Amazon Is Selling $30K Tiny Homes

The modern housing market is a challenging space for millennials and Gen Z. Sky-high prices and interest rates, along with the specter of student loan debt, have made the dream of homeownership difficult to grasp. But there’s a new trend that’s making waves, and it’s all thanks to online retailer Amazon and the Tiny Homes it sells.

Rather than emptying their savings for traditional homes, financially savvy young adults are buying small, prefabricated homes from Amazon. Take Jeffrey Bryant, a 23-year-old lifestyle content creator from Los Angeles, for example. He recently bought a 16.5-by-20-foot prefabricated home on Amazon for just over $26,000, using money he inherited from his late grandfather.

The home came fully equipped with a kitchenette, living room, bedroom, and bathroom, including a pre-installed toilet and shower. Bryant’s motivation for purchasing this mini home was not just for personal comfort but also to give back to the community. He plans to transform it into an Airbnb for people who are displaced or facing homelessness.

The idea of buying an Amazon home was sparked after Bryant watched a YouTube video by a user unboxing his own Amazon home. The trend seems to have originated from Nathan Graham, a 27-year-old influencer behind the gaming brand, “Unspeakable.” Nathan shared a video of his own $30,000 DIY Amazon house, which was easy to assemble and has garnered over 30.5 million views on TikTok so far. This kick-started the viral trend of Amazon house shopping, with over 88,000 people sharing their new homes under the TikTok hashtag #AmazonHome.

This shift to tiny houses has seen an increased popularity since the pandemic. Some minimalists are ditching costly large homes and moving into 500-square-foot spaces, while others are choosing to live in large vehicles converted into living spaces.

A recent survey from January 2024 revealed that a staggering 90% of millennial homeowners regretted their first home purchase, often due to high interest rates or poor location choices. However, for enterprising individuals like Bryant, location remains a key consideration. He is currently working with an agent to find land for his Amazon home near California’s coveted Orange County for less than $40,000. He’s also navigating local housing authority regulations to get all the necessary permits.