Sustainable and efficient living is a growing trend in today’s real estate business. Shipping containers are now used as container homes instead of being used as tools to carry goods on trains and other modes of transportation.
In fact, a small shipping container may serve as a home for some with just 100-square feet of land area as floor space. If you add multiple containers, they can even create micro-apartments and make a large apartment building.
Gone are the days when you have to build a house from the ground up and take several months to finish it. Now, container homes are what’s in. Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of the growing container homes trend.
Pros Of a Shipping Container Home
Low-Cost Housing. It usually costs around $245,000 to buy a residential home. If you wish to buy one and build it from the ground up, the cost for a new home rises up to around $385,200.
These rates are quite high for middle-class families. It would burden you with debts, loans, and other financial expenses just to build a home the standard way.
If you opt for a container home, you would only need to spend around $1,400 to $4,500, depending on the size.
The expensive ones are those offered by manufacturers who offer prefabricated shipping containers for a rate of $15,000 and up.
These are low cost estimates because prices do change every year. However, there is an obvious and significant difference between buying a residential home and building a container home.
The large price gap means you save more. In fact, renovating or reinventing your container home also costs significantly less compared to tearing down a home and remodeling it.
Very Mobile and Time-Efficient. The greatest thing about container homes is how easy it is to order it online and have your very own home delivered right at your doorstep. This trend is called the Tiny House Movement.
Your “home” can be delivered in just 10 weeks. You will still need to follow local building codes, and have the unit inspected.
This method lets you build your own home from the ground up without spending money on hiring contractors to do the work for you.
If you do need to acquire construction services, building a container home would cost you less than building a standard residential home which takes months to complete.
You can even have your very own pool if you purchase another shipping container for that same purpose. You would not need to buy tons of tiles and cement to have a home with a pool. You can live a lavish life without shelling out big bucks!
Conserves Energy. Container homes are usually tiny. They are perfect for minimalist homeowners. Since they are smaller than most residential homes, it requires less energy in sustaining a home.
For example, you have less area to cover when you need to heat or cool your space. There are also less rooms to power up and are usually built with highly-innovative tools that are environment-friendly.
Buying real estate is expensive. Each square meter accounts for several dollars and container homes allow you to save up on lot area without compromising your quality of living.
Sustainable and Durable. Most container homes are built with a sustainable, eco-friendly plan. Container homes allow you to recycle or upcycle shipping containers making you a significant contributor to the well-being of the planet.
Instead of discarding thousands of these shipping containers and melting down the amount of steel, which uses a considerable amount of energy, building a home with shipping containers is a more efficient way to go.
Building container homes also allows people to save on expenses used to buy materials usually purchased for building homes.
These include cement, brick, wood, and other home-building materials that adversely affect the environment.
Some container homes use roof insulation kits that are eco-friendly as well. You may add steel stud reinforcements or waterproof insulation instead of the standard plywood used in residential homes. This makes your residence more durable than most residential homes.
Adding another level of insulation to keep out external water sources also does the trick. Covering the container home with a pond liner protects the insulation and keeps your roof intact when the weather’s rainy out. That’s better protection than those used in residential houses.
Cons Of a Shipping Container Home
Rusting. Most people are reluctant about container homes because they think that they are not sustainable because of steel that is easily corroded.
Shipping containers may rust over time, but it is important for you to know that they are designed to endure life at sea. They are usually sprayed with a rust protection paint.
This means that the shipping containers are more durable than you think. In fact, they are even made with materials that prevent pests and rodents from entering the shipments. Therefore, they do not easily rust and even keep the pests away from your home.
It is also wise if you were to purchase one that is in good shape and has no rust or dents. This way you are sure that your home would be built from top-quality material and reduces the risks of structural issues in the long-run.
Opting for container homes, therefore, allows you to maintain a clean, pest-free home. You will also feel secure that these unwanted guests cannot easily ravage your home and invite diseases indoors.
May Contain Residues from Shipment Uses.
When shipment containers are used for transporting by sea, they usually accumulate toxic substances due to gaseous chemical exposure.
These toxic substances may pose a health risk, especially if you use these containers as a home.
Luckily, this shipment container defect can easily be cured. You can rip out or replace the pesticide-laced flooring and coat it with non-toxic sealing primers.
These block the chemicals from spreading throughout the home thereby making your abode a safer one.
The Bottom Line
It is never a bad idea to live in container homes over a standard residential home. It is cost-efficient, eco-friendly, sustainable, and very mobile. It is very important to have your container thoroughly inspected and certified usable.
Although shipping containers may rust over time, it is quite easy to prevent them from doing so. All you need to do is add protective painting and it will last you at least 25 years of living in a rust-free home! This is one reason why container homes are a growing trend.
