Kit homes, or homes that come in pieces ready for assembly, are not a new phenomenon. Back in the nineteenth century, people all over the United States could open their Sears, Roebuck catalog and order one of several styles of homes that would be loaded onto a train and shipped to the customer. Craftsman homes in a few distinct styles can still be seen in just about every state in the Union, and are now considered historically valuable properties.

Kit homes may have lost their popularity for a while with the creation of post-World War II tract housing, but they're back, with a few big changes. Now you can pretty much design your own home courtesy of a number of companies, deciding on one of a number of floor plans, before your building is created according to your specifications. And added to conventional homes are popular log cabin designs, geodesic domes, and minimalist kits which can be ordered room by room and put together using as many units as you want.

Most customers order kit homes for two reasons: cost savings and individual choice. Kit homes can cost substantially less than stick-built homes, primarily because the owners can do most of the construction work themselves. An added benefit is that, in many cases, the owners can actively participate in the design of the home, adding individual features that complement their own lives. The combination of substantial savings and the ability to individualize one's home make kit homes a great deal.

Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire. She has written numerous articles for local and regional newspapers and for a number of Internet websites, including Tips and Topics. She expresses her opinions periodically on her blog, http://beyondagendas.blogspot.com She may be reached at amfredenburg@yahoo.com