Live your dream in a flat-pack home, IKEA style!

Married with 2.4 children (one boy, one girl), a decent, reliable Volvo with plenty of storage space for those yearly camping trips to the South of France parked in the drive, a Golden Retriever running in the spacious yard of your charming semi-detached house in the suburbs... Hold on: time for a serious reality check! Chances are this ain't happening, or at least not any time soon: fewer young able are able to afford a house - 40% of young people who are buying one, opt for a repayment term of about thirty years. This is because of rising house prices, and wages that have remained fairly stable. Immotheker found out that on average, we only start doing this at around 35 - so we'll be old and grey before we can enjoy seeing that Retriever frolicking in the garden...
But should you really forget about your dream home, and consider it a mere pipe dream?



Not what Swedish furniture company IKEA is concerned!
IKEA has collaborated with Oregon architectural firm Ideabox, to launch its first line of prefabricated houses in the U.S., named the “Aktiv”, Swedish for 'active'.
The IKEA-themed dwelling is a one-bedroom home centered around space-saving furniture and products. Moreover, the hip and modern house is designed to be eco-friendly: it is equipped with facilities such as a dual-flush toilet and energy-star electronics. A combination of fiber-cement siding, corrugated metal, and a standing-seam metal roof make up the exterior of this all-in-one home.

According to Jim Russell, the president of Ideabox, the complete home “brings all the fun and design of Ideabox houses together with all the function, design, and personality of IKEA.” And, the best thing is: the Aktiv is expected to be priced at just 70,000 Euros! Also, unlike other IKEA products, you are not expected to build it yourself! (Sigh of relief, and another away from a painful divorce)

Ideabox and IKEA are now displaying the model house at the Portland Home & Garden Show. Check out this link for an idea of your future home: http://www.ideabox.us/models/aktiv/