The Rise of Tiny Houses: Would You Turn a Container into a Home?

History of D.I.Y Homes and Tiny Houses

Low-priced D.I.Y houses date all the way back to the 1900's, when Sears home kits (Roebuck houses) were the steal of the century. From 1908 to 1940, Sears sold around 75,000 across the nation, according to the company.

And although smaller house living was popular with artists in the ‘70's and ‘90's, the latest movement didn’t start until 2009, expanding into the early 2010's, when the housing market was facing issues.

However, it wasn’t until 2014 that the popular shows “Tiny House, Big Living” and “Tiny House Hunters” premiered on HGTV. That same year, the small city of Spur, Texas declared themselves the first “tiny house friendly town,” offering flexible zoning codes alongside hundreds of vacant lots for building.

The Popular Demand of Shipping Container Homes

Did you know you can buy complete shipping container tiny houses for around (or less than) what you would spend on car?

You could choose a D.I.Y option to have the price meet your own expectations, and design it to your liking but places such as eBay, Etsy, and Amazon are all big contenders in offering prefab tiny houses crafted from shipping containers.

In articles from Business Insider and News Atlas, the publications examine the financial realities of tiny house living within shipping containers. Some highlights:

On Amazon you can buy these homes for $36,000 plus a standard shipping rate of $3754.49, totaling just under $40,000. These homes include a single bedroom, a full bath (toilet, shower, and sink), and a kitchenette, and then delivered to you 4 to 6 weeks later

Other prefab tiny container homes, such as some in Colorado, can reach prices up to around $50,000 and are constructed with high-quality fixtures and unique design aesthetics

The Benefits of Building Your Own Tiny Shipping Container House

If you are looking for a new place to call home, and are interested in the tiny house movement, here are some great reasons that might push you to embark on building one of your own!

Sustainability– From lumber for framing to the number of light bulbs needed to light up the entire space, there are a variety of ways converting to a shipping container home can help you go green and reduce your carbon footprint!

Lower external costs – Who wouldn’t be willing to save a buck (or a few hundred)? There are many things that you can get cheaper when you go tiny, including insurance, taxes, repairs, utilities, and more.

Ability to travel – Forget about pricey hotels. When you own a tiny house, you can easily go mobile, taking it on your cross-country adventures.

Customization – Everyone at some point in their life has dreamed up their ideal home or wanted to make upgrades to their current space. Well, now you can make your dreams a reality – at a much lower cost!

Durability – Since shipping containers were made to withstand all types of climate they would face when carrying cargo, they make for reliable, weather-resistant homes.

The Endless Possibilities of Design - One of the best parts about creating your own custom tiny house from shipping containers is that you can make your home as simple or extravagant as you like! When you choose to design your tiny shipping container home from scratch, the possibilities are all up to you!

Did you know that besides transporting containers, we also sell shipping containers? So if you are looking to make your tiny house dreams a reality by using shipping containers, you are in luck! We offer these 4 sizes for sale:

20’ Standard - 20' x 8' x 8'6"
40’ Standard - 40' x 8' x 8'6"
40’ High Cube - 40' x 8' x 9'6"
45’ High Cube, used only

Ready to turn a shipping container into a home? Request a quote today to find out more information about our containers for sale, including pricing. We look forward to working with you!