Take one glance at Instagram’s “tinyhouse” hashtag and you’ll see millions of posts of small, modular homes making waves. The tiny house movement has increased in recent years for reasons ranging from sustainability, lower costs and minimalist lifestyles. However, a new type of small-scale housing is also on trend — cheap shipping container homes.
Shipping containers are not much to look at on their own, but for those downsizing or struggling to afford a traditional home, they’re the perfect foundation for a cost-effective, customizable dream house. Some people even choose to stack them for additional space.
Of course, there’s plenty to consider before building a shipping container home. You might even wonder if they’re actually less money to design and construct. Here’s everything you need to know about the cost of designing and building shipping container homes on the cheap.
Cost to Build a Shipping Container Home
Homeowners often like the price tag associated with building cheap shipping container homes. According to Angi, you might pay around $30,000 all-in to start — standard 160-square-foot containers cost as low as $1,200, while larger 320-square-foot containers might run about $10,000. Of course, the price increases as you include additional features and customizations.
Other costs you’ll need to consider include the following:
- Number of shipping containers you intend to use
- Cost to lay the foundation
- Materials and installation, such as electrical, plumbing, insulation, drywall and HVAC
- Labor costs, including specialty contractors like electricians and plumbers
- Costs of finishes and furniture
Nevertheless, building a shipping container home is far less expensive than new construction and resale houses. They also have resale value, so you can still view your shipping container project as an investment.
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Things to Consider About Shipping Container Homes
There’s a reason why cheap shipping container homes have become so popular. Aside from their affordability, the fact that they’re made from metal and steel makes them highly durable. They also have a small environmental footprint due to their recyclability and conduciveness to off-grid living.
Additionally, you can build modular, cheap shipping container homes 50% more quickly than traditional structures, lowering labor costs and boosting your return on investment. Constructing a shipping container home offsite also eliminates weather-related delays and can be completed simultaneously with the foundation.
Naturally, there are some disadvantages to building a shipping container home. For instance, states lack regulations for this housing trend, making obtaining permits difficult. Getting your project off the ground may prove difficult unless you live in Oregon, California, Texas and Colorado.
While shipping containers have a lower footprint, they’re not always environmentally friendly either. Consider whether your container held toxic chemicals or experienced damage during transport. Due to the risks, buyers tend to forgo used containers and opt for new ones anyway.
Shipping containers may also corrode faster in various climates, such as coastal regions with salty air. A shipping container that houses people year-round could have a life span of 10 to 15 years — those that get used occasionally may last no more than 25 years.
Types of Cheap Shipping Container Homes
Despite being rectangular, shipping containers are pretty versatile, with several design configurations available — the most popular and cost-effective design being the single container. Single shipping containers are one structure often built as a shotgun house, with each room flowing into one another.
Some buyers get creative and opt for a rooftop seating area instead of a patio. You can usually access the rooftop using a ladder, outdoor staircase or indoor stairs with a hatch door.
Buyers might also stack two shipping containers for additional space. Small-scale living can be an adjustment, especially if more than one or two people intend to live in the shipping container.
Other designs include constructing two shipping containers next to each other for larger one-floor living or crisscrossing stacked containers for a modern design. These configurations allow you to designate different living areas more effectively. Of course, using more than one container raises the costs of designing and building your shipping container home.
Cheap Shipping Container Homes: The Future of Small-Scale Living
Shipping container homes show little sign of slowing down, especially as buyers gain increasing awareness of their carbon footprint and struggle to attain home ownership in a volatile market. Although living in a shipping container requires you to make sacrifices, they still deliver opportunities to achieve the American dream.
