What to know about shipping container houses

How do you buy shipping containers?

Most shipping containers are built in China, which makes sense since they are used to transport manufactured goods around the world. These containers are usually only used once as it is not cost-effective to return empty containers. Containers that have been used for many trips are not very useful anyway when building a shipping container home due to damage.

You can easily buy containers online and ship them to your construction site. There are two main sizes to choose from – 20ft or 40ft – but you can sometimes find 45ft containers too.

Their interior dimensions are 7' 10" in height and width. When you're building a shipping container home, a 40-foot tall cube container might be better. High cube containers add a foot to the interior height and are therefore a better choice when building a home.

Since you'll need to install insulation for the floor and ceiling, the extra height is very valuable. However, tall cube containers are more expensive, typically costing between $4,000-$5,000.

Advantages of shipping container houses

cut costs. If you can do all or most of the work yourself, you will save a lot on home construction. However, you do need to budget carefully to ensure your costs don't get out of hand.

You can actually buy a shipping container home off the shelf. These tend to be less expensive than more traditional prefab buildings and are worth considering if you're looking for a shipping container home.

More design options. Due 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 the container to join them together, but structural reinforcement may be required.

construction speed. Since the main structure of the building has been completed, the shipping container house can be built quickly. Preparatory work is required, including foundations, but once complete, a prefab container home can be completed in as little as 10 weeks.

However, if you build it yourself, the build time may take longer than you expect. Whether you do all the work yourself, bring in a contractor or buy prefab containers, using shipping containers will save you a lot of time.

strength. Containers are constructed to withstand strong winds on board. So if they are built to withstand rough seas, they should be strong enough to handle the weather conditions in your area.