Author Topic: Buy a House Kit on Amazon (Read 1499 times)

240B · « **on:** June 21, 2019, 03:56:03 am »

Today I learned that Amazon sells House Kits. I was gobsmacked. Sears used to do this exact thing years ago.

Some of them look fairly nice. Many of them have way too much glass for me but that is a matter of taste. The interesting thing about this is, you can buy these prefab kits and build it yourself. I can see buying one for the backyard as a guest house, or a party room by the pool, or a place for the kids to play. Also, they would do great as a simple vacation lake house, or a cabin in the woods, whatever.

I was glad to learn this. There must be a hundred ways these things would come in handy, and they are so cheap.

Something to think about.

Scroll to the bottom for more options
https://www.amazon.com/Allwood-Avalon-Cabin-Double-Windows/dp/B07BYN1N21/ref=pd_sbs_86_6/137-1019600-8076338?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07BYN1N21&pd_rd_r=4bf61212-93d7-11e9-af99-f7a03486ec91&pd_rd_w=lq5vh&pd_rd_wg=FPt5U&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=YMW7H75W87524ENDQDV4&psc=1&refRID=YMW7H75W87524ENDQDV4

Sighlass · « **Reply #1 on:** June 21, 2019, 04:07:05 am »

In the meanwhile since it takes 45 days to get your order filled... you can start building a shed to hold all that stuff when it arrives.

InHeavenThereIsNoBeer · « **Reply #2 on:** June 21, 2019, 04:13:55 am »

Get $50 off instantly: Pay ~~$32,990.00~~ $32,940.00 upon approval for the Amazon Rewards Visa Card. No annual fee.

Well, sign me up!

240B · « **Reply #3 on:** June 21, 2019, 06:15:39 am »

Quote from: Sighlass on June 21, 2019, 04:07:05 am

In the meanwhile since it takes 45 days to get your order filled... you can start building a shed to hold all that stuff when it arrives.

Get all the permits, or whatever I need. Prepare the slab, electric, and plumbing ahead of delivery. Buy all the fixtures I need to be ready.
Have an experienced home builder, electrician, plumber, on site with 20 Mexicans, waiting for the delivery. It should built and ready in a few days, with no crazy complications.

45 days is nothing to me. I could use the time to get everything ready and prepared. This isn't a *poof* overnight project. You're not erecting a tent. It would be a significant project but still much cheaper than having something custom built. I like the idea.

My father struggled for months trying to build a hunting lodge by himself from scratch. After months of work and many thousands of dollars it still came out all cattywampus with tons of issues. He and my uncles gave it their best shot, but they had no experience building a cabin from scratch. It was a real mess. All he should have done is to buy one of these prefabs and everything is already in order and planned. It would have been a lot easier and cheaper for him.

Just read an article about those Sears Home Kits that were sold in the 40s. A lot of those homes are still standing today.

roamer_1 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 21, 2019, 07:48:45 am »

THIRTY GRAND?

That's crazy money.

This cabin was pretty wrecked when I bought it, and I got bids for leveling it and reframing... 1120 ft2 dried in: $16.5k, built on site to spec by pro framers.

240B · « **Reply #5 on:** June 21, 2019, 07:58:25 am »

Location, Location, Location
1120 sq.ft is 16K where you are, but depending on where it is a cabin that big could be 750K or more.

roamer_1 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 21, 2019, 08:04:03 am »

Quote from: 240B on June 21, 2019, 07:58:25 am

Location, Location, Location
1120 sq.ft is 16K where you are, but depending on where it is a cabin that big could be 750K or more.

Concrete not in the deal, utilities not in the deal, dried in only?

Who the hell would live there?

Or are you talking finished value as property?

240B · « **Reply #7 on:** June 21, 2019, 10:26:58 pm »

Quote from: roamer_1 on June 21, 2019, 08:04:03 am

Concrete not in the deal, utilities not in the deal, dried in only?

Who the hell would live there?

Or are you talking finished value as property?

@roamer_1

You and I live in different worlds. In your world 30K is crazy money.
In my world 30K is a down payment.
30K to buy the kit. ~30K (maybe less) to have it installed and built.
Fully functioning brand new home of any size for 60K is unheard of where I live, unless it is a trailer park home.
It is all just a matter of context.

roamer_1 · « **Reply #8 on:** June 21, 2019, 10:48:13 pm »

Quote from: 240B on June 21, 2019, 10:26:58 pm

You and I live in different worlds. In your world 30K is crazy money.
In my world 30K is a down payment.
30K to buy the kit. ~30K (maybe less) to have it installed and built.
Fully functioning brand new home of any size for 60K is unheard of where I live, unless it is a trailer park home.
It is all just a matter of context.

@240B
Yeah... Where I am really from that 16k is long money.
If I still had my bones I would have knocked down my own trees, sawed my own wood and built it myself, and money would hardly enter into it at all. Done it before, more than once. As it is, other than the frame repair and dry-in, I did the rest myself with the help of my buddy...

That's probably where the different worlds come in, because I dang near puked writing the check to that framer, and as it was repair (to grandfather the septic), it was a sight less than that 16k.

Just the house, all told, I am probably in it for just shy of 30k total - them cabinets and carpets were the worst of it other than the framer. But I had it to do, because this close to town there are different expectations - I'd have never laid that much out up in the sticks, because I would have made the cabinets and would not have had the carpets.

sneakypete · « **Reply #9 on:** June 22, 2019, 05:53:04 pm »

Cities are going to screw bloody murder because they LOVE the big houses with big property tax bills,but smaller houses like these should be the wave of the future as people wake up to the reality that 2 elderly people do NOT need 4,000+ sq ft of house to live in and clean.

That mentality still exists,though. Even in mostly rural areas like where I live. I know a local that is retired from the Navy that put up a new brick house that has 4 bedrooms,living room,dining room,kitchen,4 baths,family room,and den, and is 50 feet larger than his brother's house because he insisted it HAD to be bigger.

All this for him,his wife,who is now dead,and his retarded son to live in. And he still defends it as making sense "because everybody wants a bigger house!"

Maybe these small houses can start to make inroads in cities like Detroit,where the city leaders would be thrilled to see anybody construct anything?

LadyLiberty · « **Reply #10 on:** June 22, 2019, 06:36:52 pm »

I can see something like this being ideal for an aging parent that one needs to keep an eye on while giving them some autonomy.

truth_seeker · « **Reply #11 on:** June 22, 2019, 06:49:33 pm »

All over many jurisdiction, have provisions, for "in-law" and "granny" units.

In high cost areas, the government building regulations, and permit fees, are staggering.

In my location, I am not aware of even a single "in-law" site built structure.

Various considerations, like earthquakes, floods, etc. frive the complexity beyond what makes sense cost-wise.

Another small structure option, is shipping containers.

I know of just a few instances where "low cost" housing has been completed with these options.

Bill Pulte, son of Pulte Homes founder, is involved with inner-city rehabilitation schemes.

libertybele · « **Reply #12 on:** June 22, 2019, 11:02:31 pm »

Quote from: 240B on June 21, 2019, 10:26:58 pm

@roamer_1

You and I live in different worlds. In your world 30K is crazy money.
In my world 30K is a down payment.
30K to buy the kit. ~30K (maybe less) to have it installed and built.
Fully functioning brand new home of any size for 60K is unheard of where I live, unless it is a trailer park home.
It is all just a matter of context.

Pretty much that's about what 60k would buy around where I live; a very run down mobile home in a not so good area.

libertybele · « **Reply #13 on:** June 22, 2019, 11:11:45 pm »

Quote from: LadyLiberty on June 22, 2019, 06:36:52 pm

I can see something like this being ideal for an aging parent that one needs to keep an eye on while giving them some autonomy.

Yes, it may represent and ideal situation for an aging parent, except, for zoning. I know around where I live, you have to purchase a standard lot in order to build and mobile homes are NOT allowed. There are designated mobile home parks for mobile homes.

In addition, from what I've read, most insurance companies will not insure a 'tiny home'. Then you would also have to consider electricity, sewer and water. Hook up here for sewer and water is over $20k and I'm not so sure that there would be room for any additional sewer and water hook up on a standard lot.

roamer_1 · « **Reply #14 on:** June 22, 2019, 11:22:09 pm »

Quote from: sneakypete on June 22, 2019, 05:53:04 pm

Maybe these small houses can start to make inroads in cities like Detroit,where the city leaders would be thrilled to see anybody construct anything?

@sneakypete
The tiny house movement is a thing - look it up. It may be a bit faddish, but it is a thing.
Started with folks buiding a shed on a trailer to live in because cities would not grant a permit to anything so small... But if it was on a trailer, it was technically portable and beat the permit.

Then folks took to boondocking in tiny houses - self contained, unplugged - park it somewhere till someone made you move... And now it has moved off the trailer, because folks found that they can still get rural property and live that unplugged life.

RVLife is another... Folks are intentionally living gypsy.

And you are right cities hate both and try to block both.

roamer_1 · « **Reply #15 on:** June 22, 2019, 11:39:19 pm »

Quote from: libertybele on June 22, 2019, 11:02:31 pm

Pretty much that's about what 60k would buy around where I live; a very run down mobile home in a not so good area.

I bought this place, distressed, for 40k. Tore it out to the studs... hired the framers to fix the structure... I rebuilt the rest - all new from the studs in, and about half of the exterior replaced...

All told, I am into repair on this property around 40k, but that was not all house, and includes the price of a whoppin big shed I bought to immediately hold my crap when I got here, and repairs to the water system and well, installation of a fence for Chewy, and so on...

the house itself the repairs are somewhere right around 28k-32k... Thereabouts.

Anyway, it turned out alright. I am in it around 75 or 80k, and I could turn it in a week, any week, for 125k.. maybe 150... So it's right value in today's market is around 135k or so...

Round numbers and all that... I'd have to look it up otherwise

240B · « **Reply #16 on:** June 23, 2019, 12:50:12 am »

Quote from: sneakypete on June 22, 2019, 05:53:04 pm

Cities are going to screw bloody murder because they LOVE the big houses with big property tax bills,but smaller houses like these should be the wave of the future as people wake up to the reality that 2 elderly people do NOT need 4,000+ sq ft of house to live in and clean.

Yes. That's what I was thinking. If I build it in the backyard for a guest home, I already have a close sewer/electric connect. The only problem would be if I could get the permits? That could be a problem.

I would let elderly relatives live there. But I would never rent out something that close to my home. Renters/strangers are notorious and I do not want them in my backyard. But I could always find a use for a guest house. Need to do cost analysis to get a fixed picture on how much it would increase my property value. Cost/Benefit analysis.

sneakypete · « **Reply #17 on:** June 23, 2019, 02:31:34 am »

Quote from: 240B on June 23, 2019, 12:50:12 am

Need to do cost analysis to get a fixed picture on how much it would increase my property value. Cost/Benefit analysis.

@240B

Why? It would either be useful and necessary,or it wouldn't.

InHeavenThereIsNoBeer · « **Reply #18 on:** June 23, 2019, 04:31:06 am »

Quote from: roamer_1 on June 22, 2019, 11:22:09 pm

@sneakypete
The tiny house movement is a thing - look it up. It may be a bit faddish, but it is a thing.
Started with folks buiding a shed on a trailer to live in because cities would not grant a permit to anything so small... But if it was on a trailer, it was technically portable and beat the permit.

Then folks took to boondocking in tiny houses - self contained, unplugged - park it somewhere till someone made you move... And now it has moved off the trailer, because folks found that they can still get rural property and live that unplugged life.

RVLife is another... Folks are intentionally living gypsy.

And you are right cities hate both and try to block both.

There's some show around tiny houses. I totally get the idea of wanting to stay out of debt, but when you look at the price per square foot it's unreal. Buy a fricken mobile home or rent an apartment.

But then I suspect the ones they show on TV may be a little nicer than the ones in the real world.

roamer_1 · « **Reply #19 on:** June 23, 2019, 05:26:06 am »

Quote from: InHeavenThereIsNoBeer on June 23, 2019, 04:31:06 am

There's some show around tiny houses. I totally get the idea of wanting to stay out of debt, but when you look at the price per square foot it's unreal. Buy a fricken mobile home or rent an apartment.

But then I suspect the ones they show on TV may be a little nicer than the ones in the real world.

TOTALLY true.
Folks coming out of big cities are used to paying crazy prices, and require luxuries that are just plain stupid in the sticks... As the industry has grown, they are shilling to these poor greenhorns....

The reality is that it can be done damn near for nothing.... especially if you spend your money on a tractor, a mill, and a wood stove with a cook-top.

And really, the tractor is the most important part...

But those greenhorns have the right idea... live within their means, simply and out of debt, and when you buy, look for high quality... all good things. They just ain't growed enough moss to know what that really means.