Wheelhaus
Utah-based Wheelhaus is building luxurious prefab tiny homes on wheels starting at almost $150,000.
The company has seen a rise in sales as people seek out ADUs and more affordable homes.
Take a look around its most popular unit, the 400-square-foot Wedge.
Amid a fraught housing market and rising mortgage rates, one nontraditional home builder has come out a winner with rising sales: Wheelhaus.
Wheelhaus
Source: Insider
But don’t except your typical two-bedroom, two-bathroom family homes.
Wheelhaus
The Utah-based company is building luxurious prefab tiny homes on wheels starting at almost $150,000.
Wheelhaus
And according to its founder Jamie Mackay, these units have sparked the interest and pockets of both accessory dwelling unit (ADU) fans and buyers who are waiting to purchase larger homes.
Wheelhaus
Tiny home builders have seen plenty of success since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wheelhaus
But Wheelhaus isn’t new to this growing market.
Wheelhaus
Mackay — who has a background in real estate and RV camps — founded the company in 2006 after realizing he could build homes atop platforms on wheels, similar to a tricked-out RV.
Wheelhaus
Wheelhaus’ homes qualify as both recreational vehicles and modular homes, according to Mackay.
Wheelhaus
The company’s first 20 builds were for Fireside Resort, a luxury camping site in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
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Since then, sales have taken off.
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According to Mackay, his units have been “selling like crazy” to customers in the US and Canada.
Wheelhaus
“I always think there’s a recession coming and then we’re gonna sell less units,” Mackay said. “But it seems like it just turns up the knob. Sales go up every year.”
Wheelhaus
At first, Wheelhaus was building around 10 to 15 units a year. But in the last five years, interest has begun picking up.
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Last year, Mackay said they delivered 175 units. Insider could not verify this number.
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And in 2023, he predicts the company will produce between 225 to 250 tiny homes.
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If it weren’t for Wheelhaus’ quality control, Mackay says the company could “sell as many units as he wanted.”
Wheelhaus
These tiny homes were designed to withstand hurricane winds and heavy snow loads.
Wheelhaus
Source: Wheelhaus
Its general uses can be as creative as the owner.
Wheelhaus
These homes can go wherever RVs can go.
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Some buyers are using them as a home gym or office. Others are using them as a guest house for the pesky in-laws they might not want in their larger home.
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There’s also the option to use them as a short-term vacation home on another property.
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No matter the use, Wheelhaus’ insulated builds all share several attributes: small square footage, high ceilings, eight-foot-tall doors, and large windows.
Wheelhaus
Source: Wheelhaus
The company currently has several models ranging from $149,500 to $174,000.
Wheelhaus
Source: Wheelhaus
According to Mackay, the 400-square-foot Wedge is its best seller.
Wheelhaus
Let’s take a look around this $149,500 tiny home on wheels.
Wheelhaus
Wheelhaus’ built-to-order homes were designed to have the comforts of a larger house within a smaller square footage.
Wheelhaus
The 10-foot-wide Wedge is no exception.
Wheelhaus
Its 17-foot-tall ceilings and long rows of windows, including a glass sliding door, flood the tiny home with natural light.
Wheelhaus
When you first step through the front door, you’re immediately greeted by the living room and kitchen.
Wheelhaus
The latter comes with appliances like a refrigerator and freezer, microwave, and dishwasher.
Wheelhaus
The bathroom — furnished like any typical home bathroom — is just behind the kitchen.
Wheelhaus
The bedroom, which has enough space for a king bed, is then at the end of the 38-foot-long home.
Wheelhaus
There’s even space for a washer and dryer here as well.
Wheelhaus
Source: Wheelhaus
To sleep up to four people, a pull-out couch can be added in the living room.
Wheelhaus
Buyers can customize certain features of the home, such as the color and flooring.
Wheelhaus
For those who don’t need the home to be mounted on wheels, the units can be moved onto a foundation instead.
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But they all come with wheels as the home has to be towed by a truck to its buyer.
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After delivery, the unit needs to be hooked up to utilities, leveled out, and finished with a skirt before the owners can move in.
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Wheelhaus’ manufacturing site is currently in Utah.
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But in the next two years, Mackay says it’ll build another factory to further service the East Coast, maybe in Atlanta.
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And within the next few years, Wheelhaus will likely roll out two larger tiny homes for the “naysayers” of tiny living, Mackay said.
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And if the industry pans out the way he hopes it will, the new factory and models could be a great investment.
Wheelhaus
He believes this tiny home trend is “guaranteed” to continue upwards over the next few years.
Wheelhaus
Read the original article on Business Insider