There’s far too much speculation about how much shipping container homes cost, and far too little facts. But there’s just one constant that we all have to be aware about:
The price of homes is relative, and there’s no way around it.
Whether it’s a container home or a conventional home, you can’t just stick a price tag on it and make the statement ‘all container homes cost this amount of dollars’. It’s absolutely ridiculous, because each and every container home is built with different specifications. No two container homes are exactly the same. If that’s the case, how much do shipping container homes cost?
Factors involved
Here are a few major factors involved in the computation of a shipping container home’s price:
- Permits
- Logistics
- Shipping containers
- Designing
- Landscaping
- Modification
- Doors and windows
- Insulation
Shipping containers
First of all, we need shipping containers. Used ones in decent condition can cost up to $4000, which is as average as shipping containers can get. You’ll also need to have all the relevant permits, and the cost of obtaining these permits differ based on your area of residence.
Naturally, this means that you can assume brand new ones to cost up to $10,000 each. In both cases, a standard shipping container is defined as the ones that measure up to 20 feet. It’s important to note that cutting corners on your shipping containers can lead to even bigger problems in the future, such as potential damages.
Modification and conversion
Now, the shipping containers need to be modified and converted into a liveable space. It’s hard to put a figure on this process, since it’s entirely based on the contractor that you engage to provide you with the quotation.
But typically, it should cost an extra few thousand dollars for each container. The more complex it is, the more expensive it’s going to be. Alternatively, you can always opt for finished structural systems that retail for about $10,000 on average each.
Estimate for a completed, full-sized container house
A two-storery shipping container home usually costs at least $150,000 altogether. That’s probably the bare minimum that you’ll be quoted. But of course, this figures includes insulation and the other features that you want to see in your shipping container home.
In other words, for $150,000, you can start shifting your furniture in and finally enjoying the home that you worked so hard for. As expensive as it may sound, conventional homes usually cost at least twice the amount. That’s right, opting for shipping container homes can potentially save you hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Final thoughts
Living in a shipping container home might be nothing more than wishful thinking to some of you, but it’s certainly more possible than living in a conventional home. Property prices are skyrocketing, and there’s a pressing need for alternative housing solutions.
Many experts foresee shipping container homes to be the next upcoming architectural breakthrough, and until that industry becomes saturated, you’ll definitely be saving yourself a lot of money by going the unconventional route.
