Home Depot is now selling a tiny home kit with two cozy bedrooms — at a price you’d never expect

Rising rent and housing prices have created additional pressure for Americans already reeling from a high cost of living. This is why after the likes of Amazon and Walmart, Home Depot has also entered the market for tiny homes, to cater to the demand for low-cost living. Currently, the chain of home improvement goods is selling ready-to-assemble homes called Rose Cottage for just $26,499 on its website.

Ensuring Affordable Housing via Tiny Homes

Home Depot's Rose Cottage is delivered straight to the door and its "pre-assembled steel panels make for a hassle-installation," according to the official website. The tiny homes are made of "high-quality steel," which is durable and weather-resistant. It's also termite and shrink-proof making it easier to maintain as well. Once assembled, the Rose Cottage offers two bedrooms with one bathroom and comes in different versions offered at varying prices.

From the outside, it looks like a pleasant family home, a small guest house, or an Airbnb vacation rental. The website describes that the steel frame kit comes with the steel stud frame, "easy to follow" building instructions, and the OSB, or plywood, that is to be fixed onto the exterior frame. The panelized steel frame doesn't need any welding, as all the parts are supposed to be bolted. Home Depot also provides a framing calculation package, stamped structural engineering plans, architectural and site plans, along with a foundation plan, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing plans, according to The Sun.  

Key Points to Keep in Mind

Customers must check with their local building department to assess permit fees and safety requirements so that their tiny home complies with the size requirements and restrictions of the locality. Once an order is placed and the requirements are confirmed by the company, customers can't cancel or modify their home kits.

Since house prices in the U.S. have been rising consistently since the COVID-19 pandemic, many are joining the tiny home movement to cut costs. As part of this trend, people live minimalistic lives in smaller, simpler homes that require less maintenance, energy, and resources.

Tiny homes are usually quite smaller as compared to regular houses and occupy a carpet area of 100 to 400 square feet. They offer a chance to own a place to people who can't afford a hefty mortgage or downpayment. This has been touted as the smarter way to live for many individuals, especially those who don't need much space. While the trend has been around for quite a while, it made headlines last year, after Tesla CEO, Elon Musk allegedly moved into a tiny home in South Texas, manufactured by Boxabl, according to Yahoo Finance. 

Since then, several other retailers apart from Home Depot have jumped on the bandwagon to offer such homes. Amazon also offers tiny-home kits at a slightly more affordable price of  $19,999. These home-kits are manufactured by Portable Prefabricated Tiny Home and they can be customized as per preference as well. 

They offer two bedrooms, a fully customizable kitchen, a washroom, and a spacious living room. As per the seller on Amazon, the house can be easily unfolded and assembled upon arrival.