The dream of owning a house seems to have become more of a wild fantasy than an achievable goal for more and more citizens in the United States. Between the incremental rise in mortgages and construction costs, access to traditional housing seems like an unattainable luxury. Within this backdrop of the housing crisis, a solution has emerged that is as surprising as it is old: houses that can be purchased by catalog. Sears (with its iconic wooden houses that arrived by train unassembled) closed years ago, but Amazon has taken over this niche market.
Yes, believe it or not, you can go to Jeff Bezos’ company website and buy a house by mail. If you need an instant housing alternative that is much more affordable than the homes currently being built, you may be interested in the SEQ Double Story 2-bedroom Expandable Container House model. This house is not just a barn that you can use to store your belongings as if it were a second garage.
It’s a house with multiple rooms, ready to assemble, and defies any real estate budget you’re given. For less than $45,000, it seems like a bargain compared to building your own home from scratch. If you had money saved up for a down payment on a mortgage, you might be more interested in buying it outright.
S.E.Q. Home Design
Thanks to its flat pack design, the prefabricated modular structure is transported folded up, fitting inside a standard shipping container. Imagine buying the house and having it unfold once it arrives on site, multiplying its usable space in just a few hours. Once expanded, it reaches dimensions of approximately 40 feet by 20 feet (12.2m long by 6.1m wide).
This spacious tiny house has two floors and a functional layout: two bedrooms, a main living room, and a kitchen with cabinets and a sink included. It also includes a bathroom with separate wet and dry areas. It is so luxurious that it even has a private terrace on the second floor, ideal for enjoying your morning coffee and savoring the art of owning a home without a mortgage.
The main structure is made of sturdy galvanized steel, while the walls and ceiling are composed of state-of-the-art panels with fire-retardant insulating foam, making it highly resistant: it can withstand winds up to level 11 and earthquakes up to level nine.
It is even possible to customize the house; you can choose from several colors and certain layout modifications, including the option of requesting three or four bedrooms in total.
Your tiny house project
Before rushing to buy one on Amazon, there are some additional costs to consider. Unfortunately, you can’t assemble it yourself; you’ll need a crane and qualified personnel to lift and place the heavy structure on its foundations. That’s why you need to be aware of the legal requirements and check with your local authorities about building permits first.
To do this, you must first contact your local city council. Ultimately, you have to make sure that your land is developable and allows for manufactured container-type homes like the one you are going to buy. Then, you must apply for a major building permit (at least the house will be permanently fixed to the ground). It is best to hire a licensed architect or engineer to take responsibility for the technical project. Keep in mind that the house must comply with the local Technical Building Code (CTE), which regulates the habitability, structural safety, thermal insulation, and healthiness of the home.
Although the house is fully equipped—that is, it comes with plumbing, wiring, outlets, and fixtures pre-installed within the walls of the module—you must hire the appropriate specialists to connect them to the outside. This means that you will need an electrician for the final connection, as well as an expert plumber to connect the water and sanitation systems. We know this all sounds very complicated, but it is still much cheaper than buying a traditional house.