Alder Prefab Home Is Perfect for Escaping the City Life. Ferrari and Lambo Not Included

Folks, in my search for modular and mobile habitats, I ran across a crew known as Lindal Cedar Homes. If you haven't heard of them, they're a crew you only seek out if you need a habitat to be built almost overnight; yes, they're in the prefabricated home business. But, that doesn't mean much to most people, so to understand why I've chosen to bring this crew to light, we'll be living a short and imaginary life in a home dubbed the Alder 485.

Just as the company's name would imply, most structures built by this crew include a frame constructed using kiln-dried Western red cedar, and the Alder is no different. Beyond that framework, much about how each home is built isn't revealed. But if you call Lindal up, I'm sure they'd be more than happy to keep you on the phone for hours with every little detail of the Alder.

Initially, this structure was part of a different unit, the Cascade, a massive prefab villa with a price range in the millions; the Alder is just a wing of that initial home. It is considered a "stand-alone" studio apartment. But, being a prefabricated unit, it can also serve the purpose of being your off-grid vacation home.

Picture the following: it's Friday afternoon, and you've escaped the weekly grind of the city. Hop in your car, start your engine and leave the lot. This time, instead of heading to your city dwelling, why not take the overpass and embark on a four-hour drive up to your Alder, nestled neatly on that little plot of land you bought last year.

After your drive, the sun nearly setting, your Alder sits hidden in the surrounding forest, nothing but a gravel road and an occasional flicker of light through the trees to guide your way. In your driveway, at the press of a button, one of the two garage doors opens, and you slide in without a worry. Inside, you park your Ferrari and look over to the right, only to see a Lambo waiting its turn. Don't worry; you won't be judged for rooting for both teams in this place. That's one of the beautiful things about owning your off-grid haven.

To access the living space, you have to head back out and climb a flight of stairs. The look, feel, and smell of cedar flood your brain as you do. At the top, you turn your back to the front door, grab hold of the metal railing enclosing your patio, and let out a deep sight as you look at the end of another week; it's time to relax.

With a smile on your face, you head inside and aim for the shower; clothes start to fall off as you do. All washed up, it's time to whip up a light snack before watching a bit of TV in the living room. With midnight just minutes away, it's time to head to bed. Nothing out of the ordinary here, and that's the beauty of these units; everything you need is available.

The next day, you wake up to horns honking outside your home. This time around, these horns bring a smile to your face; it means that your gang has arrived to see your new home and explore all it has to offer your extended weekends. Sounds like one heck of a life to me.

At the end of the day, it's rather tricky to pin down a price for something like the Alder. Why? Simply because each home is as unique as its future owner. Every inch of the 500-square-foot (46.5 square meters) garage and 485 square feet (45.1 square meters) of living space will be defined by you and your budget. Go ahead, give ol' Lindal a call and find out how much your dream retreat will cost you. Solar power should be the least of your worries.