Many portable building manufacturers are extending their services by designing and building tiny affordable houses with their current equipment and experienced carpenters. One such company is actually a broker and dealer of the largest selection of portable buildings in the NW Arkansas, SW Missouri and NE Oklahoma area. Showcase Sheds & More sells portable storage buildings, portable storage sheds, cabins, greenhouses and now tiny houses like the Irish inspired Dara.
The Dara is a 200 square foot, plus sleeping loft, tiny house on skids. It comes with a full size bathroom, an on-demand water heater and a full kitchen with built in storage, aluminum brushed counters, microwave and stainless steel appliances. There is room for a two burner gas stove/oven that is not included with the house. The living room has a wall of windows, pine tongue and groove flooring and painted bead board. The exterior of the house is sided in western cedar with a galvanized metal roof, and the entire house is wired and plumbed with Pex tubing. Each Dara can be customized per the customer’s requests. Prices range from $16,000 to $26,950 and the company offers a few rent-to-own options. Each of their tiny homes can be build on-site, on a trailer or prebuilt and delivered to its final location.
Showcase also has a few cabin models and a darling Story Book Chalet which can be used as an office or a tiny house. The Story Book includes a 4 foot detachable deck and a custom storybook door. The cabins are also affordable like the 12×24 foot Lakeside Cabin that retails for just under $5,000 for the basic model.
Photos by Showcase Sheds & More
By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]
Woohoo! In my neck of the woods, so for once can actually see what’s in the picture
Finally something I may be able to get! Great info!
These are a start to the Idea of more bang for the buck way of thinking. Pricing at $75 sq.ft. should be your target for shopping BASIC homes that are under 400sq.ft. in most of the west. The west seems to be where people have more money than good sense. In the south the base price is at least 25% lower but in the north and northeast it will be higher at times due to insulation and amenities required to market properly. I try to post some Ideas at the 4Fathoms Designs page that can be used in most small space homes with some judicious shrinkage.
I sure wish a company like this would moveto Metro Denver! I’d love to wander around a place like this and look at all the different options. The very few companies that are in Colorado are EXPENSIVE! This company has items I think would look good on my land with my 1959 10 X 55 Smoker Mobile Home. And Yes in case anyone is interested there are places in the suburbs of Metro Denver where you can own land and put a tiny or somewhat larger Cozy Home on that land. My next vacation may be out to take a look at these.
I live in Denver & would be interested to know more about where I can get land in town to have a tiny or somewhat larger Cozy Home. I figured most of the building codes do not allow them but I am just now doing research to see what & where I can do something like this. So any info is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Can you move one of these to Mississippi?
Hi Andy. Contact Showcase and ask if they can ship to your state. It looks like they use independent shippers for their own business, so maybe you could hire someone who will deliver to Mississippi.
So glad to see this! The economy is getting no better despite the “slanted” optimism put out by the gov. and mainstream “news”. (if you can even call them news channels) Young couples, singles, people retiring are going to be looking for affordable housing. Now we just need places to put these small/tiny homes!
That’s what I’m thinking about here in the Philadelphia area.
There a lot of road side shed builders in most every state, i’m sure they’d be willing to make one to your local codes…but sheds are licensed as sheds, not dwellings, and have different codes to follow.
To get an occupancy certificate it may require some custom work…and a foundation, or having one mounted to a trailer if it can be built to withstand the forces endured while towing…
Most shed designs are built for a foundation of gravel and skids, or even just skids. A heavy thunderstorm would roll the lightweight structure, or simply blow it down.
All that said, they make a great starter kit for a tiny home, if you’re prepared to reinforce the structure, anchor it to a good foundation, and finish it out yourself.
I know that here in Ohio we have a few Amish builders that build their sheds to the code requirements of houses. You only purchase the shell and finish it off yourself. Some of them will due the wiring and insulation for you at extra cost, but it isn’t too much. I’m looking into one of these to purchase next Spring. The county I’m moving to doesn’t have many codes except for septic. Since I’m having a composting toilet, I won’t need to worry about septic. The main thing is the size. It is best to stay below 200 sq. ft. That’s all most of us want.
*Arkansas
Dara is hot! I love the bead board and the “farmhouse” feel of the interior. Just wish it had more light in the living room, maybe add a skylight to the living room?
Hi, Are these available in the UK do you know? Thanks v much.
Just clicked on Tiny House while checking out my Facebook account. I was shocked that you had a house called the Dara. That’s my name. I had to do a double take.
Rarely do I see anyone named Dara, much less a house. Anyway, if you could send me more information about the Dara I would appreciate it. I’ve been looking at tiny houses for awhile as I would ultimately like to downsize. And why not live in a Dara. Thanks, Dara
Hi My name is also Dara and I was shocked to see a tiny home called the Dara. I thought it was my destiny smiling at me because I was looking at tiny homes. I grew up in a small home. A 900 sq ft ranch. It always seemed big to me. Now that I am older and wanting a change this house seemed perfect for me and it is called the Dara!!! How delightful.
A friend of mine bought one like these about a year ago, on the payment plan. It was a shell and he’s now got it completely insulated and dry-walled. These are such a boon to those who don’t have the time or skills to do a shell but can finish out themselves at a reasonable price. Hooray for companies like this!
Good indication that affordable housing in the form of tiny homes is going mainstream.
The Dara seems to be a departure from the norm in its use of light painted bead board. I like it.
Thank you for featuring our tiny house on this site. We have been trying to keep up with the many inquiries generated from this. We LOVE the tiny house blog and have been following it for years. Again thanks for the boost to our marketing. We are working at being able to deliver to more states. Since we custom design, every tiny house is made special. Good job writing this article, again, many many thanks
Thank you Anita for offering these options to the Tiny House Blog readers. I am loving your Story Book Chalet!
The main tiny house on their site looks near ideal – size, price and design – except for one thing (and this applies to many tiny homes).
In nearly every kitchen, the only space provided is for a fridge is small and under the counter. In that 20×10 house, there would be enough room for a 100 litre fridge (a 60″ x 24″ x 24″ space).
I don’t know about others, but I prefer a fridge that can hold a week’s worth of food, not two to three days.
I’m with you there! Fridge and backup power for it are highest on the “must” list.
Every time I see one of those fridges I say excitedly to my self “ooh, this one has a dishwasher” then I sadly realize that it is the fridge.
What’s up with that ridiculously tiny kitchen sink? How can you wash anything more than a coffee cup in there?
I would like to know if those can be placed in a backyard as a “guess house” (in Sarasota County, Florida). Any one knows? Thanks!
Sorry Mila….not allowed anywhere from Tampa south due to Wind Zone regs, unless you put it on wheels and call it an rv.
here’s my design:
house interior 7x8wide, 7tall
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99405731@N05/9371779389/sizes/l/in/photostream/
sml house interior 6x8wide,3.5tall
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99405731@N05/9374561476/sizes/l/in/photostream/
house garden
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99405731@N05/9374544392/sizes/l/in/photostream/
optional: bathroom and kitchen slide over on top of the bed, to compact to 6foot wide, as a trailor for traveling, than unslide it and open it when its time to live in it.
optional: design so that electric and plumbing could be put into it later
to live w/o plumbing and electrical built in: sml solar panel, heating blankets, space heater, air conditioner, rain water collection, hand pump well, sml portable water purifier that purifys sewage haz waste and salt water. go the the bathroom outside in a compost/humanure heap or scattered around in large area not where it wont contaiminate water
dont build below 40feet above sea level, flood zones, or high-risk weather hazard zones
do you like my design? suggestions? would you consider building or living in my design? fluffybunnypuff@yahoo.com
Hello,
Am Micheal, and i will like to know if you can build some Outdoor storage sheds to be picked up from your store location.
Description:
8’ x 10’ wood building
floor, walls, roof with 3-tab shingles and ridge vent, and 46” shop built double door
Also let me know the types sheds you have for sell and your forms of payment today if you charge a surcharge on credit cards payment.
Thank you & Have a wonderful business day.Warmest Regards,
Regards,
Michael Ferguson
113 N Main St
Nashville, AR 71852 .
hi this very very good site
The links listed don’t seem to be working. Does anyone have any idea if they’re still building tiny homes? I don’t see any listed on their website.
Kyle: It’s now 2018 and I’m just seeing this on the internet. We do not build tiny houses anymore. After 11 months before selling the “Dara”, we discovered the banks won’t loan money because they are moveable, and few people have the cash (in this case the $25,000 to pay outright. It was an experiment, and we LOVE tiny houses, but they just didn’t sell in our area.
I saw that you don’t do the completed tiny homes anymore. Just wanting to find out if you build the shell on a trailer with the rent to own option?