Right For You? - My Shipping Container House

Some Food For Thought.

Is a Shipping Container House right for you?

Building up to the decision to build a home out of containers can be quite a journey. A financial investment of this size can (and should) cause you to pause. You have to convince yourself that it's the right thing to do for you and your family. The best way to find out if a container house for you is to learn as much as you can. Eventually you will reach a place where the decision is obvious. If possible, take your time. More knowledge means a better informed decision.

Living in a container house is an idea that's easy to fall in love with.

Their strength gives a sense of security. Especially if you live in an area that occasionally has to deal with extreme weather or earthquakes. There is a sense of permanence. This feeling begins with a reinforced foundation that's different than a conventional house.

...Or of lightness

The vibrant community of mini-house enthusiasts produces gorgeous, efficient, mobile buildings. Completely off grid cabins that can be easily located in remote locations. That's pretty good stuff. But bring a crane.

Be prepared for the inevitable:

Questions. Everybody will ask you about it, tapping at the walls, examining doorways like they'd never seen one before. You will likely be an expert on the subject, and you'll have stories to tell. If you're highly introverted you may want to give special attention to your site selection.

There will be challenges

And they will often require different solutions than conventional houses. Adjustments will be made. The key is to make sure the professionals you are working with are comfortable with the idiosyncrasies of container construction. It's not difficult to find qualified contractors, but the more you know the easier it will be to evaluate them

Whether you end up building shipping container house or not

It's easy and fun to get kind of obsessed with them. At the very least you'll end up learning about a really cool building system and enjoying the many creative ways people use it. By nature container structures tend to have a quality of sculpture about them. Some more deliberately than others. One doesn't have to own a Picaso to be inspired by art.

More to come!