Online Shopping for Prefabricated Houses
Online shopping for prefabricated houses is gradually gaining popularity worldwide, with Chinese prefabricated houses becoming one of the representatives of 'Made in China with Intelligence'.
I. The Popularity of Online Shopping for Prefabricated Houses In recent years, online shopping for prefabricated houses has gradually emerged globally, particularly attracting widespread attention in countries like the United States. Data shows that in the first six months of this year, the gross merchandise volume (GMV) of the mobile housing category on Alibaba.com increased by over 50% year-on-year, with American buyers accounting for more than 20%, followed by Australia and Mexico. Chinese 'prefabricated houses' have become popular in over 160 countries and regions worldwide.
II. Typical Cases of Online Shopping for Prefabricated Houses Some American couples have ordered foldable prefabricated houses from China through Alibaba, a Chinese cross-border e-commerce platform. For example, Kurt and Cher found Hexi Integrated Housing Company through Alibaba and ordered an expandable container house. It was produced in a Chinese factory for 30 days and then transported by an ocean-going freighter for another 30 days to reach a US port. Another American couple, 'Grateful Off-Grid,' purchased a prefabricated house with two bedrooms, one living room, and over 70 square meters online. It came with an independent kitchen and bathroom, equipped with a sink, toilet, water heater, and ample charging ports. They completed the house setup themselves, with a total cost of approximately $28,689 (less than 200,000 RMB). Moreover, since they did not carry out ground hardening or foundation laying, the house was classified as non-real estate locally, exempting them from property taxes.
III. Characteristics of Prefabricated Houses These prefabricated houses can usually be stuffed into shipping containers in a folded state, making transportation convenient. The interiors of the houses are mostly pre-assembled, although some components, such as the kitchen, may require buyers to assemble them themselves, with instruction manuals provided for guidance.
IV. The Situation of China's Prefabricated House Industry China's prefabricated house industrial belt is mainly concentrated in places like Hengshui, Hebei. Local factories output foldable prefabricated houses to the United States, Europe, Australia, and the Middle East at a monthly capacity of thousands of units.
