BENEFITS OF CONTAINER HOMES
Container homes can be an excellent alternative to traditional housing for a number of reasons. If you are struggling to find affordable housing, are interested in taking the plunge into tiny house living, or you are needing a flexible housing option, container living may be the solution you are looking for!
Homes made from shipping containers are growing in popularity and come with some amazing benefits that may not be afforded through a conventional housing situation.
INEXPENSIVE
While you may not think you can afford to own anything and will always be renting, building a house from shipping containers may be much more affordable than you ever imagined! You can find 20-foot shipping containers for sale run from about $1,500 to $3,000 and a 40-foot container can cost up to $4,500. Once you have your shipping container purchased, the rest of the cost is determined by the finishes you choose for the interior.
At Cross Container Homes our finished shipping container homes typically start around $15,000 but with complete freedom on the interior design and finishes you can end up with an affordable and cheap tiny house or we have also completed luxury container homes.
STRONG
Shipping containers are inherently strong. They are manufactured to be tough and durable. Shipping containers are designed to carry cargo though extreme weather both on land and at sea. At sea they may be subjected to 100 mph winds or 50-foot waves, there’s a good chance if the container can survive that, then it will be ok through any storms your home might endure!
This durability is decreased as steel is removed for doors and windows. There is a balancing act in the design between adding glass windows and doors while still maintaining the highest structural integrity possible. You can also find shipping container home plans that allow you to position windows and doors behind the original shipping container doors. This allows you to keep the original structural integrity and durability that might have drawn you to a container house. With this type of design you also retain the ability to lock the original doors when you leave the home, which is an appealing aspect if this is going to be a secondary home that will be vacant from time to time.
Even without bolting the shipping containers down they can withstand high winds and storms. Unsecured and standing alone, they can handle winds of up to 100 mph. The safety and security of the container home is amplified further when you fasten the home to a foundation, properly secured they can take wind speeds of up to 175 mph. So, if you live in an area with extreme weather, such as hurricanes or tornadoes, you can rest assured that your container home is built to withstand the storm.
PEST PROOF
Because the main building material on a converted shipping container is the steel of the container they are highly resistant to bugs and pests.
For example, even if you have wood floors or clad the exterior of your shipping container house, because the internal frame of the building is made from steel there is less to worry about with termites. Termites could damage the exterior siding or any interior finishes, but they would not be able to damage the structural integrity of your home, like that can do with a home built with conventional methods.
FREEDOM
There are a number of different ways that storage container homes provide freedom.
Financial Freedom: What would your life look like if you didn’t have a mortgage, or even a rent payment? With the lower price point capability of container homes you might have the financial freedom to purchase a home, something that you might not have thought possible with a traditional home. The lower price also provides the opportunity to be mortgage free much quicker than possible with the higher price tag that comes with a conventional house and mortgage. When you’re mortgage free you have the flexibility to truly live the life you want to live, not focus on paying bills.
Physical Freedom: Just as a tiny house on wheels is mobile, so is a container
