Depression II Homes Now Available! Comfortable Homes Built from Recycled Shipping Containers

[Better Believe It]

This is not a joke.

FROM THIS




TO THIS!

Container City II
Container City I was a success, and in 2002, Urban Space Management added an addition, dubbed Container City II. Reaching five stories high, Container City II is connected to its earlier iteration via walkways. It also boasts an elevator and full disabled access, as well as 22 studios.





And how about this one!

Canada's Bark Design Collective built the All Terrain Cabin (ATC) as a showcase for sustainable (and Canadian!) ingenuity. The small home is based on a standard shipping container, and is said to be suitable for a family of four, plus a pet, to live off the grid in comfort and style.

-Comfort and style! And enough room for a pet (a small one) such as a mouse or several large insects. -



This one comes equipped with an electric winch is used to raise and lower the heavy deck door!



Want your own container house?
The Quik House comes in two colors (orange or natural rust bloom), and the estimated total cost, including shipping and assembly, is $184,000.

- I like that two-car garage look in the front (?) of the house. -



- I really like the color and shipping container company advertising on these "houses". -



http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-life/living-green/staticslideshowdailyg.aspx?cp-documentid=18681851>1=45002

[RB TexLa]

1. Small bit of land on a lake and I'll take one for a fishing camp.

[Better Believe It]

2. You wouldn't make it your main family home?

:)

[Javaman]

82. Actually I have been looking into just that. Why condemn something

that recycles materials?

I never understood the arrogance of people getting all uptight over people using something else to make a home from?

Cob houses, hay-bail construction, earth ships, and cargo containers are a good use of materials and land.

So it doesn't look like a mcmansion, why is that bad? it doesn't look like a ranch style home, why is that so bad?

these have been around for years, long before moron* was appointed prezzz.

[Occulus]

117. To all DUers: Better Believe it has no fucking clue

Better Believe It very obviously chose pictures that make the idea look bad. Maybe BBI has family in the construction industry or something.

Here's what Better Believe It DOESN'T want you to see or know about:









BBI: You don't know what you're talking about.

[blogslut]

3. I think it's a wonderful idea

I hope more people build their homes from recycled materials as well as down-size their living spaces. Bigger is not better, it's just bigger.

I used to live in this amazing apartment that was made from an oil tank. If the place hadn't be bought out from under me, I would still be living there.

[Better Believe It]

6. You lived in an oil tank. It must have been truly wonderful!

I lived in a real house growing up. So sad .... When I could have been living the good life in a shipping container or oil tank.

:)

You're kidding .... right?

[Richard Steele]

7. Stay classy.

nm

[blogslut]

8. Bite me

The architect was a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. It was originally built as an artist colony. They took oil tanks, embedded them in a raise of land and covered them over with concrete so they looked like caves. The setting was in a canyon and as a child I used to visit the place. It was more exciting and interesting than the four-bedroom brick home my parents had and I swore one day I would live there. I did.

I'm sorry, but you don't know what the hell you're talking about.

Are you aware that 60% of the waste created by this country comes from new construction?

[Better Believe It]

133. Of course kids love caves but we didn't grow up in caves!

"They took oil tanks, embedded them in a raise of land and covered them over with concrete so they looked like caves. The setting was in a canyon and as a child I used to visit the place. It was more exciting and interesting than the four-bedroom brick home my parents had and I swore one day I would live there."

All kids love caves just as you did when you were little. But your parents were adults and they preferred living in a real brick home with plenty of room for themselves and their children and perhaps even a few pets!

Does anyone really want to put their pet in a tin can? Tin cans are for sardines!

[Javaman]

83. man, you really are that ignorant aren't you?

you may want to do some reading on the subject first before you make an ass of yourself.

[SammyWinstonJack]

86. Too late, that ship has already sailed.

:evilgrin:

[Javaman]

92. LOL nt

[Hassin Bin Sober]

109. Ahem, that shipping container has left port.

[terisan]

12. sounds fascinating. nt

[blogslut]

19. I was fascinating

However, I envied the young woman who lived in what we called "The Cliff House". That one was a whole tanker, turned on it's side with one end being mostly windows that looked over the canyon. It was divided into an upper bedroom and a lower kitchen/bathroom.

I miss living there - a lot.

[terisan]

60. Wow!

[Le Taz Hot]

81. Yeah, I'm not understanding the OP's attitude myself.

It IS a great idea. The time has LONG been here that we need to drastically change our disposable way of life. When you make it a lifestyle, it's amazing the things you can recycle and the more you do it, the more you look around and ask yourself, "Before I throw this away, can I use it for anything else?" This just extends that idea to housing.

[Deja Q]

4. Why did "The Wizard of Oz" cross my mind?

[aquamarina]

5. These are not offensive to me

I like the idea of recycling these containers.

[Better Believe It]

15. We could have vast shipping container shanty towns! What a wonderful world this could be.

Depression II is going to be a wonderful experience for working class people and their children. Tent cities and shipping container cities!

The ruling class, using their media control, will actually try and sell a huge cut in living standards for working class people as a giant step forward in the name of "greening" America! Well, you could paint the containers green and if people can't afford electricity for their container "homes" and gas for their cars (they can ride bikes to go job hunting) and cut back on other none essentials that would certainly reduce pollution.

Hey .... let's all head out to the mountains and live off the land .... or we could migrate to the land like our ancestors in "Grapes of Wrath". Now they lived in a really "green environment".

Sorry.

I'm not buying that bull shit.

[mitchum]

51. And we will look so stylish wearing barrels!

[Hannah Bell]

69. huh? at $184K without land, those aren't shantytown material.

i guess you're offended because they're shipping containers.

[Chan790]

113. Those aren't viable at that price.

I'm all for recycling materials and finding new uses for things that would otherwise be rotting in a landfill or scrap-heap. It doesn't change the fact that I can buy a nicer, larger house (admittedly something 30-40 years old) on a zoning-minimum lot in about 80% of the cities and towns in the US for 2/3 to 3/4 of that $180K price tag...including the land. If you can't sell me, you aren't going to be able to sell it to the majority of Americans.

Nice as they are and I'd certainly consider living in one, it's simply not worth that price-tag.

[Javaman]

85. man, you perspective on reality is just plain bizarre.

you honestly don't have a clue.

[Chan790]

112. Dude...(Image Warning)

Don't be a Dick.

[Occulus]

121. Again: you don't have a clue

[SunnyBaudelaire]

131. No need for a shantytown when we have EDAR

EDAR is a shopping cart room that the homeless can take with them during the day. Check it out. http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/03/26/am_edar/

[ljm2002]

9. I love the idea...

...I've been following container-architecture homes for over a year now and think it is a wonderful way to reuse these very sturdy structures.

There are already some great homes built from these, and some of the dorms and apartment complexes built from them are not half-bad.

Containers have been piling up at many of our ports, for whatever reasons. I'm glad some of them are being put to use.

[tammywammy]

10. Agreed! n/t

[road2000]

11. Your title is somewhat misleading.

The houses are certainly novel and appealing, but "Depression II" indicates they're an option for the poor. Not at $184,000!

[tammywammy]

13. There was a thread on here

quite a while ago, about turning these shipping containers into homes for much cheaper. I believe it turned into a fight on why should poor people get crappy homes like this.

Personally, I think it's a really cool idea, and recycling to boot.

[Better Believe It]

24. So you haven't moved into one yet? It's a really cool idea! Shipping container shanty towns

[tammywammy]

30. It's a bit out of my price range

I currently live in a house that was built in 1952, two bedrooms and one teeny tiny bath, that cost me $59,000. But when my income increases, these shipping container houses is definitely something I would look into, when I'm ready to move out of here.

[Javaman]

87. you continue to spout off but offer nothing as an alternative nor do you

ever point up what is exactly wrong with them.

Like I answered you up thread, I have actually looked into this.

And contrary to what you believe, they are aren't as cheap as you think.

A used one will run about 1200 bucks. Then there is the insulation, foundation, wiring, and plumbing.

still think they are a cheap way to live? The big savings is that you don't have the construction costs of the frame.

If you just step back from your ignorance for about 10 seconds you will realize the only thing you are actually criticizing is the shape, material and aesthetics.

The only difference between these and a regular house is the wrapping. And, regular houses use a lot more material to build.

but I know I'm talking to someone who apparently doesn't want to listen to reason, and would rather spout off ignorant comments.

So have fun. You apparently refuse to get it in the face of overwhelming facts.

[Occulus]

119. You have some fucking funny ideas about what a "shantytown" is

and you obviously have no idea how nice these homes can be.

Here's another photo that completely debunks you.



I can do this ALL. DAY. LONG. There are that many decent examples.

[Better Believe It]

17. The one for $184,000 is for Wall Streeters who can no longer afford the mansion.

This is how they downsize.

Either that or some fool is willing to pay that much to live in a fricken shipping container.

Wonder if I could sell them a really good tent for $25,000?

[DKRC]

14. Pretty creative use for them

The industrial look doesn't appeal to me, but these ugly things being recycled into something people can use for more than simple storage is great.

[Stinky The Clown]

16. Don't laugh or deride these ideas

Those are among the smartest ways to provide housing in our time. There are over a million surplus containers in the US right now. And they can provide way, way, way above some minimal level housing .... although they can be minimal, too.

[Better Believe It]

22. Like I wrote: Shipping container shanty towns. Is that what you really want to see?

So do you plan on moving as soon as you find a shipping container you love?

I and my spouse plan on staying in our condo if you don't mind.

[Stinky The Clown]

31. I'd live in a container dwelling in a heartbeat.

By your answer, you seem closed minded about the idea.

Have a good day.

[Better Believe It]

129. So would a sardine!

:)

[Better Believe It]

132. So how many here plan to buy a shipping container to live in this year?

Could it be one or two posters .... or more likely one or two less than that!

Like I said, I don't objecting to anyone buying a trucking container tin can to live in if that's your preference.

No doubt about it, a shipping container court is a wonderful place to live .... it's just one step below a trailer court and one step above living in a tent city.

[Javaman]

88. man, there is a colossal difference between a shanty town and these...

THIS is a shanty town:

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&ei=85DLScjbHdHVlQeQqZXNCQ&resnum=1&q=manila+slums&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=9ZDLSc7jKerrlQfq29zrCQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=1&ct=title

[Richard Steele]

111. Like everrything you write, it was a lame attempt at FLAMEBAIT. Backfired more than most, dinnit?

You clueless fricking dumbass little attention-seeking hunk of troll shit..

Be a good boy, and hit "alert" on this post, won't you?

Good boy.

[Occulus]

122. Like I wrote: you HAVE NO DAMN CLUE

[notadmblnd]

18. Not exactly affordable for the average poor person.

[blogslut]

20. I agree

Just the same, that's just the price for one designer's structure. That doesn't stop an individual from taking the concept and building something for a lot less money.

Actually, now I want to build a cob house. I live in an arid climate and well, I just want to build and live in a cob house.

[Stinky The Clown]

102. I betcha that a cob house and one of these - of equal size - would .....

.... cost about the same.

The cob is close to free (you have to buy the straw, I'd guess) where the container is in the 1-3K range. Apart from that, all other costs would be comparable, no?

[blogslut]

105. I agree

Like what has been said, it's about the land, the taxes, the regulations, the fees as well as hooking everything up to water/energy sources.

Truth is, I'm never going to have a cob house. I'm going to live in apartments for the rest of my life. Just the same ,I can dream:

[Generic Other]

21. 184 grand? Are they serious???

I'll take the cardboard box and the shopping cart thanks.

[Liberal_in_LA]

43. I knew someone who drove a big rig to CA, set the container on the ground and lived in THAT. That's

cheap...not these architecture designed things.

[Better Believe It]

23. So how many posters plan on moving as soon as you find a shipping container you just love?

Here's a few you can probably get a good deal on.

They just need a little work.

[Richard Steele]

27. These houses are more clever and creative than anything you've done in your life.

Or ever will do, I'll wager.

[dionysus]

80. ding ding ding!!!

:thumbsup:

[cornermouse]

137. Square door holes already cut in the sides and ends

They're currently in the process of becoming homes. Nice try though.

[handmade34]

25. no joke? $184,000.

I have 5 acres, farmhouse and outbuildings for $120,000!

I love the shipping container houses and would have no problem living in one! I have been reading about these for years now. The 'HighRise' is great. I think they would be great as developments where needed.

[Lady Effingbroke]

26. I'd live in one in a heartbeat.

I lived in a 30-foot travel trailer for 8 years, and shipping containers are a hell of a lot sturdier and more customizable than a prefab camper.

These things are fairly indestructible; save the siding you cut out for the windows for use as shutters and close the doors and you have a practically hurricane-proof house.

When can I move in? :)

[WorseBeforeBetter]

28. Why are you so close-minded about this?

This looks pretty schweet:



Although it doesn't necessarily cost less to use containers, the use of derelict containers eliminates the need for new framing materials and the labor associated with framing.

http://www.jetsongreen.com/2007/06/group-41-joel-k.html

And what's with the dick quotes "green"? What's not to like about solar panels, rain barrels, non-VOC paint, green roofs, riding bikes, etc.?

I've lived in apartments, condos, townhomes and single family homes, but would absolutely consider one of these. But $184K isn't cheap and referring to them as "Depression" housing is bullshit.

Leave the innovation to others...

[Better Believe It]

34. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see the attack on our living standards

We can have real solar powered houses that are environment friendly and that aren't old recycled shipping containers. We need good housing and not refurbished truck trailers.

[blogslut]

37. I'll ask you again

Are you aware that 60% of the waste produced in this country comes from new construction?

Sustainable living isn't just about slapping up some solar panels. Environment friendly isn't just some abstract term.

As I said before. You have no idea what you're talking about.

If you decide to get over your prejudice, http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19">go here. You just might learn something.

[Name removed]

89. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

38. And you don't need to be an architect to see the potential.

You seem to be the only one on this thread who has his boxers in a twist/panties in a wad over these homes. You refuse to see potential:



and instead jump to ridiculous conclusions.

What is the story behind the pic you posted above? And what would you suggest be done with millions of excess shipping containers?

[silverojo]

57. I think they look pretty stylish

I'm going to check out that web site. Heck, people have lived in mobile homes for years. If these things are sturdier...why not? :)

[WorseBeforeBetter]

94. Agreed... look at this Redondo Beach condo.

Add some permaculture landscaping and seems to me this is an idea to be embraced, not mocked.

[dana_b]

106. that's from shipping containers?

you'd never know. pretty nice!

[WorseBeforeBetter]

110. They're even getting a lap pool ... nice.

If I had the coin, that is something I would love to have.

"One more used, 40-foot container has been delivered to the backyard to shelter their possessions until the house is done. They will then dig a hole in the yard, cut the top off the container, drop the container into the hole, and fill it with water. Voilá: an instant lap pool."

http://www.demariadesign.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31

On edit: HOLY SHIT.

[KamaAina]

29. Similar homes can be had for much, much less

http://www.pfnc.net

PFNC stands for "Por Fin Nuestra Casa." Translated in English this simply means "Finally, a home of our own." These words are the foundation of PFNC, whose goal is to provide housing to those who most desperately need it around the globe.

PFNC utilizes surplus shipping containers resulting from the United States' consistent trade deficit. These containers serve as the building block of PFNC housing, but go through an extensive conversion process to make them a home. PFNC offers an affordable housing solution that is scalable and fully portable. Each PFNC unit includes 1st world amenities for a price of less than $10,000 (US)*

*Prices may vary. Subject to site conditions, land cost, and transportation costs.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

61. FASCINATING.

From this:



to this:

[Hannah Bell]

70. now that one - i dunno. no windows. it *feels* like a shipping container.

& tiny. notice the bunkbed next to the stove.

i don't think regular construction would cost much more for the size, & you might get windows.

to me, that one is a version of the $500 tent for homeless people. i think you could build that shipping container house for $5000 if you got the materials at cost.

[Political Heretic]

32. I read about this first in Snow Crash :D

[Political Heretic]

33. PS for some people this would be just fine - like me.

I don't like the idea of families of four being jammed like sardines into a box because they can't afford humane living conditions.

But for me, I don't require much space, and if it was affordable and something I could own - I would love to have it.

ME: Thinking of moving
Guy: Ah, so are you having to find a new house?
ME: No.. I'm just bringing mine with me.

:D


EDIT: this one in particular, looks awesome (for me)

[flvegan]

35. Reading your responses in this thread.

Why are you such an asshole?

Just curious.

[DemoTex]

36. A good friend and retiring pilot in Oregon is looking at this:

[WorseBeforeBetter]

40. Cozy! (n/t)

[Stinky The Clown]

47. I am almost certain that model was shown on a teeve show about minimal living

While it can be towed over the raod, it is not intended to function like a camper. Rather, it is intended to be towed to a location and then set up more or less permanently.

[xchrom]

39. +5

[Gregorian]

41. That's nice, but the reality is-

(And trust me, I'm doing it right now)

By the time one buys the land to put it on, connects to the grid, has septic, water, etc., the price is a lot higher than most people can still afford.

I do like the concept. However, it's not the best for colder climates due to metal conducting heat out to the exterior.

I still like the idea.

[Stinky The Clown]

46. There are newer coatings that have remarkably high R-factors in less than 1/4" thickness

They go one like paint, but they're actually high performance coatings. R-20 in less than 15 mils is common. They're the perfect insulation material for container homes.

[Gregorian]

62. What the... R-20 in that thin a coating. I honestly am in disbelief.

I'm currently building a house out of steel. I haven't heard a thing about this kind of stuff. I can Google my brains out, but I'd love to hear more if you know. R value is usually dependent upon a layer of stagnant air, which translates to some poofy material that contains the dead air. Well, that's one avenue of thermal resistance.

[Stinky The Clown]

65. Here's just a random link to such a product .....

http://tempcoat.com/temp-coat-products/temp-coat-roof-tops/prod_22.html

My partner was doing a job for a client and they needed a very specialized cold room. A standard prefab kitchen walk-in (R30 in a 4" foam panel) would not do. His engineers were looking into this sort of product. As I understand it, they used a product much like this, on 1/4" steel plate, and it met their needs.

Google up "insulation coatings" as a start. The coatings work for both hot and cold. I saw a demo where they used a propane torch on some (let's say) 14 or 16 gauge sheet steel coated with this type of material and it was possible to hold the sheet on the palm of your hand with the torch flame playing on the other side of it. Eerie to say the least!

These are not so much 'Insulation" as they are thermal blocks, operating on some different principle.

Anyway ..... there it is ....

Good luck with your house building adventures!

[Gregorian]

96. The price is crazy expensive.

Something like $150 per gallon. And that covers 60 square feet. So...runs to get calculator...


To paint the sides of a container, minus the bottom, would be $1500. Not bad. And I'm sure one could find it cheaper than that somewhere.


I like alternative thinking.

[Fumesucker]

42. I and my two small dogs are living comfortably in a travel trailer right now..

It's a pretty nice trailer and I have it set up on five acres but it's smaller than a standard 40' container and nowhere near as durable.

Containers are designed to weather storms at sea, they are extremely stout, a tornado would have a hard time causing a lot of damage to one unless it were picked up and thrown.

Shipping container homes are a quite reasonable thing for an individual or even a couple..

Two or three containers and you could have enough room for the average family.

[alittlelark]

44. 3-D Tetris w/ only one shape... I would love to play that game

We already have homes on our properties, but if we get a raw piece I would consider this a great option.

[chill_wind]

45. Beats sleeping in a shelter or in your car. I would live in one.

eom

[Better Believe It]

56. Exactly! You underscored my point which probably was not your intention

The ruling rich are successfully lowering our expectations and expect us and our children to accept a huge drop in our living standards in "our" living standards under the guise of protecting the environment!

Of course Wall Streeters won't be living in tents, in shanty towns or in shipping container housing developments.

If remodeled shipping containers were provided to homeless people, rent free, by the government, that would be a useful expenditure of public funds.

After World War II there was a big housing shortage. The sale of military designed quonset huts was a temporary solution to that shortage. A Quonset hut is a lightweight prefabricated structure of corrugated galvanised iron.

Many were used for temporary postwar housing, such as Rodger Young Village in Los Angeles, California and Michigan State University's Quonset Village in East Lansing, Michigan.

But these were temporary emergency measures which quickly ended once the post war housing boom started and better housing became available.



Quonset Huts, 1940s
An architectural innovation of World War II, the Quonset hut was cheap and could be erected quickly -- which made it a natural when Yale had to house returning veterans and their families. Colonies of the corrugated metal buildings stood for years at the foot of Science Hill and at the athletic fields near the Bowl.

[chill_wind]

64. I really wasn't trying to be contentious

We are living in unquestionably difficult times, and I've registered my anger at the disparity of wealth and the criminals who have helped create and continue to profit from it aplenty over these years.

"If remodeled shipping containers were provided to homeless people, rent free, by the government, that would be a useful expenditure of public funds."

My point. Or as an incentive to anyone opting for a greener choice for living or business.

Shops:

[Hannah Bell]

72. no, the pictures you posted are expensive houses built with non-traditional materials.

i've seen similar homes in architectural digest, & it isn't homeless people who live in them, it's very wealthy people.

there's no comparison to unrenovated quonset huts.

the second one down here is more like a fancier version of a quonset hut.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5330288&mesg_id=5332093

[tuvor]

48. That's quite a trick, getting on the Greatest Page for reasons you probably didn't intend.

:toast:

[Better Believe It]

49. These shipping container "houses" are all made of ticky, tacky and they all look just the same

These shipping container housing developments give a new contemporary spin to Pete Seegar's song, "Little Boxes".

Here's the opening lyrics:

Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky,
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

[blogslut]

52. Meanings just fly right over your head

What's that like?

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

54. The houses referred to in that song...

...are located in Daly City, CA and are probably now worth about half a million dollars.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

58. At least.

This one's kinda cute for a mere $788K:

http://cdn.homes.com/cgi-bin/readimage_v2/377869344

The 50’s Fabulous “Little Boxes” of Daly City, CA
http://theretroblog.com/2008/08/10/the-50s-fabulous-little-boxes-of-daly-city-ca/



“Little Boxes” - California’s historic Westlake Village
http://retrorenovation.com/2008/08/03/little-boxes-californias-historic-westlake-village/

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

59. Westlake is such a bizarre little place.

I have some friends who used to live up the hill from there and I'd go for walks around that area from time to time.

[dana_b]

108. I see those houses all the time on my way to work

and that song always goes through my head!!

now we've got these oversized modern houses built in the suburbs that all look just the same but are even worse for the environment.

[Hannah Bell]

73. i like those - they don't look "all the same," either. i never knew that, thanks!

i thought that song was about the equivalent of levitown.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

97. I pictured something like that, too. Evidently, even Levittown is "going green":

http://greenlevittown.com/press/080121_greenguide.php

[WorseBeforeBetter]

55. Actually, it's Malvina Reynolds' song...

"Seegar" made it well-known.

And what do you think Pete Seeger, the environmentalist, would think of the innovative green use of these containers?

[Better Believe It]

78. Pete Seegar would certainly think they are a piece of crap that he'd never live in.

Anymore questions?

[Javaman]

91. So you can read his mind?

have fun with that. Once again, another straw man from you.

you got nothing, other than trying to creating controversy from out of the blue.

you nothing but a tempest in a teapot.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

98. Yeah: 1) What's it like to be so blatantly wrong about something;

2) what's it like living in that little black and white world of yours; and 3) were you denied Legos as a child?

[chill_wind]

63. That song reminds me of a lot of existing middleclass suburbia tract housing.

I like these ones.





http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http://www.busyboo.com/2008/02/04/container-homes-demariadesign/&usg=___hUChfGrmhMtbk0DjWQ04D8qsRc=&h=250&w=367&sz=16&hl=en&start=13&sig2=w62aFmvfr8VVB93f8mwGPg&um=1&tbnid=z_Ld6WJgLQ5cdM:&tbnh=83&tbnw=122&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcontainer%2Bhomes%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DX%26um%3D1&ei=lQfLSai4DeGMtgfhrKT5CQ

[Occulus]

125. Why do you continue with your foolishness?

Tacky? Looks all the same?



Uh, no.

[Doremus]

138. Little boxes on the hillside.

Could be a reference to any number of condo developments.

Except there's no blue AND yellow one.
All the same color. No exceptions allowed.


:puke:

[ProgressiveProfessor]

50. I have some unmodified ones at my home. Make for great storage

[Hannah Bell]

74. how much do they cost?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

76. Were here when I bought the place. Had been used for construction storage

[Hannah Bell]

77. thanks. (someone further down said $2500 good condition.)

[Lilith Velkor]

53. At $184K, YES IT IS a joke

Yank my other one, why dontcha?

[Arctic Dave]

66. I building a Summer cabin on the lake with them.

When I get further along I will post about it. :)

[WorseBeforeBetter]

104. Looking forward to your posts. (n/t)

[tkmorris]

67. A used 48' x 102' container in good condition... $2500

Apparently they go for similar prices everywhere, and based on a few quick searches there is certainly no shortage of them.

Of course, you need to have a place to put it, you have to transport it there, and you have to make it livable (whatever that may mean to you). Sounds like a fantastic idea, but at $188,000 I suspect someone is taking the piss.

[Hannah Bell]

68. i like those. not exactly cheap housing, though. $184K w/o land.

i don't get the snarky tone or the use of "houses". they *are* houses & they look pretty liveable to me. what's the big deal if they're made from shipping containers?

[Naturyl]

71. $184k? LOL...

That's ridiculous. If you want to live in a tin can, you can get one of these used for less than $5000:

[ima_sinnic]

75. pffft! here in Maine, a 1200 sq ft home + 600 sf guesthouse on 14 ac for $139K

--a house I'm thinking of buying.

Mobile homes (at least 1000 sf) with a little acreage can be had for about $50K.

$184K for a metal box is ridiculous--and with no land! So, figure several tens of thousands more for land--and don't forget the cost of installing electricity, septic, plumbing, and some kind of heating and cooling. This is just another rich people's fad.

[dionysus]

79. obviously this innovation offends you. you bitter believe it!! first obama , now container homes...

you must be one miserable creature
:rofl:

[Better Believe It]

99. If you want to move and prefer living in a "green" tin can I'm not stopping you!

[dionysus]

101. do you have to work hard being this much of a douchebag, or does it come naturally?

:shrug:

[Occulus]

118. It's a summer thing. n/t

[Bluenorthwest]

84. 184K w/o land

makes these homes more toward the high end. Sure are not shanty material. This is hipster design, not tent city stuff. This is yuppie housing.

[Stinky The Clown]

90. That's a very subjective assessment

Around here, that would be well below the low end.

In other places, it is smack in the middle of the range.

The $184 is also VERY misleading in its subjectivity. What it says is that **one** particular example, built on **one** particular site, in **one** particular multiple box configuration, cost $184,000.

[Bluenorthwest]

93. No land included

That price is the order price. Are you claiming that the low end where you are spend far more 184k on construction of a single family home, exclusive of the land? Let me explain to you, that is not the low end. Some areas have no low end. Perhaps yours is one of those.
In the Western region, latest median price is 220,000. With the land.

[Stinky The Clown]

95. Let's get out of the weeds and back to the essential point .....

That price was subjective to whatever it included. It was way above the cost at which one of these can be converted from steel box, to code compliant dwelling.

I'm not saying the price is high or low. I am only saying it is subjective.

[Individualist]

100. Referring to $184,000 homes as depression homes is obscene and disgusting.

[tuckessee]

107. Maybe you're looking at it wrong way.

Maybe the OP meant depression homes for the uber rich.

Hard metal walls & roofs are less likely to be penetrated by the pitchforks carried by homeless, hungry mobs and they are less flammable should the mob lob their torches.

[Occulus]

130. No, the OP meant to denigrate the concept and intentionally picked bad examples

Here's a decent one. Looks pretty comfy to me...

[yurbud]

103. I've wondered why mobile homes aren't made out of these instead of flimsy tinfoil

that shreds in hurricanes and tornadoes.

If you lived in one of these, you know your house would survive the storm--you'd just need some help rolling it back right side up.

[jmowreader]

114. These make GOOD cheap housing. Don't knock them.

Sitting in front of me is an ad for 40-foot standard-cube isotainers. (That's what they're called.) $2750 each, plus shipping.

Get seven of these, an arc welder and a plasma cutter, and you can completely rough-in a two-story house in...oh, give it two weeks if you don't work very hard at it.

After you put a sloped roof on it, finished the inside and so on, you're probably looking at $40,000 for a completely serviceable home. Don't like the "shipping container" look? Fine! Change it! Go to the lumberyard, buy pressure treated 1x2s, stucco lath and mortar mix and stucco the outside. I would recommend using high-cube isotainers instead of standard-cube (more headroom), and you can pick those up for about the same price. Heat would probably be hydronic, insulation would definitely be sprayed polyurethane foam (three inches of SPF is R-21--about what you'd get with a 2x6 wall insulated with fiberglass batts) and you'd need to run all your wiring in conduit. Windowsills? Angle iron welded in. Same deal with door openings. (Extra benefit: if you used a steel door frame with holes for the lockset to drop into, just imagine what would happen to anyone attempting to kick in one of these doors!)

A brand-new home for around $60k with land? Lots of people would go for that!

[jmowreader]

115. The breakout on the $184,000 house

This from their site:

Estimated Finishing Costs for Basic Quik House


includes :
- 6 modified shipping containers
- all the glass necessary to enclose the Quik House
- basic plumbing and electrical
- standard plumbing fixtures
- walls ready to receive your local inspection
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

$119,000



Shipping (based on destination)
N/A

Quik House Assembly $2,500
Site Preparation
- excavation $2,000
- foundation and slab $6,000
- in slab radiant heat $6,000
Infrastructure
- glass installation $4,000
- HVAC $7,000
- plumbing $7,000
- electrical $7,000
- insulation $5,500
- wall finish and painting $6,000
- flooring $5,000
- built in shelves and closets $2,000
- interior doors and hardware $2,000
- roofing $3,000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
$65,000

Quik House $119,000
Cost to Finish the Quik House $65,000
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Estimate

$184,000
plus shipping

- - - - -

This is definitely the de-luxe edition, and you could get to about the same place for less money by leaving off certain items like the $5000 commercial all-glass garage door.

[SunnyBaudelaire]

116. Shipping Containers used as Barracks for soldiers

My husband is a soldier currently stationed in South Korea he said that his barracks is made from shipping containers. He has his own container lower ranking soldiers have to share one, two per container. I'll tell him to take some pictures and maybe I'll post them here. He said he likes it as far as barracks go it's nice.

[Blue_Tires]

120. not much to look at, but it is an innovative re-use for something that would be scrap

[Occulus]

127. They aren't much to look at because Better Believe It intentionally picked bad examples.

Take a look at my other posts on this thread to see just how completely wrong BBI really is.

[Better Believe It]

128. No. We could use recycle old shipping containers and make tin cans!

[Better Believe It]

123. I don't want to live in a truck shipping container but those that want to go ahead!

I'm not stopping you.

So far it doesn't seen that many advocates of shipping container high rises are serious since they haven't been shopping around for a lovely tin can.

[Occulus]

126. Once again: you're full of it

Every time you post on this thread, I am going to post a different example of these homes, done right, until you admit how wrong you are.

[AyanEva]

124. I quite like this, actually.

If I had any money, I'd try one out.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

134. I love the idea. I would live in one in a heartbeat if I could afford it.

Unfortunately, income dictates we live in a small apartment.

[Mari333]

135. one word. insulation. michigan. brrr. nt

[SemiCharmedQuark]

136. ZOMG, look at the squalor of these green homes!