Hidden Gems: Meet Allison Lyons of House in a Box

Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Lyons. They and their team shared their story with us below:

House in a Box LLC has a novel idea: save people money on the build of their container home so more can experience the American Dream! 

The dream began decades ago when Sandra, CEO/Boss Lady, served in the United States Air Force. A desire to protect our nation, Sandra enlisted to serve her fellow Americans. At the core of her convictions was a strong belief in the American Dream and that through sweat and hard work, this dream could be realized. 

Decades after Sandra’s honorable discharge, the American Dream seems out of reach. One of the core tenants of the Dream is home ownership and the pursuit of happiness. As inflation skyrockets, the financial pinch has squeezed hard-working Americans and pushed their dream of home ownership and side hustleship beyond grasp. 

Could a company be created that helps Americans flip the current script? 

Do office spaces really need to be leased from a property manager? 

Do we need to be striving for oversized homes that we can’t afford to furnish, have no time to enjoy, and struggle to maintain? 

Could a company encourage people to pursue a simpler way of living? Or a getaway property for quality family time? Or a studio from which to teach music or art or yoga or ceramics? 

It’s in this tension that House in a Box was born. 

We are a small, family-owned business nestled in the foothills of Cincinnati, Ohio. We’ve experienced both the disappointment of a goal being out of reach but also the reward of hard work. We’ve lived tiny. We’ve built homes. We’ve built families. We’ve chased dreams. Now, we want to add you to the House in a Box family – come seek your American Dream with us! 

SANDRA (SAMMONS) WHITLEY 

Co-Owner / CEO / Cat Lady / Visioneer 

A proud veteran of the United States Air Force, Sandra transitioned from jet engine mechanic to contractor with 22 years of experience & leadership in the residential construction industry. Two of those years included building houses for Ken & Anita Corsini’s Red Barn Homes on HGTV’s hit show Flip or Flop Atlanta! She has also renovated hundreds of homes in Georgia and Ohio! 

The 11th of 12 children, she understands the importance of financial stewardship and working hard to achieve a dream! With working knowledge of national building codes and a proven entrepreneurial track record, Boss Lady Sandra is House in a Box’s visioneer! Every step of the way, she spearheads keeping costs low and quality high so YOU, her fellow American, can experience the pride of affordable home ownership. 

ALLISON (SAMMONS) LYONS 

Co-Owner / Chief Marketing Officer / Overall Lover 

Allison has 20 years of experience in training, marketing, and social media in the construction & public safety technology industries. She brings her #HappyToServe mentality into all she does in honor of her late father, David Sammons! 

As a mom of two curious children, Allison has learned the art of explaining anything to anyone. Pair that with her passion for DIY and getting her hands dirty, and you have the content creator/communicator responsible for everything HIAB. She brings OUTSIDE the box thinking to our House in a Box family! 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We’re a startup so we’ll call the road gravel, not yet paved! We have the construction knowledge and confidence to chase this dream! Funding is definitely the obstacle… we pulled together personal finances to build our flagship model, The Jackson… mainly as a proof of concept to see if our idea could be brought to life. Now that we know it’s a viable business, we’re relying on the sale of our first model or investors to continue with securing our own headquarters & production facility so we can build our second-floor plan, The Colton. We believe that from there, with financial stewardship, the sale of each container will snowball into funds for company growth and more avenues to offer affordable housing! 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
You should know we’re a lean, not-too-mean, aunt & niece machine aimed at saving customers money by getting them in on the action of their home build! With labor being a large expense in any construction project, we give the option for customers to handle some finish work themselves (cabinets, flooring, fixtures, trim). Sweat equity gives a great sense of pride and accomplishment, and we believe everyone is capable of more than they imagine! 

We’re most proud of our family roots… Donald & Marilyn had 12 kids and raised them in a small home on Donald’s income. Marilyn drew the blueprints, and Donald built the home. We come from simple living and see how far America has deviated from it. With house prices soaring and incomes not keeping up, we want to provide an option that gets people under roof without a crazy monthly lease or mortgage. 

We’re also two women who have always gravitated toward male-dominated industries. Sandra was a jet engine mechanic in the Air Force and has 22 years experience in construction. Allison worked for the nation’s largest concrete contractor and a nationwide home builder before serving 11 years in local public safety technology. We’re not afraid of hard work, having finished our flagship model with our own hands! 

Who else deserves credit in your story?
Our family and friends have cheered us on from the first firepit meeting when Sandra revealed her big idea called House in a Box! Ian, a nephew/cousin helped stand the company up with finding a place to build the first model and as an investor/laborer. Cousin Myron is using his expertise in the banking industry to help us grasp all the financing options and caveats. Allison’s husband Kevin is a logistics broker and will handle shipping containers to clients. Old colleagues from our past jobs have shared our social media posts, attended our open houses, and given encouragement every step of the way. Nephew/cousin Tyler did the heavy lifting of drywalling the ceiling! Allison’s mom even ruined her nice coat painting trim 🙂 When we say this is a family-operated company, we mean it! 

Pricing:

• $55,000 The Jackson stuffed for you to finish
• $75,000 The Jackson finished & delivered
• $75,000 The Colton stuffed for you to finish
• $95,000 The Colton finished & delivered

Contact Info:

• Website: www.houseinaboxllc.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/houseinaboxllc
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/houseinaboxllc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/house-in-a-box-llc
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@houseinaboxllc
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/house-in-a-box-fairfield-2

Image Credits
Allison Lyons