Used shipping containers make great modular housing. They are cost effective, durable, and easy to locate. You can easily turn a dull looking shipping container into a beautiful place to call your home. If you have decided that remodeling a used shipping container is the best option for your housing needs, follow these tips to turn it into the home of your dreams.
Choose an appropriate container size
Shipping and Conex containers come in many different sizes. Not only do you want a size that can be customized into something with as many bedrooms and bathrooms as you require, but you also want something that will fit on your current land. Measure the land and understand how much the Conex containers will take up. Then, consider the layout of your modular home. A standard 20 foot shipping container can hold 1,150 cubic feet, while a 40 foot high cube contains 2,700 cubic feet. Just for reference, a 20 foot container can hold around 3,596 shoe boxes, and a 40 foot high cube can hold 8,443 shoe boxes.
Work with a professional architect
Although you will not require architectural services for the build, their knowledge can be helpful for the design process. An architect can provide valuable knowledge into the placement of windows, doors, and walls. They can also consult you on the appropriate sizes for each room and what makes sense to the overall layout of the modular home. Most shipping container homes use 40 foot units. Standard 40 feet shipping containers are eight feet wide and 8.5 feet tall, and each one gives you about 300 feet of living or office space. Situating four of these containers side by side will create a three bedroom house around 1,200 square feet.
Add landscaping around the modular home
You can spruce up your curb appeal by adding landscaping around the Conex containers. These container solutions can look very nice, very similar to a permanent house structure with the addition of landscaping. Plant trees and bushes around the Conex containers and brighten up the entire yard with bright flowers. Add a coat of paint to the outside of the Conex containers to better match your yard and the overall look of your curb appeal.
Decorate the inside of your modular home
The furniture and decorative items are really what makes the house feel like a home. You can decorate the inside of your modular home, just as you would a traditional home. The only difference is that you will have saved so much money with the build of the industrial shipping containers that you will have extra money available to decorate as you desire. Shipping containers can last over 20 years, provided they are taken care of with regular paint and maintenance, a good container will serve you for a long time. Keep up with paint refreshers and home upkeep tasks, just as you would any other house.
Enjoy your unique modular home
There is no question that your house will be one of the most unique on your road. Neighbors will envy the price you paid and you will have a durable and visually appealing home. You might even consider using Conex containers for offices or home storage needs. Perhaps you will turn used Conex containers into a garage or storage shed in your yard. The options really are endless.
What if you could have a house that was cost effective, yet allowed you to make any and all customizations you desired? Used shipping containers are the perfect option for a portable modular house. You can turn it into a house that you enjoy and take pride in by having it professionally designed, adding landscaping around it, decorating the inside, and choosing the right size for your yard.