Opting for a shipping container home is a choice many people are making. There are lots of reasons why.
A shipping container home is one way to create an affordable place to live and save the planet at the same time. In our current economic and sociological climate,
many individuals are looking for ways to have a simpler, less expensive way to live and not leave such an immense carbon footprint. Some creative individuals have come up with a way to do both at the same time. Shipping containers are in ample supply. Rather than merely trashing them, builders are using them to create strong, recycled structures.
Shipping container homes are considered to be the new wave of modular construction. The steel containers are said to be flexible and able to withstand hurricanes, earthquakes and tornadoes. They’ve been shown to be able to remain stable in winds as strong as 100+ miles per hour, especially when anchored to the ground with supportive devices. What’s more, these items can be transported anywhere in the country. They were, after all, originally designed to be shipped.
These structures are being used in a variety of different ways. Some individuals are transforming them into permanent residences; others are turning them into temporary living quarters, and some are creating guest homes, cabins, and extra rooms for bed and breakfast inns. Designers are helping to create attractive and livable spaces within these former crates. These quarters are plumbed, painted and electricity is added to make them as livable as any building. Bathrooms, kitchens and living spaces, too, are created within these spaces.
Where are all these crates coming from? The United States and other countries import and export a slew of goods back and forth to each other. The products that are shipped come packaged in these containers. U.S. imports more than they send out, so lots of leftover containers are left on American soil. Rather than throw these base structures away, it was discovered that they were the perfect solution to budget housing.
In our current time in history, there are many individuals who are having trouble surviving financially. Many homes are in foreclosure or have mortgages that are underwater. Job layoffs add to the stagnant economy. But everyone still needs a place to live, and shipping containers are the perfect alternative. We also live in a time when individuals are realizing that planetary resources are finite and dwindling. Energy prices have soared and most people are looking for a way to have more efficient lifestyles. Again, shipping containers are the answer. This is the ultimate answer to recycling and frugality. And as if the economy and dwindling planetary resources weren’t enough, another twist that earthlings have been experiencing is freak storms and weather patterns. Tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes have wiped out many houses and lives around the globe. Another benefit of these economical shipping crate homes is that they are able to withstand Mother Nature’s horrific storms like no other building material.
If an individual was interested in turning these recycled steel containers into his or her next home, getaway or guest house, he or she should make a few phone calls. By contacting a designer and company who specializes in these custom digs, a new residence could be right around the corner.
