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  4. Silicon Valley's favorite designer created a line of tiny homes that cost just $280,000. Take a look inside.

Silicon Valley's favorite designer created a line of tiny homes that cost just $280,000. Take a look inside.

Béhar's sustainable design can be tailored to suit different climates.

Silicon Valley's favorite designer created a line of tiny homes that cost just $280,000. Take a look inside.

Windows can be customized to allow for privacy or additional light.

Windows can be customized to allow for privacy or additional light.

The homes can be free-standing or tethered to the ground with pillars.

Residents can also adjust the layout to include full kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms, bedrooms, and offices.

Béhar said the homes are optimized for two types of tenants: parents moving in with their children in backyard "granny flats" or young adults returning home from college.

The units cost around $280,000, including all the finishes and fixtures.

The units cost around $280,000, including all the finishes and fixtures.

The designs are made available to consumers thanks to a collaboration with PlantPrefab, which builds custom homes for urban markets.

But Béhar said the homes are suitable for all types of communities.

"I'm excited about the urban possibilities, but also the suburban and farm areas that are in need of fast and efficient housing," he said.

While the designs have garnered interest from individual homeowners, Béhar said one of his prospective clients includes a small farming community that's looking to provide low-cost rental units to local workers.

Béhar plans to design a similar model for less than $100,000.

Béhar plans to design a similar model for less than $100,000.

With help from robotic manufacturing, the homes could eventually aid cities in their mission to develop more affordable housing.

For now, they're attracting customers who want to build quickly and efficiently.

The homes can be manufactured in a month and installed in a single day. They also come equipped with electrical units and heating and cooling appliances, and inspections are performed at the factory — not on-site.

"I think the flexibility and the customization, rather than a cookie-cutter product, are what get people excited to design the product with us," Béhar said. "I can see a lot of variants in the way that ADUs are used."

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