Influencers unbox housing stock
Following the trend are social media personalities posting videos on YouTube and TikTok in which they open giant Amazon boxes to reveal a folded-up house.
Over 20 million people have watched Part 1 of a five-part TikTok series in which Nathan Graham, founder of gaming brand Unspeakable, unpacks a tiny home with his friends.
“This thing is so easy to build, you literally just unfold it,” Graham says in the clip.
The house came with no assembly instructions, had no reviews on Amazon, and Graham revealed he thought it might be a scam before unboxing his new miniature residence.
“Are we the only people who have actually bought this off Amazon?” the 27-year-old Graham asks the camera.
A commenter on the video suggested that Graham bought a Chery Industrial Expandable Prefab House, which measures 19 feet by 20 feet.
The steel structure sells for $17,000.
Even though Graham said in the video he would give the tiny home a five-star review, the only review for the product on Amazon is one star.
Adding to the hype is Jeffrey Bryant, who posted a TikTok seen by over 9 million people of him buying a tiny home on Amazon.
“Amazon is really a dangerous place because, really? Houses? I didn’t think twice about it,” a somewhat remorseful sounding Bryant tells his social media followers.
In a follow-up TikTok where Bryant tours his new little living quarters, the influencer points out some positive and negative aspects of the building.
The doors and bathroom appear high quality, but Bryant notes he can touch the ceiling without fully extending his arm despite being five-foot-eight.
After tax, the tiny home came to just over $26,000.
“I don’t even know where I’m going to put the house,” Bryant said, who is currently renting a lot for $150 per week to keep it on.
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Learn MoreDownsides of downsizing
Bryant’s issue shows how the valuations of tiny homes can be misleading.
Buying a traditional house comes with the property it’s already sitting on. Not so for a tiny home.
Connecting your home to the local electricity grid can cost up to $1,500 if you’re near a utility pole, and up to $5,000 if you’re on a rural property.
Then there’s the plumbing.
Some municipalities charge $3,000 for a water meter while sewer lines cost up to $180 per foot. Tiny home occupants hoping to live off the grid can install solar panels and a septic tank, which come with their own costs.
Amazon or bust?
Even with the added costs and headaches of an Amazon tiny home setup, it’s still far cheaper than buying and maintaining a full-size home
But can you actually live in one? Amazon’s competitors have their doubts.
The independent tiny home manufacturer Tiny Heirloom has this to say on its website: “Oftentimes, the cheaper tiny ‘homes’ you’ll find on Amazon are not designed or suitable for full-time living at all,” since some homes may not contain full bathrooms or electrical wiring, and may be delivered in pieces and require a difficult assembly.
Amazon tiny homes may be best for people who want to add extra office space, add a bedroom to a backyard, or take on a fun DIY project.
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