I am waiting for the "just add water" 2,400 square foot brick ranch.

Kanga Rooms Systems might be one to look at. I know nothing about them or the costs involved, but they seem to have a great deal of flexibility. https://www.kangaroomsystems.com/kanga-room-gallery

3D print it!

Thank you everyone. Maybe a kit isn’t what I need. But I’ll keep looking.

My friends built a log home that was a kit. They saved $ because the materials they purchased were tax free

in that state. I believe they purchased it from Indiana or Pennslyvania. Ill ask them but the house was built in Missouri and it was so pretty with a wrap around porch! They did have to stain all the interior trim boards and seal the logs so it was alot of work.

KH, very interesting. i did not realize there could be tax benefits…….

Don't know if you're still looking, but this popped up for me recently on Facebook.

Trinity Building Systems

Trinity has some very attractive houses. I will check them out.

I am waiting for the "just add water" 2,400 square foot brick ranch.

George Jetson, is that you?

They saved $ because the materials they purchased were tax free

JUST saving taxes would be real money.

I can't even buy the paint I want -- that's how bad the supply issues are. Building a new home from the ground up sounds like a total nightmare right now, and you will pay much more than usual because the contractors can charge it. Since this will be a vacation home, honestly, you might be better off parking a used trailer there and holding out for what you really want.

Yes, SeattleMCM, I understand. We have been doing a major remodel of our main house and it is dragging on for two years now. That is one reason I thought a kit house for a second home may be the way to go. I thought that the factory could handle all the chasing down components and when the house was ready they would deliver it. it might take a couple of years but I wouldn’t have the onsite hassle and delays of supplies and finding labor. just a turn key operation.

Of course, I am probably way off on how ‘simple’ ordering a kit home and and getting it assembled or buildt is. i understand some companies just supply the components and the homeowner finds someone to build it. other companies actually do fabrication in their factories. i dunno, it was just a thought on an easy way to get a second home. one thing though, from looking at a few of the websites I think once you include land you are talking a decent amount of dollars. And I don’t think construction costs are ever going to come down in an appreciable way. High costs are here to stay IMO. Thx for your thoughts, everyone.

it's an interesting idea for sure. also consider modular homes, where they're built in a factory and brought to the site. Blu Homes is a very beautiful modern example. Or I found these guys, definitely more traditional. Not sure if you could save money that way (maybe it would be too hard to get it out to the country?)

one other idea you could try is buying one or two cute tiny homes and selling them when you're ready to build. my sister has this dream of doing something like that -- with the idea of building a big covered patio / outdoor kitchen next to it so people can have some space to spread out. I hope she does it, it sounds fun!

i love the modular / prefab concept. kit or modular homes will save time but in my experience they are actually just as expensive as a custom designed / built project.

here are a list of firms we love:

https://wheelhaus.com/about/

http://www.ehouseport.com

http://www.mamodular.com

https://alchemyarch.com

https://www.bluhomes.com

https://www.plantprefab.com

https://fabcab.com

https://www.ideabox.us

https://www.stillwaterdwellings.com

stay inspired !

Is it fair to say that a kit home could be a way to maintain control over costs because you KNOW you're getting everything at once /you won't find later that [insert item here] has gone up in cost?

Thx spire for all the links. They look promising.

I suppose a kit or prefab price would be a little more transparent unless u want to buy a stock home from a builder. I do knowyou can buy them with different levels of finish, from just a skeleton to fitted out with all the bells and whistles. But really I don’t know much about kits or prefabs—Just a little about Sears homes from the 1900s. And my mother bought a home for retirement that was pre built iin the 1950s in Michigan and trucked down to Dayton, Ohio, and it was quite elegant and about 2500 sq ft. She was not the original owner bit we found out from the owners‘ grandchildren. I have looked at a few websites and the prefabs are not cheap and can be quite expensive—into the millions, plus labor, plus foundation, plus land, plus landscaping.

Personally, I am not necessarily looking for a bargain, I just want to minimize headaches. I am going on vacay now but when I return I am going to call a few of the sources Spire listed to get timelines. (we are trying to have a pool put in and there is a 2 year wait on those around here.)

Thanks, everyone, J.