By the time kids reach their teen years, they start to become desperate for independence. They feel like adults and want to live like one (even though most aren’t prepared for the realities of what it truly entails). When couple Matt and Linda realized their teenage daughters were ready to branch out on their own, they figured out an ingenious way to keep them close: They bought the girls two container homes so they could do their own thing while still being near their parents.
- The containers came from Alternative Living Spaces. Each home is 340 square feet and costs $60,000, though the company will fully furnish them for you for an additional $10,000. Not bad for a full house, albeit a small one.
- The girls can stay close to home without being under their parents’ thumbs. As Matt explained, “The girls can live in there but we both have aging sets of parents that are getting older and we thought, well, if we had these storage containers, we have this multi-generational setup that we could put them out there.” It simply made sense.
- Of course, Matt and Linda can still keep an eye on Maddie and Ashley! While they have their own homes, the fact that those old homes are in their parents’ back yard means they’re never too far from a watchful eye — and of course help if they need it.
- Eventually, the girls were always going to move out. Their parents know that and have always accepted it. However, it could be a good idea for Matt and Linda to move into one given that there are no stairs and they’re much more accessible. If they need that in their older years, that’s always a possibility.
- Ashley eventually decided to move out to attend college. At that point, Maddie’s friend Braedon decided he would be into renting the empty container home for a while. It worked out perfectly.
- Maddie’s still at home and her space is super comfy. She has air conditioning, a comfy living room with a sofa and TV, and even a kitchen. However, she never uses the kitchen because she still cooks and eats at her parents’ house. This seems like a pretty sweet setup, to be honest!