Shipping Container Houses

All the different ways of solving the shelter problem. To be static or mobile? Roots, legs, or wheels?
Post Reply
FrugalZen
Posts: 270
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2011 12:22 pm

Post by FrugalZen »

Anyone thought of taking an old overseas shipping container and making a house out of it?
I've seen where some people do it leaving the container basicly intact and loading it on a ship and taking it to foreign countries, putting it on a transport trailer, and going off with a place to live free for extended periods.
We even did it at the salvage yard except the truck and container bodies became storage units.
Truck bodies are cheaper than the containers but much more flimsy the containers are VERY well built and while they have a steel bottom the inside floor is usually wood...often cedar...the reason being wood is moisture absorbant for whatever moisture is in the product helping keep things dry. (new containers have a small screened air hole or two..too many people suffocated trying to sneak into the US in sealed containers).
We used to have a TV repair shop nearby that was made from a 45 ft trailer body. Set on concrete footers and the back facing out. The rear doors remove and the opening framed out with a wood wall that had a Door and Window to one side....the whole shop was 8 foot wide. Had electric, A/C, and skylights and used the restroom for the auto body shop next door (same property).
Non sea worthy containers can usually be had for a grand or two. Big business now renting them out as temporary storage units.
Operated for probably 25 years until they widened the road and the city took it out.


graynomad
Posts: 54
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2011 3:42 pm
Contact:

Post by graynomad »

I've been thinking about doing this for years. I've got the land but at present live on the road in an RV so don't need to build anything yet.
Planning permission might be a problem in some places, my shire has already allowed one so I may be OK there. Also I have 25 heavily-wooded acres so the house wouldn't be visible to the neighbors which might be a factor in the planning permission
One of my plans I've been playing with has a vertical container used as a stair well and a room at the top for relaxing with a beer in the afternoon.
I would keep the window cutouts and make shutters, that way you can lock the whole thing down tight as a drum when you're not home.
If you Google "container house" you'll see some fantastic designs.


Chad
Posts: 3844
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 3:10 pm

Post by Chad »

I have thought about this a lot. I would take some work, but it would be substantially cheaper than a regular house if done right. I just live in area where the land costs way way way more than the house on it and I would imagine there are substantial zoning restrictions.
I would think the container would be better than the truck body. The strength of the container means you don't need a full foundation.


graynomad
Posts: 54
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2011 3:42 pm
Contact:

Post by graynomad »

The strength of the container means you don't need a full foundation.
Exactly, they are designed to handle ~26 tonnes on the four corners. All you need is support for those corners.


sshawnn
Posts: 458
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2011 8:17 pm

Post by sshawnn »

I have a shipping container (for sale). The plan for it's use is now obselete in my life configuration but I will still share the plan.
It is a 40 X 8 standard metal container with a cedar floor. The doors are sturdy and functional. It was to be placed close to a moldy, mostly uninhabitable farm house. Close for two reasons, to piggyback the electrical and plumbing, and to build a lean to shed of the house's existing roofline as to shield the container from direct sunlight and foul weather to help moderate the temperature and moisture more evenly. The container was to be elevated 3 feet from ground level by poured concrete pylons and secured by chains sunk into the concrete and looped throught the container attachment points at the four corners. The plumbing supply lines were to come from the house in a jacketed barrier and through the floor of the container. The waste lines would run through the floor and back to the house to utilize the existing septic system. I would have tapped a 220 4 wire line from the existing breaker box in the house and mounted a 100 amp service box in the container.
The interior design would be limited only by the space but I will share a few key points. Full length slinding glass doors were to be placed nearly flush with the container opening while still allowing the container doors to function. This would allow security while away by securing the steel doors but maximizing natural light and airflow when inhabited. On the opposite closed end of the structure were to be the sleeping quarters. Two sets of twin bunk beds would provide sleeping for four. A "trap" door would be placed near the sleeping quarters for emergency exit into the crawl space. I had planned no windows and the only structural insults would have been holes for two circulation/exhaust fans and a electrical wall heat and air conditioning combo device for temperature extremes.
I have done at least fractionated versions of all the work needed to complete this so I planned to complete everything by myself. Moving the container would have been the most difficult task. I would have probably had to rent a crane/truck to place the container on the pylons or have built it up slowly by using a jack and adding concrete and rebar.


graynomad
Posts: 54
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2011 3:42 pm
Contact:

Post by graynomad »

That's similar to what I had in mind re the bedroom and doors. I don't suppose there are too many options really if using a single container.
I would add shutters for windows as well, no glass needed as it's warm most of the time where we are, it's more important to have through ventilation.
I jacked my current 20' container up bit by bit. Only a foot or so but the idea is sound for more.


jezter6
Posts: 31
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2011 7:22 pm

Post by jezter6 »

This has been in my bookmark folder for a while now. Sadly the email address bounced when I tried to contact the owner :(
http://www.geeksville.com/~kathy/ktainer.html


jezter6
Posts: 31
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2011 7:22 pm

Post by jezter6 »

Grr...I hate when this happens. I abandon an idea for a while, then someone brings it up again and I'm back into it like crazy....
Does anyone have any quality links for container sales? 99% of all sites I've looked at today are either vague spammary (they say containers should cost anywhere between $xxx and $yyyy) or they want you to fill in a contact info for a quote, and they want to call you or you to call them...they won't just send you a quick price list or quote over your email.
Not that I'm in the 'ready to buy' stage...so I'm only looking to see what it would cost if I did want to buy some today.
For what it's worth, I've designed my own container home based heavily on Kathy's container house I linked to above.


graynomad
Posts: 54
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2011 3:42 pm
Contact:

Post by graynomad »

In OZ I paid $3300 for a 20' container, but that was in the country, the same container was $2700 in the city + $800 freight to where I was.
40 footers aren't twice the price, maybe 50% more but I can't remember.
You're right though, I can't find any sites that quote prices up front.


johnnydougherty
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun May 31, 2020 11:31 pm

Re: Shipping Container Houses

Post by johnnydougherty »

Hi guys! I know this is an old post but I just want to ask how did you get those empty shipping containers?

Post Reply