Weehouses, ack! Anytime someone mentions $100+/sq ft housing not counting the land, I get dizzy. $35-50/sq ft is a frugal target... recycling cheap homes meets the frugal goal much better some architect's high concept.
@Marius I have to agree, but I'm also a little wary of all that glass. I'd feel uncomfortable unless my house was buried in the middle of nowhere. And that would be a lot of glass cleaner.
Doubt SO would want to move to the East Bay, let alone myself. However houses in Gilroy are about 120k right now. Actual houses! with yards big enough to sustain trees! Albeit the 100 degree weather a couple months out of the year could be bad
20 minutes from San Jose, 30 minutes from Monterey, 30 minutes from Moss Landing (they have open slips right now I believe too - and MBARI is located there and they are hiring PHd's ).
Close enough, but far enough. About the same climate as what your in now I guess...
It wasn't cheap in the housing boom - and yeh, it is the Garlic Capital of the world. Nearby you have Salinas - Salad Bowl Capital of the World, Prundale - Artichoke Capital of the World, Watsonville - Strawberry Capital of the World.
There's more but I can't remember them all right now
@Checking Carly: Two of my best friends live in a shipping container outside of town. They have a work for stay arrangement with the property owner. They have a solar panel on the roof for all their electrical needs, a fridge and sink in the garage of the main house, and showers and exercise at the Y. Other than issues with the work for stay arrangement, I think they're pretty happy. The container seems huge compared to a sailboat.
I love the idea of living in a shipping container! My BF and I were going to buy a 20ft to store all our things in while overseas, but my father said he would go in 50/50 for a 40 ft to use a temporary "office/workshop" while he builds his new house. 2 years later he's still working out of the connex and is finally framing the inside of the house (he's doing it all himself, with the occasional slave labor from my sisters and I). When he gets done with it I really want to start thinking about turning it into an "RV", its about the same size as the big busses so would fit in a large rv parking space. Moving it would only take a call to a shipping company that can come, crane it onto the truck bed and deliver it where-ever, no moving tough moving! BF might take some convincing, but theres time for that. I really think the biggest problem would be getting approval to "move in" to a park. I can see even long term parks like we have all over FL not allowing a shipping container.
I've always thought those cargo containers were uninsulated and horrible in the heat & cold... not true? Or did your dad install substantial insulation?
@George the original one - They dont come with much of any insulation, but with the right materials insulation is easy to add. Right now it has 1" plywood covering the floor and ceiling and nothing along the walls. Not that it needs any for its current use, but I would be adding insulation on all sides, especially on the roof (I'm in FL, the sun really bakes things). Right now it sits under the oaks on old bridge pilings we scavenged when the road crews were rebuilding our road. They were more than wiling to load them onto our trailer and let us drive off with them. Im thinking to use this one to learn on, and keep it at my parents for a "guest cottage" then take that experience into making what I really want.... When I have the time... after FI!
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