2 ms·
> A top-of-the-line tiny house with RV-like conveniences can set you back $60,000 or more. The 30 dwellings at Opportunity Village, made of prefab donated mater
by ssharp 12y ago
> A top-of-the-line tiny house with RV-like conveniences can set you back $60,000 or more. The 30 dwellings at Opportunity Village, made of prefab donated materials, cost “around $3,300 a unit”. The savings come from the fact that they are basically detached bedrooms, with no utilities or running water.
Why do these things cost $3,300? They look like garbage and have no electric, plumbing, HVAC, etc. They also look like they are either on blocks or a large, shared, concrete slab, so you don't need to pour a slab for each one. You could put one of these things together with a few hundred dollars of material. These can't be much more than the shed kits at big box stores like Home Depot that run a couple hundred dollars.
- michael_h 12y agoLet's have a look: Cheapest Home Depot Shed[1]: $800 ($649 +$250 delivery) Windows[2]: $210 (3x$70) Wall Insulation (shed walls are ~10x10): $113.50 ($11.35 for a 40 ft^2 roll of minimum R13 batt) Ceiling Insulation (approximating @100ft^2)[3]: $118.28 (2x$59.14) Actual Door[4]: $99 Drywall[5]: $84.80 (approx. 10 peices) Total: $1524.58 Looks like you're correct, it could be cheaper. Wait a minute, we just have a pile of materials now. Let's put it together. Judging by [6], it's about $1500 of labor to hire a professional to build you a shed. Let's assume that you can negotiate installation of the insulation, drywall, and windows for free (it's for a good cause!). You are now at $3,024.58 final cost. Hmm. [1] http://www.homedepot.com/p/Handy-Home-Products-Princeton-10-ft-x-10-ft-Wood-Storage-Shed-18250-1/100350323?N=5yc1vZbu93 http://www.homedepot.com/p/Handy-Home-Products-Princeton-10-... [2] http://www.homedepot.com/p/Handy-Home-Products-Princeton-10-ft-x-10-ft-Wood-Storage-Shed-18250-1/100350323?N=5yc1vZbu93 http://www.homedepot.com/p/Handy-Home-Products-Princeton-10-... [3] http://www.homedepot.com/p/Owens-Corning-R-38-Kraft-Faced-Insulation-Batts-24-in-x-48-in-BF81/202585891?N=5yc1vZbay7Z1z0uu2vZ1z0zyay http://www.homedepot.com/p/Owens-Corning-R-38-Kraft-Faced-In... [4] http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-Premium-6-Panel-Primed-Steel-Front-Door-Slab-THDJW166100317/202036386 http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-Premium-6-Panel-Primed-... [5] http://www.homedepot.com/p/SHEETROCK-UltraLight-1-2-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-Gypsum-Board-14113411708/202530243 http://www.homedepot.com/p/SHEETROCK-UltraLight-1-2-in-x-4-f... [6] http://www.diyornot.com/Project.aspx?ndx2=10&Rcd=332 http://www.diyornot.com/Project.aspx?ndx2=10&Rcd=332