Are you considering buying or building a shipping container home? The idea of having a shipping container home intrigues many people. Using an affordable container that has been used to ship products around the world has its advantages. Multiple containers can be fashioned together to make a home to suit your needs. Even a home with living space over a few different floors can be made using shipping containers.
HuaYing supply professional and honest service.
While shipping container homes are relatively rare, it's a market that is continuing to grow thanks to the affordability it offers to homeowners. Shipping container houses are also eco-friendly, which is another excellent benefit. Here are some things you need to know before considering this type of housing:
How Do You Buy Shipping Containers?
The majority of shipping containers are constructed in China, which makes sense because they're used to ship manufactured goods around the world. Often these containers are only used once since it isn't cost-effective to return empty containers. Containers that have been used for multiple trips are less useful when building shipping container houses anyway, because of damage.
You can buy containers easily online and have them transported to your construction site. There are two main sizes available—20 or 40 feet—but you can sometimes find 45-foot containers too.
They have internal dimensions of 7’ 10” both in height and width. When you're building shipping container homes, the high-cube 40 foot contain might be better. The high-cube containers have an extra foot of height internally and because of that are a better choice when building a home.
Since you need to fit a floor and ceiling with insulation, the extra height is really valuable. The high-cube containers are more expensive, however, with costs between $4,000-5,000 typically.
How Much Do They Cost?
The cost of your shipping container home will depend very much on how large the home will be. Another factor is the quality of finish you choose and the design. Using more containers will increase your costs.
You can expect shipping container houses to range in price from about $50,000 for a small 20 foot home to more than $200,000 for a two-story home constructed from multiple containers. If you have the skills and experience, or are willing to learn, you can build this type of home for as little as $15,000 per container you use. Like modular homes, a shipping container home is going to be less costly than traditional housing.
Though if you plan to build your home yourself, you can underestimate the amount of work you’ll need to put in. Even though the home's basic structure is already done, there’s still going to be a lot of labor left to do. You'll need to pour the foundations, install a septic system, cut the container and weld, add insulation, fit pipes and electrical cords, just to name a few tasks.
The Pros of Shipping Container Housing
Lower Costs. If you can do all or most of the work yourself, you will save a lot on your home's construction. However, you do need to budget carefully to make sure your costs don’t get out of hand.
You can actually buy ready-made shipping container homes. These tend to be cheaper than the more traditional prefab buildings and are worth considering if you are looking at shipping container houses.
More Design Options. Thanks to the strength of the containers, they can be stacked eight high. This gives you a lot of options when it comes to the design of your home. Sections can be cut out of containers to join them together, though structural reinforcement may be required.
Speed of Construction. Since the building's main structure is already complete, a shipping container home can be fast to construct. There is preparation work needed, including foundations, but once that is done, pre-fabricated container homes can be finished in as little as 10 weeks.
Though if you are building it yourself, construction time is likely to be longer than you expect. Whether you do all the work yourself, bring in contractors or buy pre-fab containers, using shipping containers will save you a lot of time.
Strength. Containers are constructed to withstand high winds when onboard ships. So if they're built to stand up to rough seas, they should be strong enough for your lot's weather conditions.
The Cons of Shipping Container Homes
Structural Concerns. The strength of shipping containers has already been mentioned, but this is before you cut holes in them for doors and windows. This will naturally reduce the strength of the structure the more cuts that are made in the steel. These alterations could mean you need extra work completed to reinforce and seal the home.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Detachable Container House.
Lack of Space. Basic shipping containers require a lot of things to make them livable. While you will have the basic structure, wiring, plumbing, walls, floors and ceilings still have to be fitted. This reduces the space in the structure, making it even more restricted.
Zoning Restrictions. If you're planning to build in a particular area, you need to be sure it will be allowed. Many places will have restrictions that prevent this type of home from being constructed, and you need to be sure the zoning laws allow it before you purchase land.
One of the most vital things to check when building container homes is whether you'll be able to get a building permit for what you would like to do.
Environmental Concerns. While using a used shipping container to construct your home might appear to be eco-friendly, it might not really be the case. Building this type of home means more steel being used than more traditional constructions. It also means containers are taken out of service, with more needing to be constructed to replace them.
Might be Harder to Finance. Given that shipping container housing is sort of a newer fad, it may be harder to find a bank willing to grant a construction loan. There are more issues for lenders to consider, including a lack of comparable sales to establish appraisal values. If you find a lender willing to finance a container home, it will probably require a more significant down payment.
If you like the style of shipping container properties, the reduced costs and ease of construction, this type of property could be a good choice for you. You can have a custom-designed home constructed for less and faster than traditional building methods, but just make sure the zoning rules allow it!
NapCap is a container home created by a team who have spent years working in field operations in challenging locations. After much time spent in flimsy prefabs or tents – neither comfortable or safe considering the high-risk environments – they saw a gap in the market that needed to be filled.
This lead them to create NapCap: a full turnkey solution offering a secure, comfortable, custom-made accommodation container that could be ‘home away from home’ for those spending long stints operating remotely. They were created with the likes of Military, Private Security, NGO’s, O&G, Mining Exploration and Logistical service support organisations in mind. Ideal for challenging locations, the beauty of NapCap is that they can be used anywhere in the world.
Here are the Enigma Smart Site Services team’s tips on what to look for when choosing your container accommodation:
Does your provider have options that fit your field operation? NapCap is our Executive Model and is our standard offering, a bespoke built certified high-end container designed for living and working. This is built standard in a 40ft container format split into two 20ft living units. This allows for a rapid build process and reduction of costs with logistics. NapCap does not stop there: we provide modular solutions from containerised kitchens, laundry units, water and waste water units, multiple design sleeping and accommodation options. NapCap also produce a mobile plug-and-play transformer container that provides clients with expandable working space from offices, schools, Command and Control centres and disaster relief mobile offices.
Many container homes are shipped as flat packs and then put up on site. There are benefits to this model but Prefabs can be flimsy, and we wanted our containers to withstand the test of time. NapCap was designed with remote field operations in mind: locations which often come with challenges, from extreme weather to security risks. They’re made out of welded steel by skilled shipbuilders and are certified to ISO :. Unlike some accommodation containers on the market they are built new.
Some field operations last for years – but what happens when your project is complete and it’s time to move on to the next? Ideally, you want the investment of your accommodation to move with you. The container element, combined with the quality of the build, means that NapCap can be moved multiple times without being compromised.
Container homes have many benefits but it’s still a confined space, so look for a unit that has maximised the space through design. NapCap offers a steel protected shell with a double bed, sofa, desk, fixed data Internet connections and cupboard space, as well as an en-suite bathroom all in a 20-foot container. Nifty storage design, including under bed-drawers and extra storage within the sofa, shows the level of thought that has gone into the design.
You like the look of the container but has it been trialled successfully in a challenging location? NapCap was designed by a team who have also spent many months living in the product in Mogadishu – a high-risk location that is hot, windy and has very corrosive nature due to being close to the ocean. At Chelsea Village (our hotel that hosts 150 guests from the humanitarian and development communities, security industries and Tier 1 service support companies) NapCap has been a great success.
Working far from home doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be disconnected. The Executive NapCap model comes with flat-screen tvs and is set up to be connected to WiFi.
Working in Africa where the temperatures soar? Or perhaps, you’re in a location where you battle with strong winds or high humidity? Wherever your based, your container home should be comfortable all year round. Check your unit is properly insulated and sealed. NapCap is built to withstand a variety of weather conditions as well as extreme temperature differences (ranging from -25°C to 50°C) and comes with air-conditioning units.
What are your safety requirements and have these been taken into consideration you’re your choice of container? NapCap has been designed with safety and security paramount to its functionality, due to the location of our camp in Mogadishu. This is not a shipping container but a steel container that is built from new. Windows have blast curtains, air-conditioning is one single unit fitted internally to prevent blast projectiles. All fixtures and fittings are ergonomically designed to be both functional and safe. Security is paramount to the design with portholes in the doors and double locks on all doors. The design is compliant with UN-MOSS standards, making them ideal for hostile environments, remote working camps, disaster relief and refugee camps.
How easy is your chosen container accommodation to install? NapCap was designed with speed of installation in mind, with simple water and waste water connections with a central control panel for access, to electrical and plumbing operations. With the capability of being stacked two high, NapCaps come with interlocks to provide a quick and fast installation process. With pre-work civils completed, an experienced construction team would have a facility rapidly erected in days.
You’ve got your container home to your required location – but what do you do if an element needs to be replaced? It’s important that your product is supported. NapCap has been designed to ensure that products can be supported in the field. All equipment is European Specification, spare packs can be supported and shipped globally. Our units meet ISO certification standards inclusive of European build standards.
For more information, please visit modular container home manufacturer.