The American dream comes in all shapes and sizes. At the Tiny Houses of Georgia dealership in downtown Augusta, it takes the form of a 400-square-foot home on a flatbed trailer.
This story by Damon Cline originally appeared in The Augusta Chronicle.
The “tiny home” trend – fueled by demographic changes and popularized by HGTV programs such as “Tiny House, Big Living” – has hit Augusta, Ga.
Childs’ long-term goal is to sell three to four homes per month. The homes range in price from just under $50,000 to just under $70,000, depending on the model and options. Because tiny homes are more common in West Coast markets with sky-high housing costs, Childs spends most of his time educating local consumers.
“The biggest problem with tiny homes is the stigma,” said Childs, pointing to the wheels underneath a “Zion” model parked at his Greene Street lot. “In their minds, these are nothing but mobile homes. They’re not mobile homes.”
Legally, the homes are considered “park model” RVs; they even come with an RV Industry Association license affixed to the front door. The RV designation creates an additional layer of confusion.
“They’re not really RVs because they don’t have a motor and you can’t just tow them behind an F-150,” Childs said, noting that most tiny homes seen on TV are designed to be towable. “These homes are 22,500 pounds. They’re the largest tiny homes on the market.”