This maybe a cheaper alternative option for buying a home.
Saw a Program about this some months ago that seemed a possible alternative to finding & or creating a different type of home..in these hard times..
Reusing Resources To Build Your Home
(http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/125564/file-698501217-jpg/images/container_homes01.jpg?t=1424301716899)
It is no secret that America is experiencing a trade deficit, meaning we take in more foreign goods than we ship out. As a result, we are seeing a stockpile of shipping containers resulting from goods that were shipped to the United States. You might even say it's a buyer's market.
We have all seen pictures of radical homes using shipping containers as their starting point. Some of these homes use a container as part of the total structure, others consist entirely of a single container or multiple containers attached together.
Seems that over the last five or ten years, the popularity of converting a shipping container into a contemporary residence has increased dramatically.
So, What's the Big Deal?
People with imagination that are looking to create a unique living experience have discovered that there is a certain industrial chic that comes with transforming a shipping container into ultra modern, minimalist, living quarters.
Containers come in two sizes – 20' or 40'. Both are 8' wide and headroom inside is a generous 8'6" to 9'6"– which taller higher than the ceiling height in a typical home.
Given those dimensions, a 20' container is approximately 160 square feet – a 40 footer is double that or 320 square feet. Compare that with a typical newer 3 bedroom home which is around 2,400 square feet. You can see that you might want to connect a few containers together to get decent square footage.
How Much Do They Cost?
I contacted a national reseller of containers and was told $5,000 to $5,500 for a 40' container. I was inquiring about a "one-tripper" which is the terminology for a container that has only been used one time. Most likely it originated in Asia and was shipped here on the deck of a cargo ship. One-trippers are the most popular due to their good condition.
But, don't forget about getting the container, or containers delivered to your location. Shipping is a big consideration as the delivery cost can equal that of the container. And unless your location is perfectly flat and easily accessible, you may have to hire a crane to come to the site and move the container or containers around. That gets spendy.
So, let's assume you want a fairly modest sized home – about 1800 square feet – you'd need about 6 containers. Six 40' containers would cost you around $33,000 plus shipping of around $33,000 for a total of $66,000. Not too bad, right?
But you probably will want windows and doors. Now you've got to hire a contractor to cut holes in the containers to install windows and doors. That is not an easy task considering the strength of the steel and the ribs on the sides of the containers. Then you have to waterproof the openings – again, not an easy task.
Plumbing and electrical also pose unique problems getting through the steel fortress. And how are you going to hang cabinetry from the steel walls? You'd better figure a way to attach steel-penetrating fasteners and then waterproof any punctures in the sidewalls.
Don't forget insulation – how are you going to attach the insulation? One method of solving all of these problems is to construct inner walls using 2x4 studs, then running plumbing, electrical, heating, cooling and insulation – over drywall.
You also have to figure the cost of sanding the exterior and interior to get a decent paint job.
With all of this going on, the price is going up. And if you are the type of person that wants a shipping container experience, you probably don't want an interior that looks like an average home, so you are going to have to figure a way to do all of this stuff.
You can see that you are not going to save a ton of money by converting a container into a hip, modern residence. In fact, quite the opposite – you will probably spend an equal, if not more, amount of money on converting a shipping container than buying a standard, wood framed house.
It Takes a Certain Person
Since shipping containers are made from recycled or recyclable material, the "green" crowd feels they are doing the environment a favor by "repurposing" the containers. This new method of living is even spawning its own terminology:
Container Architecture – the culture of using shipping containers for living space
Cargotechture – same as above
One tripper – a container that has been used for one single shipment
But not everyone is cut out to overcome all of the issues that come with converting a shipping container into the house of their dreams.
If you think you are up to the challenge, check out some of these digs to give you some inspiration...
http://www.lakepowellviewestates.com/lake-powell-view-boat-and-rv-storage-blog-0/bid/196868/Build-Your-Shipping-Container-Dream-Home