In November, the Mooresville company will start selling what amounts to homes in a kit -- plans, materials and appliances.

The new bungalow-style homes, called Katrina Cottages, will be sold first in Louisiana and Mississippi to offer alternative, lower-cost housing to people in the Gulf Coast areas, Lowe's spokeswoman Jennifer Wilson said.

"We really wanted to give those residents a dignified alternative to the trailers supplied by" the Federal Emergency Management Agency, she said.

Lowe's plans to offer blueprints for the homes at its stores nationwide in November, but initially, the complete home packages will be available at only 30 stores in the Gulf Coast area. The company would eventually like to offer the complete package at all of its stores.

"Our goal is to get those stores [in Louisiana and Mississippi] up and running," Wilson said. "We are in talks about the second phase to have them move across the country."

Four floor plans will be offered, ranging from 544 square feet to 936 square feet. On average, the cottages will take four to six weeks to build. They were all designed to allow for future expansion.

The homes were developed by New York designer Marianne Cusato, along with several leading architects. Shortly after the storm struck the Gulf Coast, Cusato began campaigning for weather resistant, low-cost housing to help rebuilding efforts in the affected areas. In January, she displayed a prototype of the cottage at the International Builders Show in Orlando, Fla.

The homes struck a chord with Lowe's representatives at the show. Hurricane Katrina left its mark on the company, too. About 35 stores were partially or completely closed for a short time after the storm.

Officials see the homes as a way for the company to meet its goal of providing affordable housing to customers in the hard-hit area, Wilson said.

They "love that it was designed to withstand heavy rain and wind," she said. "That was an incredible feat."

The structure is made to withstand winds up to 140 mph and meets most hurricane codes, Wilson said. The building materials include a cement plank siding that is termite- and rot-resistant.

The cottage package is all-inclusive, with windows, cabinets, plumbing, electricity, bath fixtures and other home products. Customers will be responsible for land, labor, a foundation and the heating and cooling systems.

Prices haven't been finalized, Wilson said, but they will likely range from $45 to $55 per square foot, or about $25,000 to more than $50,000. Getting the land and having the homes built could cost that much again, but the cost is dependent on many factors.

Although Lowe's handles installation of many of its products, Wilson said it was not planning to provide customers with home contractors or builders.

Nor will the company offer financing, Wilson said. Customers will have to secure a home loan on their own, through a mortgage broker or bank.

"I think lenders will be receptive to this product, as long as it has a sound structure," said Jean Hedges, a mortgage broker with American Home Mortgage's Raleigh office.

"We want to help people get into affordable homes. But we want to make sure they are getting a good long-term investment."

Analysts who follow Lowe's doubt that the home packages will have a significant effect on the company's bottom line. But they say offering them will earn the company good will from customers, which could increase loyalty and sales.

"It shows company commitment to the customer, which is really positive for them," said analyst Brian Nagel of UBS in New York.

But Cusato, the homes' designer, said there have been signs that there could be a broader market for the little houses.

Some people plan to use them as mother-in-law homes. Others, said Cusato, want to use them as small starter homes, and a few plan to place one on their property to rent for additional income.

Home developers have also expressed interest in the cottages, including a local Raleigh builder, she said. She did not identify the builder.

"We have been talking to them about building a village of cottages," Cusato said during a phone interview. " I think there is a very good chance you will have them in your backyard soon."