Is China Taking Over America's Tiny Home Game? Delivers Amazing Habitats for "Under" $20K

Folks, the image gallery before you is filled with examples of tiny homes. Some are bigger than others, some more modern, but all are from the same Chinese manufacturer, and according to Foshan Kindle's Alibaba page, these babies don't cost a dime beyond $19K, with some obvious catches, of course.

For example, to get your hands on a tiny home of this price, you'll need to buy bulk; after all, China's not messing around when it comes to production. And if you hit a certain target of units, you can even get that price reduced to $18K (€16,500 at current exchange rates), maybe even less. Obviously, you'll need to cover shipping and import taxes, so let's take a step back and see what we're up against here.

First and foremost, I cannot help but point out that the Alibaba pages for these homes state that they're "Expandable Inflatable" tiny homes. I'm not sure where the "Inflatable" part comes in in all this, but what I think they meant to say was 'modular.' Or was that for the "Expandable" bit?

Anyhow, it doesn't matter much that insignificant details were lost in translation. What matters is that these things could very well be our ticket to joining the tiny home movement, or, get this, you get yourself a few of these babies, throw in a bit more cash to get the interiors just right, and open up a neat little cabana-style B&B overlooking some lake, beach, or other natural attractions. Come to think of it, keep things simple and just flip them for a small profit.

Now, as you've noticed, there are countless styles and units to choose from, some with a single axle, some with a double axle, and even three-axles. Some units come across as more modern, while others portray that proverbial house on the prairie look. Judging by the images here, units can even include elevated lofts from where you can peak at the world around you without ever getting out of bed. Heck, one layout, although a rendering, even showcases a rooftop patio on one of the units. I wonder if we'd get what we ordered with that one.

And yes, judging by what we see and what the manufacturer's product page states, these babies are brought to life using mostly fiberglass and wood, obviously, with a few metals here and there, like the corrugated roofs and even exterior siding portrayed by some of the units.

But, it's once we decide to head indoors that we start to notice a bit of an issue. The images offered by the manufacturer may lead us to believe that these units are already furnished, but, alas, they aren't; they're just here to give us a bit of guidance as to what your unit could eventually look like.

Now, that price is bound to sound amazing, but there are a few speedbumps you'll need to handle before getting your hands on a pair of these potential investments. Exploring what it would take to import such a large item from China, I learned that you'll need to have a business setup and/or become an importer.

That means taxes after taxes after taxes. I should know; I, too, had to take up the title of "importer" as I've had large commercial goods shipped over from the Land of Silk. I'll let you in on a secret: the taxes aren't that bad, but what you're importing does matter.

Up next, you need to consider that your units will surely need assembly, even if you get it delivered with walls erected. So, you'll need to weigh your options for this one, but yes, you and your friends, family, or workforce will need to play with some very life-size LEGO pieces before you're looking at a shell that's in dire need of furnishings. After all, you can only sleep on an inflatable mattress for so long. Oh, and you can be sure you'll need to bring your own life-giving systems and possibly even need to draw up plumbing lines.

But one thing seems to be certain: Foshan Kindle will deliver. According to reviews on Alibaba, several US customers have had their orders met on time and with flying colors, and it's not just tiny homes that this crew manufactures and delivers either.

Foshan, like many other Chinese manufacturers, is one of those crews that doesn't just specialize in tiny homes; they craft an array of trinkets, including truck campers, travel trailers, boats, utility trailers, and countless other gear and components, while being apparent masters at working with materials the likes of steel, aluminum, fiberglass, and wood. If you've been looking for a sign to get started on your very own tiny home business, this might be it.