BOXABL Released a Full Size PREFAB HOME right before Announcing a NEW Factory!
Today I’ve got some very interesting information about Boxabl. In case you missed it, a few weeks ago I stopped by Las Vegas to check out the new three-bedroom, two-bathroom prototype they unveiled at the International Builder Show.
The trip was more than prototypes and a tough lesson at the roulette table.
I had a chance to catch up with the company’s co-founders and I’m sitting on some video that simply needs to be freed from my phone’s storage.
Rather than let the info go to waste, I figured, hey, let’s circle back and I can share some of the things I saw and heard.
Because once again, Boxabl is blowing up in the news, and love them or not, they’re always a hot topic.
The Latest Info on Boxabl
The Boxabl Casita
Boxabl is a Las Vegas-based housing startup that’s created a building system with a goal to make housing more affordable for everyone. The first product they released was the Boxabl Casita, which currently has a base price of $60,000. If you’ve been paying attention at all to Boxabl or the Casita, you know the price was $50,000, but like pretty much everything, the price went up. I think the first time that I saw the price had moved from $50,000 to $60,000 was around ECW 2022, which was in November in Los Angeles.
Price Increases and Demand
Here’s the thing: do I want the price of stuff to go up? No. Am I happy about the price of stuff going up? No. Are price increases the reality of the times we’re living in? Yeah. I’ve posted a few videos giving updates on what’s going on with Boxabl over the last few years, and one thing that seems to be a constant issue is the waitlist. And I get it, waiting sucks. But let’s just think about this for a second. What we’ve got here is a company that’s clearly identified a product that people want, and now people are pissed because a lot of other people want it as well.
The Challenge of Scaling Production
Keep in mind there are companies building off-site with homes available this year; you could probably get one next month.
But something about the package Boxabl has presented resonates with people, and their biggest problem that I can see is figuring out how to get the orders done.
However, I also look at what they’re trying to do and think about the reality of the situation for a second.
Imagine I opened a candle business but instead of using lavender and cinnamon like almost every other candle available, I simplified my offering to only green candles.
I call the business “Only Green Candles” and it goes viral with crypto enthusiasts after a tweet from Elon Musk, resulting in 160,000 pre-orders.
I had my prototype green candle, but now I have to try and figure out how to produce 160,000 more of them while also fine-tuning the product. It’s daunting, and that’s candles. Think about trying to do it with homes.
New Factories and Increased Production
Factory Two and Beyond
Right now, they’re building out of a factory located in North Las Vegas and have recently taken possession of a second factory up the street.
I was able to poke around a bit at the second factory, and it was interesting to find out that instead of being a fully separate second factory doing all the same things that are currently happening in Factory One, it’s more of an extension of Factory One.
The two buildings will be working together to produce their Casitas.
Factory Three and Future Plans
The second factory is old news if you’ve been following Boxabl; you already know about it. It’s been all over their socials, so I don’t want to waste too much time talking about it. What people should be more interested in is Factory Three and beyond. Even though they’re still moving into Factory Two, Factory Three won’t be far behind.
Breaking News: Factory Three
I’ve been sitting on this little tidbit for a couple of weeks, so I’m not entirely sure if it’s already been released somewhere else, but if not, you heard it here first: Factory Three will be located in North Las Vegas, and by the sounds of it, it’ll be in the same business park or whatever you want to call it as Factory One and Two. Steps are being taken to increase production, and I would be very surprised if they stopped at three factories.
The Mega Factory: Boxzilla
There have been talks about increasing the factory size from the 100,000 to 200,000 square foot range to a big swinging box of a factory that’s 10 times the size. Factory Three will not be the mega factory that’s been talked about. Are you going up to Boxzilla? We’re done with that “mega” and “giga” thing; that’s yesterday’s news. We’re calling it Boxzilla. We’re looking at Texas and North Las Vegas and talking to some stakeholders and landholders. We’re very active in discussions with the six major landholders in Las Vegas, and we’ve met with all of them. I think we’re circling in on—you know, we’re dating.
New Design Options and Shipping Updates
New Facades
Something I’ve been excited to see is some of the possible facades available because I’ve seen them being promoted on Instagram. They weren’t completely finished, but they have four demo exteriors near completion outside Factory One, and they have some cool options. There was some info flying around the internet last week that the price of a Casita doesn’t include a roof, but that turned out to be fun. The price does include a roof. Imagine if it didn’t! With their exterior, you don’t have to add anything, but you can, and they’ve given examples of what that could look like.
Exterior Options
Outside the factory, they’re working on a log cabin exterior, a modern exterior, a model with a peaked roof, and a Southwest style exterior. Out of the four options being displayed, the one I would pick would depend on the use I was getting it for and where it was going.
For someone with a resort or campsite looking for units to rent or someone who wants a cottage feel, the log cabin exterior would be a slam dunk.
If you’re putting it in the city, the modern look or siding look they had on display at the building show would both be a good choice.
It all comes down to where it’s going and what it’s going to be used for, but it was nice to see a few of the possibilities.
It’s worth noting that these exteriors would have to be done by contractors on site; it’s not something that comes directly out of the Boxabl factory.
Shipping Updates
The final question I see often in my comments is when will they start shipping to people who have their name on the waitlist? From what I’ve seen, they’ve been shipping homes to the government.
