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350-sq.-ft. Expandable 2-Bedroom Tiny House By PreFabulous Homes


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Looking for a tiny house that’s fireproof, termite-resistant, has no loft and doesn’t sit on wheels? This PreFabulous Home checks all those boxes!

This expandable tiny house is 350 square feet and can include two bedrooms. There are a number of layout options available, as well as exterior and interior finishes to make the home truly yours. The home can also be moved because it can be folded up and transported on a truck — meaning it’s location isn’t set in stone (pun intended).

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Expanding Tiny House With Two Bedrooms

Here’s the living room area of a PreFabulous Home

You can see one of the bedrooms on the left.

This one has two bedrooms!

The bathroom and kitchen are at the back of the house.

All surfaces are easy to wipe down.

Windows in the bedroom for lots of natural light.

The bathroom with standard plumbing.

You can see some layout options here.

Here are some exterior pictures, with different colors and finishes.

Wood-looking exterior.

Add a deck!

This one has green trim.

Fire-resistant insulation.

How about lime green?

Highlights:

  • 350 sf Expandable 2BR Tiny House
  • Internal and external walls are made from light weight steel. The walls are easily washed (hosed) on the outside and wiped down on the inside.
  • Highly insulated from outside heat and cold. Well insulated to retain inside heating and cooling.
  • Well-sealed to prevent dust ingress.
  • Fire resistant – The walls and roof are made from steel sheets with a non-flammable internal core. The floor is made from MGO board and the structure is made from galvanized steel.
  • It’s possible to re-locate the house with little fuss. Just disconnect services, remove the kitchen cabinets and partition walls then fold it up and crane onto a truck.
  • Thermal: Great thermal properties with the Styrofoam walls and roofing. When an air-conditioner is used, the heat or cooling is well retained keeping power bills low.
  • Fully termite proof: an all steel structure, with floor beams and joists being galvanized steel, All walls are made from sandwich panels which have a thin sheet metal outer and inner layer and a Styrofoam inner core. Flooring structure is MGO board.
  • Rodent and pest resistant: Walls, floor and roof do not have a cavity, all but eliminating pest habitats.
  • High quality floating floor provided for lying over the top of the structural floor.
  • Specification layout and items included
  • 1x 19.2ft folding container prefabricated home with exterior anti-corrosion paint finish (optional limited colors) folded: 19.2×7.4×8.2’/folded out: 19.2×20.7×8.2′ x 5500lbs
  • 8x windows and 79×80″ door
  • 1x 5x-10x-110v outlets, light switch(es), led ceiling light(s)
  • 1x 2″ eps sandwich panel w/ color sheet
  • 1x all electrical, plumbing, breaker box (power outlets must be customized to clients needs and proper building code layout. Each state may have similar or slightly different code for this application. Please consult your local building codes and contact us with your blueprints so we can properly install all electrical, plumbing and breaker box fixtures in your new home)
  • 1x plywood flooring
  • 1x kitchen cabinet
  • 1x kitchen double sink
  • 1x shower cabin
  • 1x bathroom ceramic sink
  • 1x flush toilet
  • Appliances and furniture not listed above are not included
  • Optional add-ons (extra cost will accrue to the total price):
    1. Solar panels 3-6x-72 cells (340w-375w) or 4-8x-60 cells (250w-275w) + 2000w (3kw-10kw optional) inverter + controller box + 15kw (luxury), 10kw (standard) or 5kw (economical) battery pack rack + partial installation included
    2. Air conditioner with heater (10k-15k btu) (up to 1 units) per 1x 20ft home
    3. Interior paint finish, kitchen cabinets, marble or epoxy counter-tops, crown molding, luxury sink faucets and anything else that is not standard with our prefab home.
    4. Anti-rust protection paint on both sides of the galvanized steel walls.
    5. Osmosis water filtration system (uvc sanitation optional)
    6. Roof deck with or without rails can be customized to buyer’s requirements
    7. Additional waterproofing the roof will help in corrosion problems during its lifetime (double or triple coats) (standard protection is anti-rust paint with single coat). Maintenance during its lifetime will be required for a waterproof home

What do you think?

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Natalie C. McKee

Natalie C. McKee is a contributor for Tiny House Talk and the Tiny House Newsletter. She's a wife, and mama of three little kids. She and her family are homesteaders with sheep, goats, chickens, ducks and quail on their happy little acre.

Latest posts by Natalie C. McKee (see all)

{ 23 comments… add one }
  • merryl
    May 4, 2021, 10:56 am

    I love these. I would certainly live in one.

  • Sue Roberson
    May 4, 2021, 5:05 pm

    I like this!

  • Diana
    May 4, 2021, 8:33 pm

    I looked at one of these. The guy tried to say it was his design and they were asking $75k for it. I looked at CL ad in Los Angeles and saw them advertised for $20k. The guy had just shipped it and was going to make out like a bandit. There is a rusting issue on the outside and inside is very poor quality. You would need to go inside one before deciding. For $20k maybe.

    • James D.
      May 4, 2021, 11:47 pm

      They’re not all built out the same, can range from just a shell or office to fully furnished tiny home. So costs will vary and the company caters to both residential and commercial uses…

      While shipping containers can be constructed from Corten steel, which intentionally rusts to create a protective barrier coating against further rusting and some people like the appearance once it fully coats the whole structure. But it can also be a sign that the metal structure hasn’t been properly protected or worse dissimilar metals have been put into contact with each other creating a corrosive condition that eventually needs to be fixed.

      So something that should be check out further but you’d generally want to learn as much details about the container and the company before purchasing anyway…

  • Julie Bryan
    May 4, 2021, 11:37 pm

    I like the concept, and the Idea of wide door frames. That is needed for those of us who use a wheel chair. The idea of different floor plans and easy set up or take down for transport is another good idea. The price is cheap, and built for low maintenance. Someone or a team have given a lot of thinking into this home great job folks.

    • Natalie C. McKee
      May 6, 2021, 9:40 am

      great point about the wide doors!

  • Michael
    May 5, 2021, 7:06 am

    I totally agree with Diana and James partly.
    The center module is looking like a shipping container but it doesn’t have their features.
    I think it’s China made and I have seen the basic configuration for even less than 20k.
    This outfit looks and feels cheap and I am sure that addons like porch, glassed walls,
    better interior wall covers, bamboo flooring are increasing the price significant.
    Another downside is the low interior height, outside overall is 8’2″ considering floor structure and roof insulation you are ending up with 7’+. By the way a standard 2oft container is 8’6″high.
    It would be better to use high cube measures with 9’6″ overall which would also allow probably 1ft wider wings per side.
    Watching the videos on their website I have doubts that the joints fulfill FL building codes for coastal areas with windspeed up to 200 miles per hour.
    Anyway, the system is great to save on shipping cost and labor on site.
    With an additional roof and wrap around porches the ugly appearances can be changed into a nice looking cabin. But as mentioned price tag will increase as more material and labor is needed.

    • James D.
      May 5, 2021, 11:29 am

      There’s a wide range of specialty shipping containers, including this one that’s a folding design.

      Even before the market opened up to custom containers and conversions, there were other options besides the General Purpose Containers most are familiar with, like Flat Rack, or Bolster, Containers that have collapsible sides that can be folded to make a flat rack and are typically used to transport heavy machinery and vehicles…

      Super-Rack Container – Similar in use as a Flat Rack container but with a big difference being that in a Super Rack Container, the corner posts can be extended upwards to increase the height…

      Bulktainer -Normally has loading hatches on the top which enables bulk cargo to be poured into the container and also has “gates” at the bottom of the container which enables the cargo to be offloaded by tipping the container…

      Open Top Shipping Containers for cargo that is over-height and cannot be easily loaded through the door…

      Double Door Containers that have doors on both ends of the shipping container, this container type is also known as a “tunnel container”, and are good for quick loading and unloading…

      Open Side Containers, which are very similar to regular, general purpose shipping containers, the only difference being that the doors can open completely on the side too. This feature provides much wider room and access, which makes loading and unloading materials easy…

      Car Carriers are special container storage units made for the shipment of cars over long distances. To help a car fit snugly inside the containers without risking damage, they come with collapsible sides…

      ISO Reefer Containers, which hook to external power to regular temperature for transporting perishable goods…

      Insulated Containers are similar to ISO Reefer Containers but rely more on insulation and are equipped with an electrical compliance (mechanical compressor) to cool or heat the air within the container…

      Half-Height Shipping Containers are exactly as they sound, typically used in the mining industry…

      Tank Containers, or Tankers, are also exactly like they sound, for transporting liquids but must be kept between 80% and 95% full during transport…

      Swap Body Containers are exchangeable containers used for road and rail. They are commonly used in Europe. Swap bodies have a convertible top, which makes them suitable for shipping a range of goods. Because swap bodies do not have upper corner fittings and are not stackable, they are restricted to land-based transportation only.

      High Cube Containers, being the other common type people will likely be familiar with that is a foot taller than the standard General Purpose Containers. Add, most high cube containers have a recess in the floor at the front end to center the container on so-called gooseneck chassis, which allows it to lie lower and be of taller construction.

      Foldable designs like the one shown in the article came about for commercial applications but has spread to residential and other uses.

      In the States, there’s also 48 foot and 53 foot containers but you’d rarely see them outside of the States but they have made their way to places like South Africa…

      Cargo Storage Roll Containers are specialized containers made for the purpose of transporting sets or stacks of materials. They are made of thick, strong mesh along rollers, which allow them to move easily, and the entire container is foldable…

      The common factor, with few exceptions, is they keep what’s being shipped within standard length and width dimensions for easier transport and that’s what the folded design accomplishes when it’s folded up as it then fits the standard shipping container dimensions…

      While many now cater to both commercial and residential applications that can have a wide range of customization done to the containers…

      • Michael
        May 6, 2021, 2:14 am

        James,
        thanks for your lecture. As usual you know everything.
        But this time you could have been saving your efforts because I know all listed types of shipping containers for almost two decades.
        Again, this example looks like a shipping container but it is not one. It’s a copy using light steel instead of Corten steel which contains more aluminum for better rust through protection.
        Beside materials used measurement aren’t equal. A standard shipping container or ISBU is 20 ft long, 8 ft wide and 8ft 6 inches high.
        The unit isn’t comparable with the military expandable one pictured on their website. They are even more rigid than a standard ISBU with price tags of at least 100+ k .

        • James D.
          May 6, 2021, 4:40 am

          Michael, sorry if you felt that was a lecture as I have no intent to lecture, I just provide information based on facts. It has nothing to do with ego or trying to seem smarter than anyone else. The only thing I care about is that information be accurate. I never claim to know everything, I only state what I do know to the best of my knowledge that adheres to the facts and logical reasoning… If I make a mistake then I admit it and state so…

          The problem here is your supposition that this isn’t a real container is, to the best of my knowledge, incompatible to what defines a shipping container, which is its function and not what it is made out of or specifically how it has been designed to fulfill that function.

          Since containers first started being manufactured in the 1950’s there has been a wide range of different standards and versions before the ISBU standard was finally established but not everything in the market adheres to those standards.

          Just like any other engineered product, containers can be constructed out of any material capable of handling its function. Corten/weathering steel is just one of many options that also include fully aluminum containers, not just steel, or even containers constructed out of plastic or composites. Even Corten steel itself doesn’t come in just one version of the alloy mixture that can contain nickel, copper, and chromium.

          However, Aluminum should be avoided with Corten steel because it is more anodic in behavior than copper, chrome or nickel. So given adequate electrolytic severity, such as at sea, the aluminum would corrode, not the weathering/Corten steel…

          Containers can also come in non-standard sizes… The 48 foot and 53 foot containers from the states is an example as they are also 8′ 6″ wide instead of the standard ISBU 8’…

          Similarly, in Europe, shipping containers may maintain the standard ISO length, albeit measured in meters; however they are also slightly wider at 2.5m (8.2 inches) and 2.55m (8.37 inches) to allow two pallet widths to be stacked inside side by side. Among other examples of non-standard shipping container dimensions, especially now as the market includes custom shipping containers that can be made to order… So don’t confuse non-standard dimensions, nor what materials they are constructed from, with them not being shipping containers…

          While we aren’t just talking about the specific one shown in the article above but also the one Diana saw in person. So, I for one, am not assuming it was built exactly like the one shown in the article. Since, it was stated the one she saw had a “rusting issue” as well as described as having a “poor quality” interior, and as there are other companies that make the same type of folding container, the one she saw may have been from a different company to different specs/standards…

          There’s even some companies that have mechanized the folding process to do it automatically, like the RDSS (Rapid Deployment Shelter System) that can be deployed by one person in about 2 minutes, typically for commercial or special use applications… This is hardly the only company that makes these types of structures…

      • Amber Wildman
        May 10, 2021, 2:07 pm

        Thank you for the education – I had no idea there were so many variants and am grateful for the guide! With most container homes being touted almost as a “fling it on your land, employ a welder and ta-da, ready made home!” it’s good to know there’s so much more to know!

  • Donna Rae
    May 5, 2021, 7:47 pm

    It looks interesting and certainly worth looking into if affordable housing will improve your life. Certainly quality and durability are very important so cheap versions are best avoided. I have not done any research myself but research is always a good thing. It would have been really interesting if there was a video showing it being unfolded or expanded from its shipping configuration. I’ve seen other folding homes that were amazing and watching such an unfolding can show you a lot about how something is constructed and where potential problems might crop up…places to keep an eye on or even do some preemptive maintenance on. Kudos for showing so many alternatives in small housing!

    • Natalie C. McKee
      May 6, 2021, 9:30 am

      So glad you enjoyed it! An unfolding video would be awesome.

    • James D.
      May 6, 2021, 11:21 pm

      This isn’t the only company that makes use of this type of unfolding design. You’ll find a number of them have videos on youtube showing them being assembled.

      One from Tiny House Listings that you can look up is titled “Container Home That Quickly Expands” that has a tour of one that near the end shows a time lapse of it being assembled.

      CS Modular House channel has a more detailed one on the assembly process, “20ft expandable container house (Jiangsu CS Modular House)”…

      Among other examples from other companies… Though, some are variants like the RDSS (Rapid Deployment Shelter System) that have a mechanical system that does everything automatically… Along with versions that only expand out one side, expand differently, etc.

  • Amy
    May 7, 2021, 3:07 am

    I would love more info on 2br home plz

  • Ray
    May 9, 2021, 5:11 pm

    I love the fact that it has no closets or storage areas. Who needs a place to put your stuff ? But, if you increase the size slightly, you could have a versatile little abode.

    • James D.
      May 11, 2021, 2:28 am

      It’ll actually depend on the design you choose and get approved. They accept specific blueprint specifications but as these will be placed on foundations, you still follow local planning approval process with your local city officials.

      They can set most of it up for you but anything they come up with will be treated as unconfirmed designs to your general contractor/engineer to then finish and get all the approval, etc.

      It’s essentially, a type of house kit. They can design and build the framework, plumbing, and wiring, deliver it all as one container package that is easy unfold and to assemble on site, but usually most of the finish work, furniture install, installing the mini-split, add siding, etc. will be done on site. Including installing cabinets, etc.

      While they expect you to check that everything is in working order, etc. within ten days of delivery and then they give 365 days warranty for any issues that may develop the first year…

      So, you can decide if you really need an extra bedroom or walk in closet, add storage through furniture, etc. and you’re not locked into only their examples shown… Also looks like they go up to a 650 Sq Ft model…

  • Amber Wildman
    May 10, 2021, 2:02 pm

    I love this concept and the two bedroom one would suit my family’s needs forever more! Even if you don’t opt for this type of structure, the concept and ability to get all that two bedroom home into such a small space, along with all the tips and tricks we’ve picked up by spying on tiny homes with our coffee, would make for fantastic living!

    • Natalie C. McKee
      May 10, 2021, 2:21 pm

      I love the thought of spying on tiny homes with our coffee!

  • Donna Rae
    May 11, 2021, 12:05 pm

    In looking at the photos nearest the top of this post, I do wonder why they would choose to put in such a small shower and fill the vacant space next to it with a vase of flowers. Why not just have a nice roomy shower? And why is it staged with such blah furniture? Yes, saving money is important as we all know but if you’re trying to sell people on this housing idea, making it look more inviting would seem a priority. Or perhaps they wanted to show that even ordinary furniture looks ok in this affordable home. That seems a petty complaint, I admit, but staging is an important aspect of marketing. I guess I just want to be wowed. Spoiled by all the reno shows on TV, I guess! Still, a great concept that deserves consideration. And, if the basic models are so inexpensive, perhaps they should be considered for emergency housing for people in areas hit by natural disasters. Quick to set up and better for longer term than a tent, for sure! Even good for homeless families. Safe, dry, warm, and perhaps even an address to give when job hunting. It seems like this tiny home could solve quite a few problems so I again say kudos to the designers!

    • James D.
      May 11, 2021, 3:45 pm

      Mind, it has to be assembled and disassembled each time it’s moved and that’s quickest with stuff you can get through the door in one piece…

  • Donna Rae
    August 8, 2021, 11:36 am

    I agree…very livable! I love that it can be customized to suit your own needs, too. Has the potential to be very cozy with the right furniture and decor. Put one in your backyard for a while to give independent living for elderly family with the option of easily removing the unit once it is no longer needed. What a boon for families! These would be perfect, too, for disaster relief when people are left with nothing like after the Paradise fire or floods or tornadoes. I could see these used to establish housing for those living on the streets who find themselves in financial trouble and need to start to feel normal again. They would work for those who want them to be permanent and can easily be temporary, too. What could be more perfect?

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