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April Stringfield and her 13-year-old son are now the proud owners of a brand new 3-bedroom home in Virginia. This house was one-of-a-kind however because it was the first 3D-printed home built on the east coast for Habitat for Humanity.
With lumber prices soaring, the 3D-printed home cost HFH 15% less per square foot than a standard build. The home itself is made mostly of concrete, which is not only better at temperature retention than wood but also much more weather-resistant.
The entire home was built in an astonishing 12 hours, eliminating the need for weeks of construction work. If April needs a repair, the home comes with a small 3D printer to create pieces like outlet covers.
While most probably think that Habitat for Humanity gives homes to people for free, that's actually not the case. They sell homes to families with low-moderate incomes on a 20-30 year no-interest mortgage that is paid monthly. To be eligible, people must volunteer more than 300 hours of service and have an income that is 45-80% of an area's median income.
April logged her 300 hours, some of which were spent building her own home, all while working full time at a nearby hotel. Her new home is equipped with solar panels to keep energy costs low.
"I can’t imagine a better Christmas gift," she said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony on the front porch.