SHIPPING CONTAINER HOMES.
Why would you consider container homes & for what benefit?
Is container home living, living in the rough? Absolutely not! It is a low cost outlay, but comfortable choice. This is an ideal choice for off grid living. I have been living it myself for more than 8 years now. My living is in comfort, not needing any public services (other than health, supermarket, roads, phone & internet) and I live in freedom. Yet, everything I need or want is at my finger tips. Moreover my connection with nature is great and I am loving it. Come and visit me!
But, I did not only build a 2 container home, but a 10 unit container city all by myself.
And creating a shipping container home is fast and very cost effective. Once the container is delivered to your site, the exterior shell is done, completed. And all you have to do is to carry out the internal fitout. That means you can do building work during unfavourable weather. Plus, the container shell is robust, and safe.
Safe against violent weather like storms, and bush fires, plus home invasion. A perfect choice for off grid living.
Shipping Container Homes frequently asked questions & answers
1. Why did I change to container living?
In Australia we have a housing crisis, (or housing afford-ability), energy shortage coupled to huge price changes, inflation prices for virtually all materials, and last but not least interest mortgage stress.
When I lived in Sydney and became a widower, I did not want to continue living in a million dollar home by myself. So, I sold the house and moved to the country side. Fresh air, freedom, plenty of space, and be in touch with nature. {Even with all this Covid hassle, I have not been sick for a single day in the last 8 years.}
After living in an old 2nd hand caravan for the first 6 months, I moved into my modified shipping container part of my container city and started building and decking out. I have made 2 expansions over the 4.5 years.
But I love my space and my environment. I have 52 sqm of home space plus 200 sqm in the many work shops, copious storage space and I even have a table tennis table with a ball launcher.
No doubt you are as worried as I am with the world’s issues in our post covid19 era.
With the recent events in Israel, the world has polarised. On the one hand Russia, China, North Korea, Iran — on the other hand the USA and Nato countries. The meat in the sandwich are the Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. And Australia is a small squirt of condiments on the meat. We are the collateral damage. And if China puts on an embargo around Taiwan, what do you think is going to happen to our fuel, which comes from South Korea and Singapore.
I am not a doomsday prepper, but being prepared could be beneficial.
Sustainable container living can be a real solution!
2. How can I help you achieve this also?
I heave written several very detailed ebooks about my journey. They have details what to do and why. It has costs, what did I buy and where. These methods or instructions are detailed with plenty of photo’s.
Now it is important to take note of the fact that I was 80 years old when I started this and I live alone on a 60 acre rural (RU1) block. Mind you I had to build some jigs. That was required so I could do the task by myself, and I show them to you also. Everything is there, and if you are mid life and have a partner it is a breeze.
You may be concerned that you do not have an engineering degree like me, (as long as you can handle basic hand tools), but that problem has been extinguished, because everything is in the ebooks.
There are two ways you can get information about the container project.
- There are 4 pages in the container section of free information.
- You can buy 1 or all of the 8 instruction Ebooks. Those books will give you a detailed explanation of all the building tasks.
Move to containers page 2, containers how to start
Move to containers page 3, containers build cost
3. How do the costs compare, in broad figures, of urban vs rural container house living?
- The first assumption I am making is that you are prepared to sell and move.
- You can buy a house in one of our country towns. That option will most likely cost you $700,000 at the lower end.
- Alternately you might buy an older house in one of the more remote villages , but it will still cost around $500,000.
- You can buy a small property and buy and install a tiny house between 10 and 20square meters. The property could cost you around $250,000 and the tiny house depends on the size between $70,000 and $150,000. Thus still around $400,000 and that is for maximum 20 sqm.
- Or you can embark on the container solution.
You may make an arrangement with one of the rural property owners, for an
agricultural tenancy, to rent a space of 1 hectare for say $100 +GST per week. That can be attractive to the landowner, regular income for non used land. I can help you with that also. I have a template of the tenancy document, tailored to our specific purpose. ———————————-You can buy and work on 3 x40foot high-cube containers, some coupled together. Three containers fully decked out, including kitchen and bathroom plus some extras for less than $120,000 – Plus off-grid & water for $45,000 – plus some more essentials for $15,000 making a total of just over $180,000.
That is finished, ready to live in and you will have 78 sqm of under roof living space. - However the price depends on timing and what you include and what you are prepared to build yourself.
4. What are the benefits of a container home?
A container is a very robust item. They withstood many ocean journeys in their life time and received several knocks and bumps —- and survived.
A 40 foot high cube container weighs between 4000 and 4400 kg. That weight is carried by a 100mm wide beam all around the perimeter. If we recalculate the pressure on the ground it comes to around 1400 kg/sqm. The equivalent of a footprint (100kg on 300sqcm) works out at 3300 kg/sqm. So if your foot leaves a footprint in the ground, you should not place the container there. If not, then the container can sit directly on the ground. So the benefits are:
A relatively low ground pressure.
Yet, as far as wind resistance, we are working with 4 ton. If 2 are coupled together, it would need a super cyclone to push them along.
It is all metal, so no storm damage, hail damage, bush fire resistant. But also it is intrusion resistant. {This can become enormously important, if the economy will deteriorate substantially or a China war breaks out with Taiwan, which might lead to anarchy.}
Each container has 4 small protected ventilation boxes in each corner. If they are sealed than no exterior smell, or smoke or light will enter the container. Mine are not sealed, but it may be prudent to make a temporary cover.
A high cube container (2.8m high) can have a standard 2.4 height internal living cell (the minimum acceptable height for living conditions), and still have space for ceiling and roof insulation.
The fit out will only take a short time, because the outer shell is already there. The containers are transportable and will remain so. However proper access is required to place the container in its spot. The outer shell is mass produced and therefore it is cost effective.
WHAT A LIFESTYLE !
You can book a visit to my container city for you and some partners or associates for a several hour exploration, where I will show you or answer you any of your questions or concerns. My fee for that is $330, but I would suggest no young children, as they will be a distraction against your benefit.
Please click link above.
Move to containers page 4, container project plan
Move to off grid power, Off Grid
