Shipping Container Houses

A long while back we addressed the question of whether you can live in a storage unit, that is on a storage facility premises, and we counseled against the idea to put it mildly. However, there are some quite canny people out there who delight in getting as much out of a small space as possible, by virtues of intelligent craftmanship and design. I have seen some one bedroom and studio flats in highly populated cities equipped to suit all needs, and perhaps a bit of one-up-man-ship into who can get the most into their minute flat leaving the most space. There are whole TV programs about this sort of thing as the process of conception through to execution is documented.

There have been however some very interesting incentives for using shipping containers as living spaces. One of the key benefits about shipping containers is that they are modular, so you can stack them in various configurations and you effectively already have the house built and ready to be decorated. It is obviously environmentally friendly to be reusing the materials, and you can even garden on top the containers if you can get up there. The containers are safe places to live too if you apply strong windows and doors. And of course they can be kitted out just like any other living space with all the expected amenities – plumbing, electrics, heating, insulation and lining – and specialised kitchen and toilet units can be installed. So in effect, just like any other home, just one that has had another life on the seas previously!

Here is a well known container housing incentive from the outside:

Looks very bohemian and arty doesn’t it. How about inside:

Quite nice isn’t it? Looks cozy in the best possible way, and could easily make myself at home there.

You might think this is a lot of bother, when you can just scour the housing market for good deals. However, these homes are cheap first and foremost, but they are cheap because their construction is very cost effective, rather than typical housing which might be cheap because it is in a rough area or is in poor condition. And the construction of a shipping container home can be instructive if you want it to be – you can learn a thing or two about various home improvement tasks, which might come in handy one day should you wish to move into more conventional housing. Finally it instills some good living ethics – there is no doubt that space is a premium in container homes, so it is an ideal opportunity to downsize possessions to the essentials (self storage, anyone?) and be generally a lot tidier and cleaner in your housework and presentation. Perfect for reformed mucky pups.

This isn’t it though, shipping containers can be put to use as business and commercial premises too. In fact it can be a unique selling point to get people to come to your office or shop if you come up with some extra snazzy features. Again, you can use the best of the space, and incorporating a minimalist feel will get plenty of people inside and give a perception of space despite the obvious confines of the unit.  It is true that many local authorities are now starting to see the benefits of shipping container homes and other sorts of reusable material housing as a cheap way of dealing with property price and housing issues in large cities. Are you ready to come on board?

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