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ALTERNATIVE HOUSING – A WAY TO MINIMALISE AND SAVE By Cherry Ellis One must, indeed, adapt to survive. Over the past 1820 months during the Covid-19 pandemic, businesses had to re-think the way they operate to stay in business, and retain valuable intellectual property and skills. In order to minimise living costs, two buzz-words have emerged: “tiny houses” and “container living” (ie “alternative, but comfortable housing”). In an exclusive interview with SA Builder, Brahm Meyer, business manager at Indemandtrading, said: “Alternative living spaces, or ‘tiny homes’, have seen a drastic increase in demand in SA over the past few years. The current property market in our country has grown very healthily, but due to the economic downturn and related social circumstances, people can’t afford traditional bricks-and-mortar homes.” More and more buyers, mainly couples and retirees, he added, are opting to move out of high-density areas to where land’s still available at an affordable price – and this is where a tiny home becomes a very practical, effective and economical option.
(Above, from top): Old shipping containers can be utilised for any space, the client desires. (Photo: Rebirth Modular Trends); tiny houses have become a popular alternative for housing. (Photo: Indemandtrading); container homes can have all the finishes that a conventional house has. (Photo: Rebirth Modular Trends)
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“This alternative isn’t a new concept in Europe, mainly because it arose from limited space and the high costs of owning property or renting, which saw a change of culture among many people to owning alternative properties like tiny homes,” said Meyer.
SOUTH AFRICAN BUILDER OCTOBER 2021
