【動画】ウォルマートで約160万円（？）で買える家が話題に
A "house" costing only about $11,000 at US retail giant Walmart has gone viral online, sparking massive buzz.
As videos spread, excitement builds with exclamations like "Is this real?" and "I want one!", alongside practical questions such as "Is it truly livable?" and "Where can it be set up?".
This "Walmart Magic" is challenging conventional housing norms, capturing global attention.
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Tiny House
As its name suggests, a Tiny House refers to a "small house," generally encompassing residences with living spaces under 40 square meters (approximately 430 square feet). This movement gained significant traction, especially in the United States, following the 2008 Lehman Shock, driven by a desire for reduced financial burdens, environmental consciousness, and a minimalist lifestyle. It offers a new alternative to the traditional value of "success through owning a large home," promoting rich living with only the essentials. Benefits include lower (or no) mortgage payments, reduced maintenance costs such as property taxes and utility bills, and a smaller environmental footprint. Tiny houses come in various forms, including mobile trailer types and those fixed to foundations. The "house" that gained attention at Walmart is believed to be a type of Tiny House DIY kit or a prefabricated home. This has made Tiny Houses, once a niche for enthusiasts, more accessible to general consumers, drawing renewed attention to their potential as an affordable housing option.
Walmart's Business Model
Walmart, headquartered in the United States, is the world's largest supermarket chain, and its business model is symbolized by its "Everyday Low Price" (EDLP) strategy. This strategy aims to attract customers by consistently offering products at low prices and generating profits through high-volume sales. The company leverages its immense purchasing power to procure goods cheaply from manufacturers and thoroughly reduces distribution costs through highly efficient supply chain management. Walmart is also characterized by an astonishingly wide product lineup, ranging from groceries and daily necessities to home appliances, apparel, gardening supplies, and even automotive products. In recent years, it has strengthened its presence not only in physical stores but also in the e-commerce sector, boosting online sales. The sale of the "$11,000 house" is a symbolic example demonstrating that Walmart is not merely a grocery supermarket but a "one-stop shop" that caters to every consumer need. Furthermore, its unexpected nature generated significant buzz, contributing to enhanced brand image and increased customer engagement.
DIY Prefab Home Kit
A DIY Prefab Home Kit is a housing package where major structural components, wall panels, and windows are pre-manufactured in a factory, intended for the purchaser to assemble them on-site. While standard prefabricated homes are assembled by professionals, the biggest appeal of DIY kits is the significant reduction in construction costs by literally "Do It Yourself." They are designed to not require specialized skills like wood cutting or joining, and typically come with detailed instructions and video guides. The "house" that became a topic of discussion at Walmart for around $11,000 is likely this type of DIY prefab home kit. Such kits shorten the construction period compared to conventional home building and eliminate labor costs, making it possible to acquire a "house" at a very low price. However, a major difference from a complete house is that after purchase, it requires securing land for installation, foundation work, connecting utilities such as electricity, water, and gas, and handling legal procedures like building permits. In the U.S., these kits are popular among those looking to easily set up a second home or guest house, used as garages, sheds, accessory dwelling units, or even as primary living spaces.