14 Kit Homes You Can Buy and Build Yourself

Kit homes, also called catalog or mail-order homes, come shipped to your door in flat-packs with pre-cut (and often partially assembled) materials you can assemble yourself on your property. They first cropped up in North America in the first half of the 20th century, and they’re as popular as ever among folks seeking low-cost living on a small footprint—the structures start at truly tiny 60 square feet but can be as large as 1,000 square feet, with the majority falling somewhere near the middle. Kits make these dwellings especially DIY-friendly to build, usually including all instructions and materials (except for foundation materials and roof shingles), to boot. Big or small, contemporary or traditional, kit homes are an intriguing alternative for homebuyers today, so whether you have big dreams for a tiny house, office, or vacation retreat, click through for 14 of our favorite mail-order homes to find the one you love.

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This hybrid wood cabin and garden home is the perfect weekend getaway or home office. It houses four rooms within 174 square feet, including a foyer beyond the double doors and a study area with sleek floor-to-ceiling windows that let the sun stream in. Two can build the kit home within a day.

Available at Amazon for $8,560.

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The circular layout plans of Deltec's 360° Collection of prefabricated kit homes result in distinctive, adaptable, and durable living structures. (Fun fact: The round design features no load-bearing walls, so the floor plan is completely custom.) These unique buildings are shipped in pieces, and their panelized construction system particularly suits first-time homeowner-builders.

Finished projects average $200 to $275 per square foot. Get pricing info here.

The clean lines created by the vertical wood paneling, full-length windows, and flat roof of this tiny kit studio lend it a contemporary look that’s right at home in urban settings. The light-filled 227-square-foot dwelling is a natural choice for a home office or workshop, but add in an optional wall and plumbing, and you can allocate 44 square feet as a bedroom or bathroom. The kit can be built by two people in a single day.

Available on Amazon for $9,900.

Each Bungalow in a Box from Montsweag Brook Corporation is essentially a super-efficient kit for a weathertight structural shell that's custom-designed with the homeowner in mind. Plus, the pre-fabricated components are so easy to assemble, that completion is possible within a matter of days rather than one to two weeks of conventional construction! Sizes and styles range from the 12-by-16-foot guest house (pictured) to the 32-by-36-foot barn event space. 

Kit homes with finished exteriors start at about $109 to $142 per square foot; the 16-foot-by-24-foot small house starts around $45,000. Get pricing info here.

Live in a hot climate? Retreat on balmy days under the extended roof of this shady wooden cabin, which also affords an ample patio for entertaining guests. The 113-square-foot interior can be used as a weekend home, home office, yoga studio—you name it! Buy the kit and enlist a crafty partner to build it in just one day.

Available on Amazon for $5,350.

EZ Log Structures offers some of the best value in build-it-yourself kits for cabins and one- or two-story homes. The interlocking pieces are great for even novice DIYers. Once assembled, the smooth milled logs are ready for a coat of clear wood preservative followed by a penetrating sealer stain or paint in a color of your choice.

Kit homes start around $29 per square foot; this 12-foot-by-18-foot Florida style is available for $5,523. Get pricing info here.

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