As housing prices continue to rise, tiny homes have been in the spotlight for the past few years. And one company that aims to provide more affordable lodging is Boxabl, which introduced the “Casita” as its first model.
The Las Vegas-based Boxabl decided to create tiny homes after seeing a “huge opportunity to transition building construction worldwide into the factory assembly line,” according to founder Galiano Tiramani.
“There’s a number of reasons why housing hasn’t really worked in the factory yet, so we’ve gone through it and solved all those problems,” he said.
The 375-square-foot dwelling can be described as a studio apartment inside a box. It can accommodate a living area, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom.
The kitchen includes a refrigerator, an oven and a dishwasher. There are also dual sinks, cabinets, and a dining room that connects to the countertops.
The bathroom includes a tub and shower, a countertop, back-lit mirror, sink, and sliding glass doors.
There’s also a washer and dryer, temperature control, and a designated ironing area within the space.
Casitas are made with steel, concrete and laminated paneling. Foam insulation is used to insulate them from hurricane winds. They are also mold-resistant as well as flood and snow-tolerant.
Elon Musk, a billionaire tech mogul, tweeted his humble living situation in June 2021. He shared that he lived in a tiny $50,000 home he rented through SpaceX in Boca Chica Texas.
Many believe he was referring specifically to the Casita. Boxabl couldn’t confirm or deny this rumor.
However, in November 2021, the company said it installed a Casita in Boca Chica for a “top secret customer,” seemingly alluding to supplying Musk’s tiny home.
“Pretty exciting to have these guys as our initial customer,” said Tiramani in a YouTube video.” think it indicates that people agree that we’re on to something big here.”
Logistics is a glaring issue that other prefab-home makers struggle with, but Boxabl doesn’t have that problem.
Casitas can fold down to 20 feet and be towed by a pickup truck, or transported on a truck.
However, shipping could still cost $2 to $10 per mile from Boxabl’s Las Vegas headquarters. Customers who are willing and able to pay more can have their homes shipped by rail or overseas.
Before being shipped out, the Casita’s kitchen, bathroom, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC are completed in the factory.
When the home arrives at its final destination, it just needs to be unfolded—a process that takes a few hours—before being attached to its foundation and utilities. After that, it’s move-in ready.
The Casitas are also able to be stacked and connected to make larger structures.
Boxabl’s popularity couldn’t just be attributed to the Musk rumors, as the company also used influencer and social media marketing to boost its sales.
At one point in 2021, Boxabl’s already long waitlist for the Casita jumped to 47,000 customers when the SpaceX rumors broke, which translates to over $1 billion worth of reserved Casitas. Many of these clients want more than one unit, even bigger companies.
“The target audience heard about this beforehand, and then the Musk press brought in general audience interest, maybe someone who didn’t care about housing,” Tiramani explained.
In June 2021, Boxabl moved into a 170,000-square-foot factory, hoping to assemble a Casita every 90 minutes—or around 3,600 units a year—by the end of 2022.
“The demand for housing is so incredibly massive, there’s shortages everywhere and no one can build fast enough,” Tiramani said. “It’s great for us to know that so many people are interested in this product.
Enjoy a tour of Casita from Boxabl in the video below.
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