Love the idea of a kit home, but don’t want to live in a teeny-tiny space? Lucky for you, there are options to build your dream kit home that are gorgeous, affordable, and spacious. This couple did it and so can you.
Couple Builds Their Dream Home from this Affordable Kit
Though not massive by any means, with a garage, an office room, and large open-concept kitchen, dining, and communal area, Trent and Hailey Palmer’s house is not the small space you’re used to seeing from a kit. (1)
Just under 2,400 square feet, this airy and open space is so well laid out that it feels much bigger than it really is. What’s best is that they were able to build it and have it move-in ready in 4.5 months. (1)
The kit is from ZipKitHomes, who have several different frames and floor plans to choose from based on what you’re looking for, from studios to multi-level homes. The price of the Palmer’s kit (the Alpine 4) was $185,000 for everything. (1)
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A Kit, Not a Prefab
The main difference, Trent explains in his YouTube video, between a prefab and a kit is how much comes with it.
“Ours just had pre-framed walls, but basically all of the finishes for the house came with the kit, so there was no stumbling over, forgetting things, or changing our minds, or having any unforeseen expenses.”
Things the home included were:
- The walls (2)
- Frontages and surfaces for the kitchen (1)
- Tiles in the bathroom (1)
- Outdoor light fixtures (1)
- Triple pane windows (2)
- Pre-installed siding (optional) (2)
- Metal roofing, soffit, and fascia (2)
- Cabinets (2)
- Flooring (2)
- Doorknobs (2)
- Taps (1)
Things not included in the price are:
- Cost of the land (1)
- Rough plumbing and electrical (1)
- Stucco (1)
- Paint (the walls do no come painted) (3)
- Drywall (must be installed on-site) (3)
- Fireplace (1)
- Installation (3)
Essentially, anything that has to be done on-site will cost extra. For Trent and Hailey, who had to build wells and install power lines on their 70+ acres of land, the total cost ended up being about $550,000. (1)
Image Credit: Zip Kit Homes
In the video, Trent explains that the biggest hurdle was their fireplace. Originally they were going to install a propane fireplace but then quickly decided against it. Propane is expensive and the cost goes up constantly. Instead, they went with a wood-burning one because their property has plenty of dead trees on it that will make great firewood. The best part about it is it’s free heat right off of their land. (1)
A Real DIY Project
Though ZipKitHomes will install the home for you and can have it built within a week, you can do it yourself. According to the Palmer’s, you don’t have to be an expert builder to do it, either.
“Neither of us really had any true construction experience, but we built this thing and we ended up getting it done in four and a half months,” Trent says. “There’s things we would have changed, some stuff we would have done differently, but that said, with where we’re at and how it turned out, we’re both happy.” (1)
The couple still has some landscaping work today, but the two of them along with their adorable dogs are very happy with their new home.
Image Credit: Zip Kit Homes