Market for Small Homes Continues to Grow

Tiny homes came onto the market about five years ago, and the demand for small homes has continued to increase, according to Chehalis’ Adrenaline Projects Group Inc. owner Ken Sissons. 

“The real estate market is really hot right now on tiny homes,” Sissons said. “Every realtor in every county is trying to find smaller lots to be able to put these homes on.”

On any given day, Sissons said six to eight people will visit his office looking to buy a small home. Small home construction is built the same as a regular home, just with a smaller footprint, Sissons said.

Sissons’ company custom builds their homes for areas in the Western United States and currently has hundreds of models in the field, Sissons said. They build three styles of homes including stationary units, park models, and RV models for tow-behind tiny homes. The company is a veteran-owned and operated company that caters to the veteran community, Sissons said. They offer discounts and want to help veterans who come into the office.

Adrenaline Projects Group builds small park homes starting at 400 square feet, but they also build tiny homes on a trailer that can be less than 200 square feet. 

The homes sold by Sissons’ company are factory built, which means they don’t have to worry about moisture infiltration, he said. Their small homes, on average, can cost anywhere from $50,000 to $80,000, while their tiny homes can cost about $60,000. Tiny homes make up about 10 percent of their business, Sissons said. 

“It’s not a tiny home, it’s a conventional home built small,” Sissons said about their small park models. 

Employee Clyde Drury said small homes are popular for large groups who purchase multiple homes for gatherings or campsites. Sissons said most of his customers wanting a small home are younger than 30 looking for a first home or older than 55 and wanting to downsize. One of the positive aspects of a small home is the cost, but a downside can be the size, Sissons said. 

Another important aspect of small homes is that their value will appreciate, Sissons said. The company builds “green” homes that don’t use harsh chemicals like formaldehyde. They also encourage their customers to use environmentally-friendly systems like Camel Water and wildfire protection spray by Sun Fire Defense.

Scott Bergford, an Olympia-based builder, also builds custom-designed, environmentally friendly homes in the Pacific Northwest, including Lewis County. In recent years, Bergford has seen the demand for smaller houses continue to increase as well.

“I’m passionate about doing the smaller houses. If it were economical I would build a whole development of them,” Bergford said.

Since the market crash in 2008, more people have contacted Bergford about building small houses between 600 and 900 square feet. However, small homes tend to cost more than people realize, Bergford said. While small homes cost less as a final structure, they cost more per square foot, so financing can be a challenge. All the small homes Bergford has built are self-funded.

“I have a feeling people are getting tired of taking care of these big 3,000 square foot houses now and are looking for someone to provide them with a small house,” Bergford said. “We are really focused on trying to make that journey practical.”

For more information, visit the Adrenaline Projects Group Inc. Facebook page at www.facebook.com/APGIW/ or the Scott Home Inc. website https://www.scotthomes.com/.