Shipping container homes are known for their versatility, durability, and cost-effectiveness, making them a great option to be utilized for various purposes. One of the shipping container conversion projects that have gained popularity is container homes. Some of the reasons that make shipping container homes preferable are their sustainability, affordability, low heating costs, and countless customization options. Accordingly, many elements differentiate container homes from conventional housing; that requires more time, money, and effort to have one that satisfies your needs and expectations.
Although container homes offer intelligent solutions to your housing needs, this does not necessarily mean you should opt for one immediately. Contrarily, you should take your time to make up your mind before buying a container home or building one by yourself. Today, we will help you articulate some of the questions about container homes that you will need to know the answers to decide whether a container home is a good option for you and how you can ease the process of having or building one. Keep reading to learn some basic information about container homes.
What are the popular shipping container sizes used for building a container home?
20-foot shipping containers and 40-foot high cube shipping containers are the most common ones used to build a container home. The external width of a 20-foot shipping container is 8’ and its external height is 8’ 6”. On the other hand, a 40-foot HC shipping container’s external width is 8’, while the external height is one foot taller than the 20-foot, that is, 9’ 6”. Accordingly, HC containers enable you to have some extra headroom inside; however, whether a standard or high cube container is better depends on your preferences and the modifications you will need for your container home.
What are the factors that affect the cost of a container home?
The cost of a container home depends on various factors, so it is not reasonable to provide an exact answer to your payment for a container home. Instead, it is better to discuss the elements affecting the price. Thus, let us list fundamental factors that influence the final cost of a container home:
- Size and condition (new/one-trip or used) of the shipping container you use to have a container home
- The number of the shipping containers to build the container home you desire
- Shipping container home floor plan that you prefer
- Plumbing and electrical requirements
- The insulation method
- Siding choices
- Modification options
Note that since these flexible structures offer endless customization and design options, it would be wiser to get professional help to calculate the overall cost of a container home that is designed according to your needs and preferences.
Which one is preferable: Buying a container home or building one from the beginning?
One of the essential questions that you should figure out is whether to build your own container home or buy one. If you prefer the former, that means you should be a DIY person with some basic construction experience. Also, you should have time and patience to be able to complete your project in the best way possible. Let us assume you will not build your container by yourself; rather, ask a professional to do it for you; it will take less time to have your container home. In that case, you should find a contractor that has experience in the field and knows how to realize your project.
However, there is another option that will enable you to have your container home without losing any time at all. You can buy a container home ready to use from a reliable container supplier. This way, you will not have to wait for your container home to be ready with the doubt of whether it will be the one you wanted at the beginning. Instead, you will know what you will get and how to personalize it with your preferred customizations and have your container home as soon as possible.
Where should I buy a container home?
Regarding the previous question, another important point you should be informed of arises: where to buy a container home. There are manufacturing companies that can both offer container homes for sale and build your container home from the beginning according to your project. Hence, if you prefer not to build your container home by yourself, you should find a reliable company with the experience to understand your needs, find the container home you would prefer, or manufacture it in the way you want.
CMG is a leading shipping container company that sells, designs, and builds container homes that you will love to have. Reach us out and let us figure out together whether you want us to design and build a container house or find the one that meets your expectations among container homes we sell. We offer various container home alternatives, including shipping container studio apartments, one-bedroom shipping container houses, and multi-container homes. We can also help you find out the ideal container home floor plan suitable for your needs.
Throughout this article, we have dealt with some questions regarding buying a container home. Now, you can deepen your idea of having a container home and start to detail your plan. Of course, having other questions regarding container homes and how to build or buy one is quite reasonable. If this is the case for you, you can contact us to let us answer all your questions and resolve your hesitations. Meanwhile, you can also check the following blog posts that will help you have some clarifications about container homes and some other shipping container projects:
