No matter how much you love your home, we’re sure this past hosting season showed you that you could always benefit from having more space. Whether it’s a separate mini guest house, a man cave, she shed, a tricked-out home office, or a hangout space for your growing kids, that kind of refuge is totally worth the investment. So if an entire home extension isn’t in the cards as you go over what projects you’d like to take on in the new year, you can opt instead to add an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), shed, or tiny house to your backyard like so many other homeowners are doing. However, there’s another great option to consider: prefab tiny homes that offer the best of all worlds.
A prefab home (short for prefabricated) refers to dwellings that can be delivered pre-assembled to a lot of your choice, customized to your standards, and equipped with all the comforts of modern living (including bathroom plumbing and full kitchens!). Basically, they provide everything you need in a typical home—just downsized.
A desire for escape without having to leave your backyard means tiny homes are everywhere right now. Plus, with an increasingly competitive housing market, tiny homes can be a much cheaper alternative to building a brand-new house. Responding to the demand, big-box retailers like Costco and Amazon have gotten in on the action, selling foldable, pop-up properties. However, if you’re looking for a more ready-made option than what Home Depot has to offer, might we suggest one of the retailers below?
For a small addition to your home—a playroom, lounge area, or greenhouse—the below properties are great options. But this is not where their potential ends. You can actually live in these prefab tiny homes. Since their boom in popularity, this style of tiny home has become so luxurious that for those living alone or with smaller families they could replace a regular apartment altogether. Use them as an in-law suite, an annex for your budding crafting business, or just as a way to downsize from a chaotic larger home. No matter what, you’ll thank yourself for the luxe features you managed to fit in small square footage.
We researched some of the best prefab tiny homes below, from a guest house designed for multigenerational living to a double-decker beauty. We even included information on what it costs to install one of them and what kind of living they're best for. They're sure to radically change your lifestyle for the better, making them well worth the investment.
Additional copy by Meghan Shouse and Kate McGregor.
Legend One
One of the most durable prefab tiny homes on the market, the Legend One from Nestron features earthquake and typhoon resistance as well as waterproofing and a double layer of thermal insulation. This is a one-bedroom tiny home with a full bathroom, kitchen, and small combination living/dining room. With approximately 250 square feet of space, the Legend One is a great introductory tiny home for those looking to explore smaller living.
From $1,000. nestron.house.
Echo
Very Scandinavian-inspired, the Echo tiny home by Off Grid Dwelling is the smallest and simplest the brand offers. The mini home features a studio-style layout (a single room), and large windows. There’s a porch included that's built of the same wood as the exterior paneling for a seamless look. The Echo has 170 square feet of living space and is best designed for camping outposts, guest homes, and backyard ADUs. It’s important to note that this home does not include a kitchen.
From $42,495. offgriddwellings.com.
Abodu Studio
A fully functional, studio-style tiny home, this model features ample living space and a full kitchen. This is one of the few prefab models that includes both a full-size refrigerator and dishwasher. A Murphy bed folds up to maximize the 340 square feet. In terms of customization, you can choose between three siding options: fiber cement, horizontal lap siding, and vertical cedar siding, all in a number of colors and finishes.
From $228,800. abodu.com.
Norman
For a prefab tiny home that really prioritizes the view, opt for the Norman from Off Grid Dwellings. This A-frame cabin comes complete with soaring, ceiling-height windows to maximize natural light. With one lofted bedroom (and plenty of space for a king-sized bed), the Norman is great for those who prefer their tiny home to have space to stretch out, have alone time, and host friends and family comfortably.
From $84,495. offgriddwellings.com.
Luxury Design Home
Ideal for small families, this prefab tiny home from Hashmi Homes is one of the largest on this list. With three bedrooms, a full living room, and a kitchen, it's a budget-conscious alternative to a standard family home. Every room in this building has a window to maximize natural light. You will have to do a bit of legwork to install it, but the home comes mostly built.
From $23,900. amazon.com.
SKÁLI
Built with nickel, copper, and chromium, the SKÁLI BackCountry Cuboid can withstand extreme weather. At 424 square feet, this modern masterpiece includes a full kitchen, a three-part bathroom, a primary bedroom, and open lofts to slide in two additional beds. Just customize the home into your dream escape from the website, and Lloyoll will handle the logistics of the build. They'll send you a summary letter describing the project and compliance to your local building authority.
From $306,767. lloyoll.com.
New Frontier
The Escher model from New Frontier is one of the best options for a larger family. It sleeps up to six people and boasts two bedrooms (including a king-sized primary bedroom), a walk-in closet, and a chef's kitchen. A cantilevered loft housing the king-sized primary bedroom even has skylights as a potential add-on, so if a tiny house sequestered in nature with all of your cooking and living essentials inside is your dream, you're in luck.
From $235,000. newfrontierdesign.com.
Cube Two
Step into the future with Nestron’s fully furnished, two-bedroom smart house that’s well-suited as a vacation home. (Since it sits right on top of the land, you can move it with a crane and flatbed truck.) With an open-concept layout featuring a unique skylight for stargazing and 328 square feet of space, the prefab unit arrives within three to four months—no construction required.
From $59,000. nestron.house.
Modal OO
This studio-style unit ships anywhere in the United States. Durable quartz countertops, a full-size bathroom, nine-foot ceilings, and garbage disposal all help the space feel much more spacious and lived-in. The process from site planning to delivery is about seven to 13 months, and the team works with you every step of the way.
From $240,000. livemodal.com.
Dwell House
This West Coast-inspired prefab ADU makes retreating to your backyard feel sacred. Brand new to the market, the Dwell House by Abodu would make a great in-law suite for multigenerational living. The brand saw a major uptick during the pandemic as more families wanted to be closer to loved ones. Abodu delivers each unit turnkey, in as little as six months, saving you the headache of finding a builder.
From $389,000. abodu.com.
Backyard
Available in California (so far!), Samara’s Backyard models come as small as studios or as large as two-bed, two-bath units and are built to last a lifetime. Solar panels on the roof harvest enough energy to power each unit. The complete customization and seamless permit process make it easy to use the unit for whatever you like, so if you want a small Airbnb on your property, that's your prerogative.
From $269,000 for a studio (shown). samara.com.
Studio Shed
If your “guest room” moonlights as a gym, office, or playroom, set boundaries with this 120-square-foot shed that will keep visitors away from the hustle and bustle of your routine. Opting for DIY installation means you’ll save on the front end but need to use some elbow grease to put it together on-site.
From $45,000. studio-shed.com.
Sophie
For the home chef who finds solace at the stove, this unit designed by Shaye’s Tiny Homes in New Zealand has enough space for all your appliances. Sophie also boasts a full-size shower so you won’t have to duck to enter and stairs lead to a second floor with two bedrooms.
From $115,000. tinytopanga.com.
My Milla
From a sauna to a spare home for week-long guests, My Cabin creates Scandinavian-designed homes versatile enough to become anything you can imagine. At 348 square feet, the Milla model is outfitted with a kitchen, full bathroom, and sleeping and living areas so your visitors won't feel closed in. In need of more room? The units can be sold as sets!
From $98,500. mycabin.us.
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Janae McKenzie is the Associate Shopping Editor at House Beautiful, where she regularly covers the best of the best in home brands. Since joining the House Beautiful team in 2023, Janae regularly creates seasonal gift guides in addition to reviewing and evaluating home decor, bespoke furniture, and accessories. Janae also routinely tests viral products, from luxury sheets to high-tech air purifiers, determining quality and guiding readers to the best purchases possible. Janae holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and began her career at Food Network shortly after graduation. She also covers relevant shopping deals and celebrity news in the home space, a skill she honed during her tenure as a news writer at Glamour. When she’s not writing or scoping out the next mattress to test, you can find her hunting for trinkets to add to her bookshelf or artfully arranging her Playbill collection.
