweet location they had. not to mention the house was pretty cool and environmentally friendly.
@Money Funk – I’ll have to check the container homes out. I’d love to catch a rerun of the HGTV show. That’s a pretty good price!