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DIY kits and tiny houses are a new trend - but are they worth it?
DIY kits and pre-made tiny houses are becoming more popular among those who want to downsize.
Jessica
08.08.19

Online home kits are all the rage these days when Amazon announced earlier this year that they were selling everything a person needs to build a tiny home on their property for under $10,000.

But the massive online retailer isn’t the only place to get a DIY home kit.

You can get this cabin from BZB Cabins for under $17,000.

BZB Cabins
Source:
BZB Cabins

The kit comes with detailed instructions (thankfully) as well as wood, screws, windows, a roofing kit, railings, and doors.

Since it all comes unassembled, you’ll need to make sure you have the right tools – this isn’t an Ikea project.

A Kentucky-based company is also selling cabins in conjunction with a community of Amish builders. These are manufactured at a facility on a functioning Amish farm in Kentucky.

Amish Cabin Company via Facebook
Source:
Amish Cabin Company via Facebook

It’s unclear if they still sell the unassembled DIY kits, but you can contact them for details because that would run you far less than getting one pre-built.

But Amish Made Cabins will sell you a pre-made cabin for under $40,000, which is still a pretty great price for a lake house!

via Wide Open Country
Source:
via Wide Open Country

While there’s lots of opportunity for personalization, popular kits include front porches and a second-story loft.

Amish Made Buildings
Source:
Amish Made Buildings

There are also deluxe add-ons such as extra bathrooms and a heating installation kit or a screened-in porch.

The prices listed on the website include delivery, so you’ll have to inquire about product kits to see the lower prices. Or check out online brochures like this one.

If you’re more interested in RV-type models, consider checking out the highly customizable cabins at Amish Cabin Company, also in Kentucky.

Amish Cabin Company
Source:
Amish Cabin Company

One customer named Arvin from West Virginia gushed on the company’s website:

“We added a [kitchen] island, and a barn door to it! We had the opportunity to go look at our cabin being built, very well pleased with it…! The cabin is what we wanted, we love it!!”

The pre-assembled cabins will show up at your property on a trailer.

via Wide Open Country
Source:
via Wide Open Country

If you really want to go all-out, you can even get the company’s highly optioned” Goldenrod model.

You’ll pay $65,000, but get granite kitchen and bathroom countertops, copper sinks, black stainless or silver stainless Frigidaire Gallery appliances, a dishwasher, stacked washer/dryer, an in-wall safe, a loft, 2 porches, and heating and air conditioning!

Amish Cabin Company
Source:
Amish Cabin Company

With the tiny home movement becoming all the rage among older couples and those who live alone or simply want to downsize, we’re seeing more and more options for DIY home kits.

However, some have been eager to criticize the seemingly low prices of these homes, pointing out that the extras you’ll need to make them into a comfortable and legal dwelling drive the price up far beyond what’s being advertised.

After all, you do probably want indoor plumbing.

via Tiny Houses
Source:
via Tiny Houses

Others say that for the same price, you can easily put an addition on your home with all the accouterments. But that’s not the point for many of the customers of these DIY cabins.

Some prefer to live off the grid while others simply don’t want more space.

In the end, your home is a very personal decision. But if you’re looking into a DIY cabin, it’s worth really taking stock of your skillset and doing some research on all the things a home needs in order to be comfortable.

You may find it drives the cottages out of your price range.

Or you might realize it’s exactly what you’ve been looking for.

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