This 3D-Printed Tiny House in Japan Costs Less Than $40,000

Once you’ve made the decision to become a homeowner, many questions arise revolving around the size of the home, amount of rooms, location, and cost-effective solutions for repairs and renovations. The overwhelming thought of homeownership almost makes you wish that you could mindlessly build your own low-cost space. In case you’re looking for inspiration, one business in Japan is responsible for crafting an entire home using 3D-printing technology.

Japanese startup company Serendix is responsible for the tiny home, and it’s on sale for $5.5 million yen. Once that price is converted to $37,600, it’s clearly a steal, especially once you realize it’s even less than a new car (new cars cost an average of $48,008 in March 2023). Although these 3D-printed residences aren’t new, Serendix’s units are more affordable in comparison to the neighborhood of 3D-printed houses in Georgetown, Texas. 

After a smaller project by Serendix in March 2022, they unveiled the Fujitsubo, which translates to “barnacle.” The 538-square-foot tiny house is designed for one person or a couple, and it has one bedroom, one bathroom, and a living room connected to a kitchen. It’s close to the size of a studio apartment, so it’s probably not suited to a family of five. Its peculiar shape and design is a result of the technology used to craft the concrete-layered walls and the CNC (computer numerical control) machine that created the roof. Believe it or not, the entire construction process only took 44 minutes.

Serendix plans to build more 3D-printed homes in small towns, and their five printers have the capacity to build 50 homes in the span of a year. By 2024, they’re hoping to add 12 more machines to increase the amount of homes they can build annually. 

If you’ve been looking for an international escape from the U.S. housing market, it looks like Japan might be of interest to you.