What To Know About The TikTok Famous Tiny Homes From Walmart
The housing market remains tough to navigate — prices keep increasing while global and local factors continue to impact the scene for buyers and sellers. Those searching right now are considering where to find reduced home prices and how to get the best mortgage rates. People are also thinking outside of the box and exploring alternative options to the traditional home buying process like co-purchasing with friends or getting smaller homes. This is why tiny homes have become so popular on TikTok — folks are curious about the process and tiny houses' viability. They are certainly affordable and attainable, but it's important to know about all the hidden costs and unique factors involved.
Tiny homes are appealing for various reasons. In addition to being a much more affordable housing solution, they encourage a simple life with less accumulation of material possessions. They also tend to be more environmentally friendly, requiring fewer resources to build and maintain. RVs and trailers are probably the most popular kind of tiny house because they've always been around as cheaper alternatives to standard homes. They don't require as much money to obtain and maintain, and have the added benefit of movability. Shipping containers, boats, and similar structures can also be reconfigured into tiny homes.
To clarify, Walmart doesn't actually sell tiny homes — Walmart sells storage shed units, but people saw the potential to turn them into living spaces.
The real costs
One product that's become famous is the Best Barns Arlington Wood Storage Shed. It is a two-story structure currently being sold for $9,000 at Walmart. Amazon also sells tiny structures but they are a step up from the bare Walmart sheds because they are designed to be livable workspaces and come with a full bathroom with a toilet, shower, sink, and cabinets. One example is the Chery Industrial Expandable Prefab House. It isn't available for purchase currently but costs around $15,000.
In this TikTok, the creator explained all the costs involved with transforming the Walmart shed into a tiny home. The roofing, foundation, heat, air, insulation, flooring, bathroom fixtures, plumbing, and then the furnishing and setup of all rooms would all be up to the owner — she estimated these items to cost anywhere from $30K to $75K. The land is another factor in this purchase — you need to either buy the land you're placing the home on or lease it from a landowner. Commenters on the video talked about how the high end of $75K is still affordable compared to the standard home prices and how to save on the land costs by making an arrangement with a family member who owns their own property.
Other things to consider
Space is the biggest factor to consider when it comes to these readymade homes. Tiny homes have limited space and reportedly feel cramped due to their close walls and low ceilings. For obvious reasons, they may not be convenient for large families, people who like to host and entertain, or anyone who just wants more space. Having a tiny home is also a major DIY project, so having one of these means having to figure out basic utilities. You'll have to find out the best methods for your specific configuration to get water and electricity, and to dispose of sewage. The Amazon prefab house, for example, doesn't come with any wiring, so the product page recommends finding an electrician that can follow U.S. standards.
Speaking of codes, you have to check that your area's laws allow living in tiny homes and what their specific requirements are because the laws vary across states and counties. But tiny homes are famous on TikTok for a reason; if the pros far outweigh the cons for you, your next home might just be a click away. There is a lot of inspo out there to help you make your tiny house charming enough to suit your tastes and needs.