Big thanks to Dwayne for sharing these awesome 480 square foot homes that were built in the community of Orange Mound in Memphis, Tennessee. According to Wikipedia, this community was the first in the United States to be built by and for African Americans.
The homes have the same layout, but different elevations, and both sold for $55,000 (so affordable!). These one-bedroom, one-bathroom homes are new construction and show that small/tiny houses can be built on foundations!
What do you think?
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$55,000 Foundation Tiny Homes in Tennessee
Images via Dwayne Jones
Clean lines inside the dining area.
Images via Dwayne Jones
Simple one-bedroom with no loft!
Images via Dwayne Jones
Bathroom has a tub and shower.
Images via Dwayne Jones
Living room with Cathedral ceilings.
Images via Dwayne Jones
Here’s the second house.
Images via Dwayne Jones
There is a little storage loft area.
Images via Dwayne Jones
Space for a sectional sofa
Images via Dwayne Jones
First floor bedroom.
Images via Dwayne Jones
Space in the entryway.
Images via Dwayne Jones
And here’s the kitchen!
Images via Dwayne Jones
Highlights:
- 480 square feet
- Orange Mound, Memphis TN
- One bedroom
- One bath
- Living room with vaulted ceiling
- Laundry setup for full washer and dryer
- 2 ton all electric HVAC system
- Kitchen with a double sink
- Space for a full range
- Full size refrigerator
- Both homes sold for $55,000.
Related Stories:
- The Cottage At Hidden Springs in Bentonville, Arkansas: 400-sq.-ft. Tiny House w/ One-Bedroom, One-Bath
- The Homestead: 400 Sq. Ft. Home by Utopian Villas
- 400-sq.-ft. Park Model Tiny Home Built Like A Cabin
Our big thanks to Dwayne for sharing! 🙏
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Natalie C. McKee
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This shows that it can be done, and should serve as a model for affordable small housing throughout the US.
If it is a remodel of a storage building, shop, barn, or garage…Well done…If from scratch, I prefer my designs with 1.5 bath, W/D/, D/W, Air-to-air exchanger, on-demand H/W/, and Mini-Split A/C….Just saying if you are going to use that much material you should get all the needed parts in 400 sqft…Lofts are always an option in most of my designs.
You have some very interesting designs .. ..
Keep in mind that on foundations it has to follow the local building codes and zoning requirements, which can put strict restrictions on design options, depending on the specific location and the rules of the municipality there…
What a lovely small house! Good for the people of Orange Mound, Tenn. I applaud and agree with your description, Mr. Bill Burgess, of what a small house (like this one) should ideally contain if built from scratch. I am not a builder, but rather an old man that has decades of interest as a layman in quality designed and constructed residential architecture. I have been fortunate to build two high quality houses for myself over the past 25 years. As a suggestion, I recommend that small houses (and big houses, too) like this be built at least 2 to 2 1/2 feet off the ground. This is obviously a slab foundation. Just make the foundation taller — even if the stem wall is filled with gravel before the final floor slab is poured. So many problems with water flooding in so many places. Even if no flooding in the Orange Mound area of Memphis, do please “lift the foundation” to at least 2 feet. I was born and grew up in the Delta, in Arkansas, just across the river and slightly north of Memphis. Believe me, your clients will bless U in the long term for raising the foundation those 2 feet. These comments are respectfully submitted. Stephan of Arkansas.
I’m the builder and it was a new build. A dishwasher would have taken 24″ of needed cabinet space and most people prefer a double sink this reducing available space. I think an additional half bath is overkill for a one bedroom home but that’s just my opinion. The house is all electric and I have not found tankless electric units effective or efficient long term. Mini splits require more maintenance and typically wall mounted units that are eyesores. Lofts are always an option but are not considered in the total square footage in a livable dwelling per our local code and my demographic does not see climbing a ladder a daily option. Thanks for your feedback but I hope my response sheds light on the decisions made for these homes.
Thanks for taking the time to explain it all, Dwayne! I think you did an awesome job with these homes.
I absolutely love the design. I have sent you a personal email as I would like to purchase the floorplan if they are for sale. I would like to have a few of these built on some land that I own in the Mississippi Delta.
I thought this website was about tiny homes. Not about whether or not Memphis is a safe place. Stop putting a community down because of the poverty there. Memphis does have its fair share of problems, but the people of Orange Mound deserve the right to own a beautifully made tiny home. Much thanks to the builder for solving a problem in a community that is often under served.
love it!!! is there contact info or website for builder?
Dwayne Andrew Jones we need more single small homes all over Memphis not just in orange mound. Thank you
Dwayne – Very nice home and fulfills a much needed need. Home ownership can go a long way to change the destiny of hard working people but not if they are saddled with overburdensome debt. I have lived in Memphis for 60 years, a GC for 25, have been thinking of doing something like you have done as a way to help people out of the cycle of renting and just getting by. Could you please send me an email on how to contact you. I would like to talk to you about your project when you have time. Thanks and well done!
Hello Dwayne ~ great little 480 sq ft 2 bedroom home. I’m wondering if a simple floor plan is available. I believe (and hope) small homes eventually replace the crazy mcmansions!
Like Ginny stated: This shows that it can be done…
BUT you have to consider the Location .
I don’t know anybody that would live in, or consider living in, Memphis .. .. It’s not a safe town to live in .. Please don’t misunderstand me, I like Memphis, but the statistics there frighten me ..
For the record, I live in a 3 room, 420SF foundation home ..
This is just MY opinion, your thoughts and opinion might be different ..
I’m all in favor of Tiny / Small homes, but lets present then in an honest way ..
https://www.weichert.com/search/community/neighborhood.aspx?hood=7862
Wow, those are some pretty grim statistics there. If I were in the States I certainly would not choose to live there.
OH MY, how perfect for an older or younger single person or couple. And not a butt ugly cheap looking job. I would buy one of these in my area in a heart beat if I had the land to put it on.
Does the first house have a kitchen? I went back and looked three times, no picture of the kitchen. Sure would’ve liked to have seen that.
It says the houses have the same layout, so the kitchens probably look pretty much the same.
Yes, budget housing projects typically take one design and replicate it for all the lots involved in the housing project as a way to easily keep costs low. Essentially turning the building process into an assembly line process that maximizes efficiency. It’s what is generally referred to as Tract housing…
Though, they can still differentiate the houses with different paints and other finishing touches…
Those are lovely and are well-priced! I’d like to see communities of these little homes popping up all over!
Are these beautiful tiny houses for sale now? Very interested in more information.
Wonderful small homes – in Detroit there is a community of tiny homes built by Cass Community Services to build homes for homeless and transform lives in doing so – homes are all different and many are sponsored by non-profits and many materials/services are donated – sq footage varies but many similarities – Rev Faith Fowler has written a book “Tiny Homes in a Big City” about this
Where is a model in Memphis, TN to see and make an appointment? Can model be used for a place to worship?
Are any one of those homes available for rent sir. I am a single parent and a great tentant. 9012755396 William
Land, foundation & a real house with kitchen and bath for a realistic price of $55,000, great job. Shows what can be done with proper planning.
As many have said, these small homes need to be built throughout America to provide more affordable housing. It would also satisfy the desire for smaller housing for those who want to downsize just for the sake of downsizing. I also agree with putting it on a raised foundation instead of a slab. My experience with slabs is that it is hugely costly if something goes wrong with plumbing because you have to jackhammer the floor out to make repairs or changes. An insulated floor on a raised foundation is also warmer. As far as these two models, the one with a covered front door makes more sense than an uncovered one. Being protected from bad weather when trying to open your door is really nice! To be honest, I’d like it if the indentation for the door didn’t exist. Just build the house square and add a covered porch onto the front. The added interior space would be so useful. People might say it would be a boring shape but a variety of paint colors and landscaping can solve that. Overall, these are fabulous little homes and the changes I suggest are just personal preferences. More need to be approved for all communities and I have suggested that in my city in Southern California, too. Here the problem is affordability and smaller homes on smaller lots would go a long way to providing homes for middle class and lower income families who provide essential services.
I agree with Donna Rae, but in my city in Southern California, the smaller houses keep being made larger. So many of the modest two-bedroom houses of 1,000 square feet or less have been expanded, either with a second floor, or by building over what used to be a back yard. And now people with single-family lots are being encouraged to build a second unit, which usually means converting a detached garage. It’s getting much more congested, and yet the roads aren’t expanding and there’s nowhere to park. I don’t have the answers, but I do hope that affordable housing can be built with an eye to the future, with planning for the additional support services that are needed as populations grow. We tend to be short-sighted in the USA.
I was stuck in Memphis 9 years. These are nice but Memphis isn’t. Worst place I ever lived and almost died before getting out. Good to see they are improving things in Orange Mound. I lived in a very nice burb and still the place is full of hatred.
Kinda dull. not much for the money. But if it is all about the budget, then I guess it is OK..
Mike
This is not what Memphis needs. 55k isnt actually affordable to buy for the average resident of orange mound. Also the average family in om has several children. Is this home meant for a family or a single person? If it s a single person, it s only a matter of time before this is “half way” housing for males.
Memphis is a horrible place to live. It s even worse to own property. The real estate taxes are sky high and we have no roads, bad schools, and failing utilities. Even if someone could afford 55k in orange mound (why not just go spend 35k in hickory hill for a traditional home?), the property taxes would likely be impossible for the home owner to sustain.(median house hold income in the mound is $28,000)
I
I would be very interested in getting the plans for these houses, am willing to pay for them of course. Please contact me asap 727-224-9771
Please contact me regarding the possibility of building a community of small homes on vacant residential properties I currently own.
Thank you.
I’m interested in getting the plans for these houses,willing to pay for them of course. Please contact me by email
I have lived in Memphis for over 30 years. Moved here from Chicago and I have lived in Whitehaven, Midtown and East Memphis, finally settling down in the Woodstock area. Yes, Memphis has it’s problems but doesn’t every city? I believe tiny housing provides more answers and solutions and I applaud Mr. Jones for the work he has done in this arena. Thank you! and let’s keep it going.