Would you buy a home for US$5,000 on Amazon? Tiny homes, where to buy one – and how much it will really cost
It sounds like a cheap way to become a homeowner, but what are the pros and cons, the extra costs – and would you go stir crazy living in a shipping container?
Tiny homes are a popular option for minimalists, aspiring homeowners who can’t afford a giant house and people who want a home on wheels. They’ve even inspired multiple shows on the HGTV channel. When choosing a tiny home, the options can be overwhelming. Here are a few of the questions potential tiny homeowners should ask.
What kind of tiny home are you looking for?
Tiny homes come in about as many configurations as regular-sized homes, but before picking an architectural style, there are more basic decisions to be made. Tiny houses come in two broad categories: tiny homes on wheels, which are legally considered recreational vehicles (RVs), and tiny homes without wheels, or accessory dwelling units (ADUs), according to website Curbed.
Deciding on which type of tiny home to buy depends on a few factors. For someone drawn to tiny homes for their mobility and travel potential, a home on wheels, registered as an RV, is the way to go. It’s also important to consider where the tiny home will reside. RVs will probably be restricted to RV parks and campgrounds, or on privately owned property, but zoning requirements will ultimately determine this. Finding somewhere to build an ADU can be a bit more complicated, again depending on local zoning laws. Some locales are working to make the permitting process faster and easier, like the preapproved Abodu ADU in San Jose, where paperwork can be turned around in just one day.
Who sells them?
You can buy just about anything on Amazon, including dozens of tiny homes delivered right to your door. The e-commerce site sells kits for house buyers to put together on their own, along with prefabricated tiny homes, some of which are made out of repurposed shipping containers or other unusual materials.
While Amazon has a wide variety of tiny homes, many are not currently available, or they don’t seem to have any reviews that indicate they've actually been bought. That’s not a problem, though, as hundreds of companies have emerged to fill the craving for tiny homes.
