This is an independent review. I am not affiliated with Boxabl and cannot answer questions about products.
These days we buy a lot out of the box. But what about your house?!
We're all conditioned to believe that home ownership means a 30-year mortgage and 2,600 square feet to call our own, but that mindset means that home ownership has become largely out of reach and, for those who get in, wasted. years of your life trying to figure out how to afford your house.
Is the internal struggle real - do I save money for down payment on the house or do I invest my money in life and travel experiences before settling down? ... But if I travel, it will prevent me from being able to afford a house.
The solution is the tiny domestic movement; a lifestyle choice to downsize and simplify, with the huge financial benefit of having more time and freedom to enjoy life.
A new name is on the sceneBoxabl– a company that sells state-of-the-art folding homes built in a factory-accurate environment using the latest materials and technologies.
These boxed houses are delivered directly to your garden and unfold in less than 2 hours. But even better? It costs less than $50,000 for a fully furnished home!
Pro tip:In the meantime, if you need a holiday home while waiting for Boxabl delivery, take a lookPlumguide.com, as they have a huge collection of amazing vacation rentals.
see it in action
Die Boxable Casita
Ultimately, we've worked hard so far to be able to buy bigger houses than we need. So if you're having trouble deciding whether to prioritize home ownership or a life of adventure, you can have both with theBoxable house.
Casita is Boxabl's first model. As for the tiny house movement, it really isn't that small!375 square meters, is similar in size to a converted double garage, designed as a studio with a large bathroom and kitchen facilities.
The Casita comes complete, out of the box, with a large Shaker-style kitchen, huge fridge, dishwasher, oven, microwave, high window just above the sink, and a modern breakfast bar for two. The only thing you need is your bed and your sofa.
Behind a modern sliding glass door is a large bathroom with shower, bathtub, backlit mirror and plenty of drawers for storage. It's includedheatingand air conditioning and dimmable LED lights under the 8-foot tall windows under the even taller 9.6-foot ceiling.
It is aopen floor planwith bedroom, bathroom, living, dining and kitchen area, large composite floor, integrated ironing centre, washing machine and dryer, all appliances are equipped with modern technology - outlets even have integrated USB plugs.
The exterior is steel skin - architecturally very neutral, easy to customize once it arrives, so you can personalize the exterior as your own. The roof is a flat roof system, however if you need a pitched roof they can retrofit it on site once you arrive.
photos of this house
cost of the casita
The Casita Boxabl house is sold for$49,500 fully furnished. All you need is a foundation to park it on, then hook it up to local utilities (these don't include the cost of your land or site configuration).
The units were built to be extremely energy efficient and use much less air conditioning than in a traditional home. They use high R-value insulation, a tight building envelope and limited thermal bridges, meaning continuous thermal insulation.Electricity costs around $28 a month.
Heads up:Plumbing, electricity and HVAC are all pre-installed on your Boxabl from the factory. Utilities are simply connected on site to the outer corner of the Boxabl. You can configure utilities as per your convenience at your location. Whether it's a water tank or solar panels, it connects to the Boxabl in the same way as regular utilities.
If having a 30 year mortgage has always been your life goal, the estimated cost of financing for the Boxabl room module is $250 per month and they have finance partners they can contact you with for loan options if you wish .
Costs above are for the studio model, but if you're ready for more spaceYou can add more rooms, more living space or even a second floor - the good thing about Boxabl is that they are modular!
While they currently (April 2020) only have one model, their goal in the future is for customers to be able to create customizable modular homes that they can factory build and ship to you.
Shipping is free if you live in AZ, CA, NV or UT USA. After that, you will receive a price offer from a carrier. You can ship the casita anywhere in the world and enjoy an approximate quote.$2 per mile from Las Vegas. Their hope is that US-wide shipping will be included in the future.
The construction
Boxabl are robustly and precisely constructed from steel and concrete.are practically all the proofs. They chose steel, concrete, and EPS foam because these building materials don't degrade and last a lifetime.
The walls, floor and ceiling are laminated structural panels that are much stronger than the traditional home built on site. They are made from magnesium oxide paperboard, an eco-friendly material used for fire resistance, mold and mildew control.
They're built to withstand the worst wind conditions in North America (i.e. hurricane-proof) and because the walls are all laminated in one piece, that means they won't bend or crack during shipping, and of course , have good tone control.
By not using wood or plasterboard, the building materials will not be damaged by water and will not mildew, which means that the structure will remain intact in the event of a flood. And they can handle snow too.
The house was alsodesigned with fire resistance in mind(Let's face it, nothing in life is completely fireproof) - it's coated inside and out with non-combustible materials so your Boxabl won't catch fire if you get caught by flying embers, for example.
Shipped anywhere in the world, the units are built to exceed the requirements of any building code and the modular approval they hold in the US reduces on-site inspections as designs are already pre-approved.
Shipping and Unfolding
Everything about Boxabl is factory built and finished. Once built, theHome Folds from 20 feet to 8.5 feet wideand can be transported anywhere in the world by truck, train, ship and plane.
Why 8.5 feet? This is the magic number for dramatically reducing shipping costs. They folded it so compactly, avoiding oversized shipping costs and the hassles that come with shipping something larger (like a traditional modular or tiny house).
Once delivered, it unfolds in less than 2 hours, essentially allowing you to walk from an empty lot and out to lunch and back to a fully built home! It opens, plugs in (must have utilities ready) and you have a new home!
Even though the unit folds up so compactly, it still has 1.5m of unzipped space and that space houses all the furniture like the bathtub, fireplace, shower, etc.
As of now (April 2020) the company is facing a huge demand for orders which is why it is upgrading to a bigger factory and should ship casitas within a year. If you are interested, you canBook your place on the waiting list here.
disaster relief
Not only does Boxabl aim to provide affordable housing, they also created this product out of desire.help not disaster relief.
In the event of a disaster, they intend to have a stockpile of off-grid versions built and ready to deploy to provide immediate protection - i.e. they can be quickly deployed as emergency hospitals, emergency shelters, schools, quarantines, etc.
After the disaster is over and people return to rebuild their communities, they can take the space modules with them and use them as temporary housing to rebuild their homes. Or they can be converted into permanent residences.
final verdict
An elegant and innovative house, affordable, quick to build and with quality structures, spacious spaces and high ceilings; fully furnished?!
Whether you are looking to capitalize on a new holiday home or want to downsize completely, Boxabl is a fantastic home buying option. Once they start shipping, there's no reason you can't live the lifestyle you want.eown a house!
Learn more about the Boxabl Casita, or to reserve your place on the waiting list, visitwww.boxabl.com.
For temporary accommodation in a country house while waiting for the Boxabl to be delivered, visitwww.plumguide.com
This is going to revolutionize the way we think about building a house!
Published in collaboration with Boxab. All opinions are ours.
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Megan is an Australian journalist and award-winning travel writer who has been blogging since 2007. Her husband Mike is the American naturalist and wildlife photographer behind it.wake up wild;an online magazine designed to open your eyes to the wonders of the wild and natural world.
Having visited over 50 countries across all seven continents, Megan's travels focus on cultural immersion, authentic discovery and incredible travel. She has a strong passion for ecotourism and wants to promote responsible travel experiences.
