Assembly Required

When you think of buying a home, you probably picture long Saturday afternoons with a broker, driving from house to house, comparing the size of one kitchen to another and wondering how many bedrooms you’ll need.


That’s one way to do it. You could also just hop online, click through some options, and order a home and have it delivered to wherever you’d like to build it. Welcome to the concept of the kit home—think of it like putting together a dresser from Ikea, only on a grand scale.


While the concept may seem thoroughly modern, the kit home is enjoying a renaissance of sorts. Prior to the Depression, Sears offered kit homes through their catalog. The priciest models went for about $4,000. They could be assembled rather easily, with a little help from friends and family. Today’s home-in-a-box is much more design-focused, with customizable features that usually require the help of an experienced contractor.


If you’re thinking a do-it-yourself home will be cheaper, caveat emptor. Those who have purchased models from various designers agree that it can cost nearly as much as any other home you might consider. [Wall Street Journal]