Many different architectural house designs are available to potential homeowners today; ranch, Cape Cod, bungalow, colonial, and modern are just a few. Many people desire a home that satisfies their aesthetic preferences, practical requirements, and financial constraints.

 

While most purchasers eventually choose a more typical or well-liked style, others dare to stand out by adopting distinctive or current home designs. The idea of turning a shipping container into a home is gaining popularity. Allied Market Research reports that the market for shipping cabin container Malaysia will grow from $44,768.6 million in 2017 to $73,070.5 million in 2025.

 

This blog will go over some of the pros and benefits of creating shipping container homes and offer a step-by-step tutorial on how to do it.

 

HOW TO BUILD A HOME IN A SHIPPING CONTAINER

 

How do you get started now that you’ve decided a shipping container house is the best option for you? This new fantasy home will require some preparation, planning, and buying to become a reality.

 

Step 1: Permits and planning

 

While you may be able to take shortcuts when building the project, you must follow the rules when applying for the initial permits for your shipping container home. Ensure you have all the required building code permits and planning authorisation from the local organisations before you ever order a shipping container. Make sure a shipping container home conforms with local and state regulations and that you have permission to build a house.

 

Make sure the floor layout you have in mind for your shipping container home is physically solid by working with an architect and a structural engineer. Finding an architect with experience with shipping containers is advisable since doing so is very different from doing so with a standard wooden, steel, or brick structure. Also, bear in mind that you can put anything in a container house that you can put in a bespoke home.

 

Step 2: Purchase a container

 

You may therefore construct a shipping container house. Great. You will also require a cargo container. The size, kind, and state of the shipping container you purchase will depend on how big your ambitions are. A 40-foot, high-cube shipping container, which provides roughly 320 square feet of living space, is the most common size utilised for dwellings. That leaves room for a decent-sized kitchen/living room combination, one bathroom, and one bedroom.

 

It would be best if you researched before purchasing from any firm to make your shipping container home the best. Consider the price, delivery choices, vendor reputation, state of the shipping container, warranties, and previous client comments.

 

Step 3: Get your land ready.

 

The next stage is to choose where you’ll build your home and then prepare the land after you’ve ordered your shipping container. To keep your home elevated off the ground, you’ll need to consider the sort of foundation you’ll employ and the actual terrain. By doing this, moisture won’t harm the contents or cause rust.

 

For a single shipping container, a foundation can be as simple as concrete or wooden supports on the ground, but a whole basement may be required for many containers. In making your choice, you must consider both the structural requirements and your tastes. If you choose a poured concrete foundation, plan to insert steel plates into the concrete where the container corner blocks will sit. This will make it possible to fuse the cargo containers to the concrete base directly.

 

Even though it’s essential to get professional advice, especially if you intend to use many storage containers, you’ll likely take solutions like a concrete slab, steel plates, concrete piers, or concrete strips into consideration. Additionally, make sure the delivery route for your shipping container is unobstructed.

 

Step 4: Place the containers

 

A crane and a delivery truck are the simplest ways to install cargo containers on the foundation. Nothing compares to a crane’s simplicity, quickness, and safety. You’ll probably need to hire a local or rent a rough terrain forklift for a few hours if you don’t already have one.

 

Once your shipping container is set up on the foundation, any last-minute changes are usually made using a giant crowbar.

 

Step 6: Cut your openings

 

The metal must be removed from the shipping containers to install window and door apertures to the container walls. Steel shipping containers may be cut with a plasma cutter, cutting torch, grinder, or even a jigsaw, among other tools (for small openings). A plasma cutter or cutting torch is the ideal tool for removing a whole wall. If everything looks OK, begin drilling holes for windows, doors, skylights, and other fixtures to transform your shipping container into a house. You may pay someone to accomplish this for you, depending on your abilities.

 

Any gaps left behind after cutting your openings must be filled to protect the interior of the house from the weather.

 

Step 7: Include windows, doors, and framework

 

It’s time to install the floors, doors, and windows. Regular, sliding, or French doors and standard or cranked windows are available in whatever style you like. Any preferred kind should work.

 

Consider framing the inside of the shipping container with 1 1/2′′ steel studs to conserve as much internal space as feasible. They adhere to drywall and are firm enough to support spray foam insulation. Steel studs may be required if foam fails to join the wall and studs. A second layer of drywall or closer stud spacing can be beneficial.

 

Try to incorporate a thermal break between the studs and the metal walls of the shipping container, regardless of your approach. This is especially crucial when employing steel studs, which effectively transfer heat from the interior areas.

 

Step 8: Construct plumbing and electricity

 

Even if you don’t know how much electrical wiring you’ll need, it’s easier and less expensive to wire most of it now. Getting the cable through certain traces of the demolished container walls might be a wiring challenge. Making customised nail protection out of wire by wrapping it around the steel is one alternative; it’s a quick and affordable remedy.

 

Think about whether you’ll be installing HVAC systems or an outside AC unit when planning your electrical and plumbing systems. Think about solar power systems as well. You can harness more energy from natural sunshine if you install glass doors and solar panels on your roof.

 

Step 9: Insulation and temperature control

 

Insulation is necessary to help you regulate the temperature inside your shipping container home. Remember that insulating the inside will result in a slight loss of living space.

 

If that’s an issue, external insulation can help. You may cover the insulated outside of a cargo container with cedar, vinyl, or even wood siding. If you prefer the appearance of corrugated steel walls in your interior, having exterior insulation also makes it possible to employ the complete volume of shipping containers.

 

It also depends on where you live or what you choose as what kind of insulation you use, such as spray foam, panels, etc. Although spray foam insulation is the most popular, it is also the priciest.

 

Step 10: Decorating and landscaping

 

Consider the area surrounding your new shipping container house now that it looks nice. Think about building a great deck to increase the living room or guarantee that your property blends in with the scenery. To transform your new container home into a residence, you may also begin painting the interior and installing flooring.

 

Step 11: Review and approval

 

Here is the quiz. Your careful preparation and labour of love are about to pay off. Your brand-new shipping container home is prepared for its building code compliance assessment. Have your engineer and other structural specialists take a last check at the shipping container construction before summoning the inspector so you can make any necessary alterations. Crossing your fingers

 

Building a shipping container home takes a lot of planning and preparation, but it is entirely worthwhile. It is affordable, portable, and adaptable. Do contact Smart tiny to start constructing your own shipping container house.