Whether they are custom built from scratch, 3D printed, utilize found materials, or are converted shipping containers, there seems to be no shortage of options for those interested in tiny homes these days. With a more competitive market, there seems to be an option for most budgets, from just a few thousand for the most basic of shelters, all the way up to six figures with all the bells and whistles.
The choice is up to you which way you want to go, of course, but one of the construction materials seems to provide an option at a variety of budgets, and that is the shipping container home.
Image Credit: Tiny House Listings
The rugged corrugated steel structures can be placed on a truck and hauled almost anywhere; after all, they were designed for shipping in the first place. They can be stacked, connected, and arranged in multiple configurations to allow you to expand and add additional rooms with relative ease, and there are some on the market ready for you to purchase and move to the location of your dreams almost immediately!
Image Credit: Tiny House Listings
One such tiny home just waiting for you is located in Longmont, Colorado and it is currently up for sale. Described as “The Intellectual Tiny Home”, it is a sleek modern styled shipping container home that really packs a lot of features into the 320 sq feet of living space.
The bedroom has a queen-sized bed and an adjustable storage closet a convection oven in the kitchen, full size refrigerator, dishwasher, 10ft butcher block counter, soft close hinges on the cabinets, and integrated lighting.
The bathroom features a tiled shower and a washer-dryer combination under the counter. Other features include ceramic wall heaters, an electric fireplace, a 20 gallon hot water tank, and LED recessed lighting. The price has been reduced from 62k to 54k so it may not be available much longer, but it is an example of what you can do with a shipping container and a tiny home dream.
Of course, you may be able to build your own version for less, but if you consider part of what you are paying for is essentially zero construction time to wait for, then the question is, how much is having a tiny home ready to load on a trailer and move into right away worth to you? You can find this home and others on https://tinyhouselistings.com.
Old Man
Wednesday 22nd of January 2020
I read about, and see a lot of TV articles on container homes. No one talks about building codes or zone approval. I live in a 1920s house in a small, older community, with a large lot (300'Wx150'D), no HOA. Nothing fancy in the neighborhood, the "newest" home within 5 blocks was built in the 1970s.
I was offered a 20' container for free by someone that owes me money. Its a "one-trip" container in nearly new condition. My plan was to set it on a concrete slab, build a gable roof on it, install a couple windows, paint it, and use it for a storage shed.
The city said it does not meet Uniform Building Codes and I needed an engineering report for them to even consider approval. I talked to 4 different engineering firms, 2 were not interested, and the other 2 gave me an estimate of around $3,500 for the report, with one firm telling me they doubt it will ever pass code and get approval.
So why isn't this mentioned in articles? Do they all pay that money to get an engineering report, and how many succeed in getting approval.