Shipping Containers what do you think?

Jaffasoft

Jaffasoft

Want to pick your brains about shipping containers - the pro's and con's and your thoughts...

I thought about it a couple of years ago but thought I was mad I know they use them for storage sheds.

They are proposing to bring them in here in the next couple of months for a show display which seems to try and promote to get general public acceptance. They are nothing like I have pre-conceived them! My brainstorm on them was to basically stack a few side buy side as square boxes. The way these ones have done it, I have seen a photograph and it is surprising how they come up.

There is going to be a little Village, three of them. Looking forward to seeing them and having a look through.

The market they would target is the first buyers or the ones locked out of purchasing because of the affordability. There are arguments with some people about them as they think Australia doesn’t need second grade living.

Some mob from China are shipping them over and have been in talks with local council's this week, it takes three months to ship them over here. I spoke to the agent and he says it's not a Shipping container it's a "Modula home", I get a feeling that's a bit of a sales pitch to make them sound good.

Anyhow I think they are a great idea. What are your thoughts? Since they are transportable they the concept seem vary versatile, wander if they have there own sewage system above ground with pumping systems so that can up and move them to another town if need be?
 
Thanks that's got some good reading in that thread.

The prices talked about in there are in the range of 90k which I think seems way to dear. Considering I know you can buy old second hand ones for 1k. These one they have talked about here are saying 60k and that thread was two years ago.

I think the cost to DIY have got to be lot less then that :eek: . I'm wandering about how it is they go about making them right down to a practical approach.

The ones I seen have pitched roof and you would not distinguise them from a small normal looking house or unit they don't look like shipping containers at all.

I wander how you would go about finding a DIY plan for doing it yourself would be hard to come by I suppose?
 
Friend of mine, partner in a Sydney firm who only needs a net connection, set up his office in a NQ beach-side suburb in two containers. Quite comfortable but expensive to aircondition.

Doubt it cost much to do.
 
Slept in 'em and didn't like it.

I stayed at a "Resort" called the Poons in Port Hedland while working up there.
The whole place was basically "Refers" (Refrigerated Shipping Containers) and it was an experience thats for sure!

Those miners hadn't seen a white girl for a long long time!

Anyways, it was quite okay as being a refer it was insulated nicely but it was quite hot and had to be airconditioned non stop. It was wierd sleeping in a box also - I kept thinking about who had used the refer before, where it had been and if I was going to be picked up and moved by a crane any time soon - too much time spent on wharves I guess :eek: . Personally it wouldnt be my cup of tea - it felt like a large white coffin.

One thing to think of is that shipping containers are often fumigated for long trips with nasties such as Methyl Bromide. Although the chemicals are usually dispersed upon opening the container doors there might be some sort of residual left and it may just be a problem over time.

Not too mention the scrapes and bangs they get during the loading/unloading process - they may not be that structurally sound.

Just some thoughts..............
 
Pre fab - the new craze

In recent years there seems to have been a re-emergence of the old shipping container as a home. There's some excellent sites that enable you to explore the possibility of converting them into an affordable and comfortable home. There's even a site - http://fabprefab.com/ - that shows the fancy end of the scale. What you can achieve is quite amazing. Whether or not they make a good investment ... would be a real niche market I expect.

This link provides a few benefits of them - http://www.containerarchitecture.co.nz/benefits.html - although they are an architest firm pushing their own services. Still good food for thought though.

And another interesting article in the Sydney Morning Herald - http://www.smh.com.au/news/cover-story/contain-yourself/2005/08/31/1125302599915.html?oneclick=true - even includes adding a rainwater tank to the container and other self-sufficiency initiatives.

There's lots and lots of info out there and I'm sure people who've chosen this form of construction would be open to chatting with you about their own shipping container project.

All the best on your journey of discovery. It's an exciting and innovative possibility. We even thought about doing it down here in southern Tassie!
 
Just a correction k-girl.
Those refrigerated shipping containers are called "reefer containers" or reefers for short.

As for structural soundness, the containers are quite over-engineered and very well designed to withstand the usual rigours of shipping transport handling. I wouldn't have concerns about their structural strength unless they are really bashed in. The container depots selling these boxes would be able to guide you on their soundness.

Cheers,
Raj
 
Renovice said:
The container depots selling these boxes would be able to guide you on their soundness.
Click to expand...


.....and if you really want to make some 'proper' money, have a chat to the guy who actually owns the dirt that the container depot is situated on.....that's where the real money is at, not the steel boxes themselves.
 
HI Angie I was surprised to see what could be done with those containers from your links. I agree they would do great in Tasmania where I believe there is a general acceptance of alternative styles of accommodation. It would be interesting to see a finished one on site.


Angie said:
In recent years there seems to have been a re-emergence of the old shipping container as a home. There's some excellent sites that enable you to explore the possibility of converting them into an affordable and comfortable home. There's even a site - http://fabprefab.com/ - that shows the fancy end of the scale. What you can achieve is quite amazing. Whether or not they make a good investment ... would be a real niche market I expect.

This link provides a few benefits of them - http://www.containerarchitecture.co.nz/benefits.html - although they are an architest firm pushing their own services. Still good food for thought though.

And another interesting article in the Sydney Morning Herald - http://www.smh.com.au/news/cover-story/contain-yourself/2005/08/31/1125302599915.html?oneclick=true - even includes adding a rainwater tank to the container and other self-sufficiency initiatives.

There's lots and lots of info out there and I'm sure people who've chosen this form of construction would be open to chatting with you about their own shipping container project.

All the best on your journey of discovery. It's an exciting and innovative possibility. We even thought about doing it down here in southern Tassie!
Click to expand...
 
Has anyone on the site had any personal experience with setting these up as exterior bedrooms/houses? How are councils as far as approval goes? What would it cost to renovate one from shipping container -> house/room?
 
I'm just curious whether people just put these containers on the ground.

Or do they have to drive some stumps/fasteners into the ground or put down a concrete pad.

I was thinking about the risk of rust or even untethered containers being blown over during extreme winds.

I haven't inspected the tops closely, but does their flatness cause problems when it rains, or is an alternative slightly sloping roof put over the top?

Peter
 
We have 2 containers in our factory yard, I am not sure the sizes exactly, they have been fully wired up and are used for our business to store stock to maximise space.

Seem to be very popular with local businesses where we are.
They were basically placed on the ground, no concrete, pretty solid, cant see them going anywhere.
 
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