Trend alert! The future of housing is here. Move aside studs, cement and brick. There is a new home building trend in town and we are kinda sorta LOVING this low cost option! Shipping containers have long been used for things other than their intended purpose of transporting goods overseas, but more and more we are beginning to see homes and businesses use them as part of the modular home movement. They are typically low in cost, sustainable, eco-friendly, and can be built in a jiffy. Assuming of course you aren't doing a TON of customization. There are plenty of other uses too besides using as your full time dwelling. Storage sheds, detached garages, a home office or rental unit in the backyard. The possibilities are endless.
Shipping yards all across the country vary in pricing for picking up one of these bad boys and delivering it to your door, but one thing we know is true, they are a seriously low cost option to the traditional home building model. Prices can range from $1,500 for an 'as is' container to $5,000 for a brand new container. A few 10 ft long containers can be constructed together to create a truly unique dwelling. They also come in plenty of sizes to choose from! Construction companies are also beginning to catch on to the trend with 'Residential Shipping Container Building' being added to their list of services, so if you are really considering moving forward, make sure to find someone who specializes in these custom homes.
We put together a roundup of our favorite homes built from shipping containers:
Feeling inspired? Pinterest has plenty of other examples (check out the board we curated) as well as interior shots and even plans that you can shuffle through. Millions of these things are sitting empty across the world, just waiting to become your next home. And if you're not quite ready to take on building a new home from one, may we suggest replacing your backyard pool just to get your feet wet? Pun intended.