There have been some videos and articles online that have shown people discussing or even going into small homes that are being bought from and delivered by Amazon and Walmart. These homes only cost $16,000. Mind you again, they’re small homes, but it’s just 16k! It sounds like some kind of Orwellian horror scape in a way, doesn’t it? Homes that just get manufactured en masse and delivered right to you; tight living quarters brought to you by big business. Are these things actually legitimate? Well, as of right now, yes, Walmart is indeed selling these things. But there are a number of caveats that come with them.
For starters, yes, Chery Industrial is a company that legitimately manufactures small, prefabricates homes that are 19′ x 20′. They have an area for a bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, dining room, and living room. Obviously based on the dimensions, these rooms are not exactly large. And that’s where all the good points end because everything after that sounds like a logistical mess and a massive load of expenses.
While Amazon is not currently selling these products now, they still have a product page up for them and one of the first things they note in the product page is, “Mobile Prefab House is not wired. Please hire an electrician for American standard wiring. Stay safe!” Well, suddenly that $16,000 price point doesn’t seem so great anymore, does it? What are you going to do with a house that literally doesn’t have any electrical wiring?
It also doesn’t include any furnishings outside of the built-in bathroom, shower, and kitchen cabinets. Might even possibly have a toilet! But that’s okay that it doesn’t have anything more than that because according to the Amazon listing, that actually a perk called “Personalization Flexibility!” This is a direct quote:
Note that the bed is not included, providing you with the freedom to personalize your space according to your own preferences. This thoughtful design choice allows you to curate a living environment that aligns with your unique taste and style.
Amazon.com Product Page for Chery Industrial Expandable Prefab House
See, they’re not including anything more in the house because that’s thoughtful of them! Thank you for the nothing, that’s extremely thoughtful of you! You mean I get to spend MORE money on a home?! HOW THOUGHTFUL!
The Walmart product page isn’t a hell of a lot better when they start telling you what to expect with this thing. First of all, good luck getting this thing going. Because of the size of it, it’s shipped on a flatbed and it’s your responsibility to unload it. They make sure to tell you to “please have forklifts or a crane ready to unload.” Because you know, we all have our forklifts and cranes waiting in our driveways to get prefab homes off a flatbed. Does Frasier Crane count? Because that’s the only crane I have to possibly help in this situation and season 11 couldn’t even carry the load of a bad series finale.
There’s also a recommendation to pour concrete on the legs of the home to increase the stability of it. Well, I mean that’s just the tip of the iceberg really when it comes to placing the home. Before you even put concrete over the legs you have to have land to put it on. Then, not only do you need land, but you need some kind of level, sturdy ground to place it on. CBS News even pointed out that necessity, in case anyone thought it would just be easy to plop it down and be done with it.
So, long story short, if you’re thinking that these expandable prefab homes might be a good idea, you may want to stop and think about how many other problems would arise from this situation with all the work that has to go into making the home even livable to begin with. Or just save the money and put a down payment on an actual home.
