A Resort Cottage to Go
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06.14.07
Luanne DeMatto, above, at her park model home in Rhode Island; it offers “country club living,” she said, without the cost. Jodi Hilton for The New York Times
The New York Times discovers "Park Model" homes, a less expensive way to get a second (or first) home. These are prefabs made by mobile home or RV manufacturers, but are limited in size to 400 square feet and are not considered permanent dwellings. They are not, as the Times says, "Called park models because they can be parked anywhere" but because they are designed to be placed in organized parks.
“It’s like having a million-dollar home but at a fraction of the price,”
TreeHugger has discussed before the benefits of this type of land use; the cost of entry is far lower as the land is rented rather than purchased; there are shared resources; the density is higher. Unfortunately most park models are vinyl inside and out and built as mold bait. ::New York Times
The MiniHome is a lot more expensive, but utterly sustainable:
http://www.sustain.ca/wpblog/
I'm sorry, but some of these things try to do to much. Behold, instead, the humble auto-court cabin of yesteryear, or the fisherman's shack out on so many points in New England. A small structure should embrace its smallness and simplicity, and celebrate it.
Although I am a big booster of the porch/stoop.
There are park models far larger than 400 sq. ft.
There is no reason that they couldn't be made non-toxic and mold resistant. That's simply prejudice.
Mini homes are simply overpriced, overhyped park models.
The reason they're overpriced is that they're not built nearly as efficiently.
Someone will come along with the right idea.
It's a great idea.
"the cost of entry is far lower as the land is rented rather than purchased"
I disagree that this is a benefit in the long run. Apartments are great for this reason as "starter" homes for people starting out after leaving home, but long-term you want to buy your home/land. It will be the 1st or 2nd largest source of income for retirement - the other being 401K savings.
The targeted customer here is not someone starting off (in general), its someone looking for a post-children home or 2nd home. Which should be bought for the reason I mentioned above.