CONTAINER MODIFICATION COSTS
The container modification costs, what are they? This page and the next one will tell you.
1. WHAT IS INCLUDED IN A SINGLE 40FT CONTAINER.
EXTERNAL.
- A whirly bird
- A personal door
- A support post for roof access
INTERNAL
- Wall frame with R2.5 EarthWool insulation
- Wall cladding with MDF V board
- Vinyl tiles glued to the floor, carpet tiles in the bedroom
- Plywood ceiling with 100mm polystyrene against the roof and 50mm polystyrene on top of the plywood.
BUDGET COST (incl GST)
but excluding freight is:
$26,565
2. EXTRA INTERNAL FITOUT.
what is included.
ELECTRICAL.
- 4 spot circuit breaker board.
- LED lights clipped to ceiling. 3x5m + 1x10m + 2x3m above benches, some operated by 2 way switches.
- 14 double power points & 6 switches mounted at eye height.
BATHROOM.
- 1000mm shower cubicle with sliding doors and large shower head. Both hot & cold water.
- 900mm base cabinet with stone sink bowl and tap. (cold water only.)
- 900mm wall medicine cupboard with mirror doors.
- An incinerator toilet with flue pipe.
- 2 Towel rails- 1 hand towel ring – 1 toilet roll holder – 1 spare toilet roll.
- The walls are clad with marble look Wall Art melamine sheets.
- A divider wall with 2 520mm sliding doors.
KITCHEN.
- A 450mm wide pantry with slide out rack and door.
- 2 x 450mm and 2 x 900mm wall cupboards.
- 2 x 900mm base cabinets + 2 x 450mm three drawer cupboards (1 is a pot drawer) + 2 x 450mm 1 drawer + door cabinet
- One Franke 350mm deep sink bowl with tap (cold water only)
- One 2250 mm and one 1400mm marble look benchtops.
- A marble Wall Art splashback above each bench.
Budget cost (incl. GST.)
the prior container price plus:
ELECTRICAL $ 3,200
BATHROOM $17,800
KITCHEN $11,100
TOTAL incl GST container is now
$58,665
Electricity & Bathroom & Kitchen pictures —- Portrait
Electricity & Bathroom & Kitchen pictures —- Landscape
3. WHAT HAVE YOU GOT NOW!
So for about $59,000 you have a simple 12mx2.2m, (just over 26sqm) living space. A bit cramped in the bedroom. But adding a second container is a lot cheaper and opens up a new world. You can now have 3.5×4.4 meter rooms and a total of 52 sqm. (The size of an small suburban unit.)
HERE ARE TWO PICTURES OF THE DOUBLE WIDTH CONTAINER.
4. THE SECOND CONTAINER ATTACHED TO THE FIRST.
What is included?
Included is everything that is mentioned for the $26,565 of the first container. PLUS:
- One extra internal wall.
- The cost of cutting one hole in each container and bolts to tie them. Also there is a join in the floor, which is filled in. There is a sealing strip on the roof and a boxed in internal gutter as a safety precaution.
- The electrical work is a little cheaper by about $1,000.
- At this stage there is no allowance for cupboards and benches.
- Total extra cost $7,400
BUDGET COST (incl GST)
but excluding freight is:
$33,965
TOTAL FOR TWO: $92,630
NOW THERE ARE SOME OPTIONAL EXTRAS.
Mind some are still essential, but you may have other options. Also examine rotating pictures in the column following.
Appliance cupboard: can hold 8 appl. (12 power points) +20cm space in front for cups or pans. $1,375
Charger wall cupboard: (16 power points) $935
80L Hot water system: includes extra insulation, piping and electric timer. $1,870
A 12m sqline gutter: with ends and spout. Plus 10 specially made brackets. $400
A mobile phone signal amplifier: You cannot receive a mobile signal inside a container. This has 2 antennas and a Cel-Fi-Go repeater. $2,750
Three bedroom cupboards: Two 1000mm mirror wardrobes plus one 5 drawer 2 shelf cupboard. $1100
Fourteen living room cupb: includes 8x 450mm wall cabinets with gloss white doors, 4x 450mm base cabinets, 2x 3drawer cupboards plus one 2400×600 Laminex bench top. $4,300
LIST TOTAL: $12,730
NEW TOTAL $105,360
Here are some pictures of the optional extras — Landscape
Here are some pictures of the optional extras — Portrait
5. A NOTE ABOUT THE FREIGHT.
You should also remember that there is freight for each container (in fact it is on everything you buy), and that is really dependant on milage from StGeorge area in Sydney. My containers cost around $1200 each to bring over, (± 260 km one way) however that is a few years ago, when fuel was cheaper.
6. WHY IS THE BATHROOM COST SO HIGH?
The bathroom cost looks expensive, but that is because the incinerating toilet is hellishly expensive and represents more than half the bathroom cost. However you save an extra expenditure of $5000 or $6000 on the septic installation. Plus there are now yearly inspections and bi-annual pump outs. And if you sell a house that has a septic system, it needs an inspection certificate before you can settle. The councils are getting very focussed on removing faulty septic systems, with a view to protect the environment. And now they specifically include the rural areas. (EPA fines can run into ten’s of thousands of dollars.) But putting in a septic system on an agricultural tenancy won’t really work. And please believe me the incinerating toilet is a dream system, without any problems or issues.
7. A NOTE ABOUT STYLE AND QUALITY.
Second hand containers are exactly what they are. The “A” grade are repaired and painted, but they still have dents, and patches on them.
It was my aim to produce a low cost living opportunity. Therefore I had to make judgement on what was needed for comfortable living. I won’t chase or be awarded for luxury, class, style or architecture.
As a manufacturer I am aiming at a comfortable, pleasant, functional, and practical living space.
It is the people that live in a house that are creating a home.
8. THE ESSENTIAL THIRD CONTAINER.
If you can afford it, life will be a lot easier for you. That is to buy a third container. This container will have:
- The electrical substation. The batteries and inverters cannot live outside. A 2 meter wide section is OK.
- The pump house and filtration setup. They also prefer to live inside. (I had them originally in a garden shed.)
- The Laundry needs to go somewhere. Mine was also originally in the garden shed. But it can be combined with the water pumps and a 3.6 meter section is good.
- Every home needs storage area. Where do you have things like bikes, fishing rods, BBQ, work tools, Camping gear, travel suit cases etc, ect. You now have a 6.4meter x 2.2 meter section.
You can go back to the following containers pages: —- introduction —- why did I change —- agricultural tenancy —– costs page2 —- the steps to take —- containers layouts
