scorecardThis $10,000 tiny home can be built with a single tool in less than a day
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This $10,000 tiny home can be built with a single tool in less than a day

The home is located in Changchun Jie, a small town outside Beijing, China.

This $10,000 tiny home can be built with a single tool in less than a day

Mrs. Fan lives there with her son. They used to live in a one-story house on the site, but it was falling apart. That home was demolished before the Plug-in House's construction. Here's a before and after.

Mrs. Fan lives there with her son. They used to live in a one-story house on the site, but it was falling apart. That home was demolished before the Plug-in House

The Plug-in House is much more modern.

The Plug-in House is much more modern.

It features a kitchen that connects to a living room, two small bedrooms, and a bathroom.

It features a kitchen that connects to a living room, two small bedrooms, and a bathroom.

The interior lets in a lot of natural light.

The interior lets in a lot of natural light.

Even the shower has a skylight.

Even the shower has a skylight.

Steps on the side of the house lead to a roof deck.

Steps on the side of the house lead to a roof deck.

Anyone can construct a Plug-in House "The structure is built without any machinery and does not require specialized labor," Shen says.

Anyone can construct a Plug-in House "The structure is built without any machinery and does not require specialized labor," Shen says.

It's made of dozens of panels that connect with one tool: a hex wrench.

It

Its construction doesn't require much skilled labor, and the panels are cut off-site to reduce cost.

Its construction doesn

The Plug-in House's construction is similar to that of PAO's Courtyard House, a ready-made retrofit launched in 2016 that updates homes while still preserving historical style.

The Plug-in House

Unlike the Courtyard Houses, 20 of which were subsidized by the Beijing government, the first Plug-in home was funded by Mrs. Fan.

So far, the PAO has built two Plug-in homes, with plans for more.

Shen sees the project as a low-cost housing solution for residents who don't have a lot of money to spend on a new home. "Because the Plug-in House can be conveniently flat-packed, shipped, and put together, we can build it in remote locations that are usually difficult to build in," he says.

Shen sees the project as a low-cost housing solution for residents who don

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