Affordable housing has become something of an oxymoron. Housing to purchase or rent in Carroll County has become scarce, with few openings and much higher prices than seen a couple years ago. Building costs have soared. The U.S. Census Bureau reports estimates construction costs went up by 17.5 percent from 2020 to 2021, the largest spike since 1970.
Some people are turning to portable buildings to provide a shell of a living space that can then be turned into a small home suitable for short or even long-term housing.
“Most customers tell me that local home builders have a two-year waiting list,” Berryville Portable Buildings Manager Caroline Rogers said. “They are also being told it will be very expensive to build. So, I’m seeing people who are living in motorhomes and RVs, which are not meant to be lived in full time. They soon realize that. What some people are doing is buying one of our buildings to live in while they keep hoping and praying the contractor will come through. We have fewer contractors than in the past. Many home builders are aging out, and it doesn’t seem that as many young people are going into the profession.”
Rogers sells portable sheds built by Derksen in climate-controlled facilities that prevent the deterioration of building out in the weather. She makes the clarification of a Derksen building being used for housing that they are not allowed within city limits due to building code restrictions. There can also be restrictions in unincorporated areas of the county like those that have homeowners’ association covenants.
“We are a shed company, not a house company,” Rogers said. “Because of our styles and the way we construct these buildings, people are turning them into weekend getaways, to rent out for AirBnBs, or maybe full-time homes. I have five on my property, and they are all for different reasons. One is completely finished for living. I’m working on a second one.
“What we are is a well-made shell of the building. It puts the person out of the weather to go in and quickly do insulation, electric, plumbing and finish it out. They are several stages ahead. It can help prevent mold from building outside in uncertain conditions. We build them in an airplane hangar.”
Derksen buildings use treated wood on the floor, and the wall studs are 2 in. x 4 in. at 16 in. on center with 2 in. x 6 in. roof joists on larger buildings. The exteriors can be all metal or LP SmartSide products. Rogers said that is a high quality man-made product with a 50-year pro-rated warranty. They offer treated wood exteriors, as well.
Rogers said if someone wants a weekend getaway for a single person or couple, the Derksen 12 ft. x 28 ft. cabin would be a good choice with room for a pullout bed, kitchenette and bathroom.
“Think of it like a hotel efficiency room,” Rogers said. “If someone is creative, they can do a lot in a twelve foot by twenty-eight foot space. That runs about $10,000 and up. People do their own insulation, either spray foam or many people prefer the Styrofoam board because it is much easier to put up than pink insulation and cheaper than spray foam.
“Then you can put up sheetrock or paneling. A sawmill in Harrison has shiplap pine in 4, 6, 8, and ten inch. There are cedar mills, too. The interior paneling adds to the insulation factor and looks nicer. LP SmartSide for the exterior can also be used for the interior, and it was better than most paneling. Paneling used to be quarter-inch thick. Now it is almost like paper.”
Derksen, which has been in business for 25 years, used to have a 12 ft. x 16 ft. shed building as its largest offering, but through the years, the sheds got bigger. They now have one that is 16 ft. x 50 ft. that can be transported by one truck with one driver.
With the hilly Ozarks, a problem can be getting the building on the site. Rogers knows a couple right now planning to hire a bulldozer and excavator to prepare their site.
Derksen can also offer extra amenities like electrical wiring and outlets, spray foam insulation, felt paper on the roof, housewrap, thermal windows, and a moisture barrier under the building.
“Our windows and doors come from Home Depot,” Rogers said. “They are home grade products. We also have these great roof dormers that really change the appearance, so it doesn’t look like a shed. It adds character to the interior roof. We also changed the roof line. It used to be 2/12 pitch and is now a 5/12 pitch. It looks more like a house.”
Rogers also cautions that Carroll Electric is going to require a permanent water supply and permanent septic tank before installing electric. It used to be you could get ten acres, and Carroll Electric would come in and drop a pole. Now it is not that simple. But if a buyer goes totally off grid, they aren’t concerned about that.
Rogers has suggestions on her Facebook page, berryvillecabinsandshedsar. She posts updates almost daily from photos sent in by customers.
Interest in using Derksen buildings for homes was profiled on a YouTube video. “Ever since that video came out, interest has exploded,” Rogers said. “Derksen has come up with some wonderful additions that really make our building much more than a shed. I had one customer contact me for a Derksen who had called a contractor and it was going to be well over $100,000 to add one-bedroom to an existing home. They bought a Derksen and hired a crane operator to lift the building up over the existing structure and put it close to their home with a walkway attachment. This kind of option can be great for aging or handicapped people. Sometimes kids have to move back with mom and dad, but mom and dad don’t want them in the house.”
Recently they delivered Derksens to a grandmother, a daughter and a granddaughter. All three generations have a Derksen. One woman recently purchased seven Derksens for a glamping operation.
“I’ve had so many people say they are going to do an AirBnB out of a Derksen,” she said. “Some people use them on their property until they can get a home built. Our Derksens are actually stronger than some trailers that are built with one-inch by three- inch studs.”