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In response to the escalating strain on housing affordability, Home Depot, a leading home improvement retailer ranked No. 20 on the Fortune 500 list, has continued to launch a range of tiny homes and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) on its website.
Among the offerings is a 444-square-foot, two-bedroom rose cottage priced at $63,000.
Dubbed as a “DIY Assembly Office Guest House ADU Rental Tiny Home,” the package includes necessary components delivered in parts, comprising the steel frame, siding, roof materials, exterior doors, and windows. Delivery is slated as soon as May 13.
However, it’s crucial to note that purchasing a home kit from Home Depot does not guarantee legal installation rights. Some local municipalities, like Seattle, are pushing for more ADUs to alleviate housing constraints, while others maintain stringent restrictions.
The concept of do-it-yourself homes isn’t exactly novel. Sears famously sold over 70,000 mail-order homes between 1908 to 1942. Sears catalog homes (see image below) were pre-cut and ready-to-assemble houses offered as affordable and convenient housing options to Americans during the early 20th century.
The return of mail order homes does underscore the mounting housing affordability stress in the U.S., as buyers have spent years contending with limited inventory, rising house prices, and spiked mortgage rates.