Container homes! Where can I build them?

Question

I was introduced to container homes a few years back and since then I just fell in complete love! I actually cant wait until I reach the capital to build my first dream house out of containers. Having the investor mentality I noticed there rare to spot. One of my really near future goals is to build beautiful container homes from scratch to then flip. Obviously I would have to start from a small container and work my way up to larger ones, I had an idea of building container homes in mobile home neighborhood but I'm not exactly sure if thats allowed. So what better place to ask other than BiggerPockets. :)

Where is it legal to build a container home? And are they allowed to be built in mobile home neighborhoods ? Im aware they have to pass a certain code , but where can I go to find more information on this?

in advance, Thank you and much success!! :)

Lundin Matthews · Answer

I have the same idea. I think though your better off building single bedroom quadplexes. This would take 12 containers, 3 per unit, and build them into 600srft single bedroom apartments. Then you can go and sell those to investors. Just my idea and what I've been working on.

Edward Hamill · Answer

@Mike Ryan I read a great article about that once on containerauction.com The article says it is possible as long as you are "on the grid" so it is considered a more permanent structure. http://containerauction.com/read-news/financing-a-container-home (I have no connection to that site, author, advertisers, etc... just a passing interest of mine and a pretty interesting site)

Mike Ryan · Answer

Container Home Finance- Has anyone gotten traditional financing for a container home, if so please share. Thx Mike

Pat L. · Answer

There could be a unique market in the Texas/Oklahoma area for self contained Tornado shelters buried in the back yard?? I remember similar aized cement/Fiberglas bunkers being sold & built in Darwin Australia after cyclone Tracy Hit. An engineering student colleague worked on marketing them for a company he worked for & he did very well.

Bill Gulley · Answer

Have no idea if it would be the same price, never built a container home, I think the lady had something like 75 bucks a sq ft not counting land. That was 10 years ago or so, she said it wasn't that much cheaper. Any conventional building would give you a more marketable home, an investment. Cans stuck together might be unique but not worth much to many others. Probably do better getting old mobile homes and sticking them together and rehab them. :)

Steve Babiak · Answer

Further reading: http://zigloo.ca/zigloo_domestique_hd/ http://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/44/topics/49164-developing-storage-facilities-with-shipping-containers-

Arnaldo Gonzalez · Answer

Bill Gulley Thanks very much Bill , i'll definitely look into that, one more question for you, So basically you're telling me building a traditional house from the ground up will save me a lot of stress, headaches, and most likely even money while giving me more architectural freedom in the long run compared to having to deal with working around codes, weld and other unnecessary construction... You think financially building a traditional house from masonry will run me around the same price?

Bill Gulley · Answer

Cities may not post codes, google BOCA as a start, cities follow national codes and adopt requirements. I can tell you, no container is going to pass a building code, it wasn't built as a residential structure. What you might get by with is having an engineer/architec, design it and approve the structure, then it may pass. Better not to fight city hall, IMO, find an area that is not covered by codes. Yes, I know what they can be, want insulation in that 9'6" space above you, room for duct work, plumbing, electrical chase, it will close in quickly......but yes, it can be done. Go look at a container up close, see how well an exterior door frame/jam will fit, lots of labor. The lady here had a rather long article about all the mishaps....study them you should be able to find materials written about them. Good luck. :)

Arnaldo Gonzalez · Answer

Bill Gulley Well when i think of container homes , i get a picture in my head of more customized kind, multiple container welded together, more like a hybrid, part container part normal architecture (concrete ). I've seen container homes that were built that have more to offer than just an average home, and as far as height you got the standard 8.6ft and then they have what is called a "high-cube" which is 9.6ft. my ideas dont just consist of buying a container,throwing it on some land, and make it somewhat liveable, my idea expands far more than that. by any chance would you know where i can look for more info on city codes ?

Bill Gulley · Answer

There is a lady in this area who is off her rocker that lives in 4 containers, a split level lodged into rock with large windows facing over a river. Kinda cool, kinda, if you like narrow rooms and low ceilings. These are no investment flip ventures I wouldn't think, the buyer needs cash, a bank might lend on the land, but since comps don't exist you won't have a marketable house. Look at mini mansions, you might like those, conventional stick built. You'll need to look for land where there are no building codes, Mo. had some counties without codes, that has changed now, but there are no inspectors so they just approve plans. You could build a combination structure, a stick built conventional room for the bath and kitchen and shoot rooms off a center room. I see lots of problems, coregarted sides make poor corners, weatherproof connections, roof.....good luck. :)