DENVER — Space isn't cheap in Colorado's red-hot real estate market, which is why the concept of smaller living is catching on quickly.
Kasita, an Austin-based company, is bringing modular living to Denver early next year and gave tours of their units Friday during a national road trip.
The modular homes are around 350-square feet. They have a full bathroom, kitchen and living room which turns into a bedroom and sitting area with large windows.
While the concepts are similar, the modular units that were showed off on Friday are not considered tiny homes.
"It's not on wheels, for one. It is meant to be craned off the trailer and placed on permanent foundation," said Matt McPheely with Kasita.
A developer plans to offer 24 of Kasita's modular studios to prospective buyers in Denver's Berkeley neighborhood at 43rd Avenue and Tennyson Street.
In the heart of the neighborhood, each home is being built off site and will be placed on a permanent foundation inside the building framing.
"We give you the best chance for [these types of homes] to be allowed," said McPheely.
He explained each modular home or Kasita is built to international building codes and are permitted through the state. Buyers are still required to go through the city permitting process, but the process is easier than with (mobile) tiny homes.
"It's completely built off-site and then shipped to the site and placed rather than building stick by stick," said McPheely.
Building off-site, he said, allows them to keep rising labor costs down, avoid weather delays, and therefore keep the homes affordable. Each Kastia costs $90,000 to $130,000.
"Provides supply that may be tough to get any other way," said McPheely.
The whole idea is to make it easier to live small with only what you need and less of what you don't.
