Dive Brief:

• Czech Republic-based Pin-Up Houses has developed a prefabricated tiny house prototype that can be assembled in three hours and costs only $1,200, according to New Atlas.
• The red-white-and-blue, 74-square-foot home on stilts consists of 21 insulated panels, all connected by threaded rods. The house also features a metal roof, sleeping area, kitchen with wood stove and a central living area — but no plumbing or electricity.
• The tiny home model, dubbed "France," is not yet available for purchase but is a first step in Pin-Up's plan to mass produce affordable tiny houses.

Dive Insight:

While the super-tiny house will most likely have limited appeal, considering there's no bathroom or power included, it's an encouraging first step toward serving one part of the market that would be interested in a tiny house — those with limited funds. The small home industry has also been enthralled with amenity-rich tiny houses, which can cost upwards of $200,000 to buy and set up. Material building supplier 84 Lumber is one of the few companies to offer an even close-to-truly-affordable tiny house option, with its cheapest DIY model priced at approximately $7,000. Modular builder Avava introduced its ship-to-site tiny home models last month, but those can come with a price tag as high as $223,000 when calculating the costs of purchase, permitting and construction.

One major obstacle that Pin-Up would have to overcome with this particular prototype are the building code and zoning issues. The municipalities that do allow tiny homes might take issue with the stilt-based structure, as many require a concrete foundation. The ability to hook up to the local sewer and utility systems are also a requirement in many jurisdictions. 

Public perception has also been a hurdle that tiny house advocates struggle to overcome. The more budget-minded units, especially when they are part of a planned tiny-house community, are often associated with homelessness and the "element" that critics say would bring down the value of surrounding properties. A Tallahassee, FL, developer who proposed an $8-million affordable tiny home development has faced legal challenges from residents of neighboring developments who say they are concerned about the potential for such a community to result in increased loitering and trash issues.