Has anyone here ever bought a shipping container and DIY'd it into living quarters or a mini workshop with electrical/ac/plmbing? Or bought a pre-made one and done modifications? I know I've seen a couple of people in here who have their own shipping container shops, but what about a studio living quarters? Are they worth it if you're handy enough to do the work yourself with welding and a acetalyne torch and know electrical? Or is it better to buy pre-fabbed? How do they work in regards to code/inspection? Is it a hassle to get it passed for inspection if you diy as a home in certain states? Is it less strict if it's just a workshop?
Forgot to ask, what about foundations? Do they have to be on blocks just like cuck sheds or can you pour your own foundation? How do they have to be tied? Etc.
>>2869663I thought everyone knew that it's a meme by now.
>>2869672not the OP but please elaborate
>>2869713>containers can be expensive>even if they aren't, transporting them will likely be expensive if you don't live near a harbor>gives you stupid weird room shapes with low ceiling>if you cut away steel to make better room shapes, you have to reinforce it with more steel>ceiling is still low>permits may or may not be a huge pain in the ass depending on where you live>by default very poor heat, sound and moisture isolation -> added costs to insulate>requires maintenance to not rust to shit>your house is ugly and probably wasn't any cheaper all in all than building from woodIf you have some cheap-ish containers and plop them down on a plot to make a workshop, it's quick and easy at least, but converting them to livable space only really has one purpose, LARP.
>>2869713They have no redeeming qualities unless they're free.You can just buy a mobile home or camper for less than you.need to buy/deliver a container
>>2869672What's meme about it? It seems like a better and cheaper alternative to a cardboard cuck shed. Cut a whole with an acetalyne torch for a window, run plumbing and electrical, about the same cost of a cuck shed but it's made out of durable metal instead of wood?
>>2869726Doesn't sound like too bad other than the low ceiling? Looks like the only true cost suck is a crane to lay on a foundation or double stack to get rid of the low ceiling problem.
>>2869663Would it be cheaper and better just to buy steel beams and replicate the rectangular shape instead? I want to be able to torch it and transport it on a truck if I ever decide to move. I can weld, torch, cdl, and am crane certified.What kind of material can I use for the walls if I wanted to do something like this, but with the same rigidity of a container, minus the wall weakness when holes are cut due to no reenforcement? Any ideas what I could use for the walls if I buy and torch my own steel?
>>2869726>>containers can be expensiveAFAIU people buy them used.not sure how realistic this price is but google says you can buy them for US$4k>>low ceilingfrom google>internal height of 7.4 ft / 2.25 mwooden constructions are this tall in my country, or even shorter... how tall are you? >>by default very poor heat, sound and moisture isolationyou can buy refrigerated (aka reefer) containers, you know>>2869727>You can just buy a mobile home or camper for less than you.need to buy/deliver a containernot in my country.
>>2869727>They have no redeeming qualities unless they're free./thread
>>2869663>what about a studio living quarters?Hey anon, we've all been there, dreaming about how awesome the zombie apocalypse would be and how we would ace the world if only other people didn't exist.But you'd have to do a lot of work to make a container comfy to live in. Plumbing, electricity, thermal/sound isolation, etc. And then, it's a flat metal box, you need to put an angled roof over it so rain flows easily.But consider the prices and your budget, for example in my country a pre-made shed/garage isn't much more expensive than an old used container and sure as fuck is ready to use with doors and windows already fit.>>2869727>You can just buy a mobile home or camper for less than you.need to buy/deliver a containerJesus, you had plenty of valid points to use, you had to go full retard, I'm not even american and I know you aren't getting either of these in any decent shape for less than 10k, a fucking basic container is 1.5-2k max, maybe up to 5k for a 40' HC container.
>>2869807>a pre-made shed/garage isn't much more expensive than an old used containerhow much would that be? containers cost like $2k in my country... I wish shit was as cheap as that. we are fucking cucked by "the market"
>>2869663Lots of negativity ITT but no useful info
>>2869793You can get a used container for about $2500 flat.
>>2869807Yes, I plan to do the extra work myself. I know how to plumb, electrical, hvac, weld, cdl, and am crane certified. Just looking to see if other anons have diy their own containers or if they ran into any issues with permits where they live so I know what to expect.
>>2869882>any issues with permitsthe entire reason i have conexes on the property is to avoid any permit bullshit. never asked. figured forgiveness was simpler than permission. just had the once a decade tax assessment and the conexes werent even noticed
>>2869902Wow, this is pretty cool.
>>2869816>containers cost like $2k in my country...Around the same in my area of Yurope.20 feet -> 1.25-1.7k euro40 feet HC -> 4.5-6k euroThis for the barebones ISO containers, pre-made container offices/rooms you can get for maybe 4-5k euros for a 20 feet one. (picrel as an example)As for sheds/garages, for the shit without floor it's around 1.5-2.5k for something of about the same area as a 20 feet container.>>2869882>Just looking to see if other anons have diy their own containers or if they ran into any issues with permits where they live so I know what to expect.I don't have one myself, but it's something I've looked into many times along the years.From what I've seen the great thing about them is that they usually don't count as a structure.For example in my country you need a permit from the municipality to build/install anything beyond 10m^2. (it's not that the permit is expensive or hard to get, just too much bureaucracy)Meanwhile you plop a 40 feet HC container (~28 m^2) on a few railway sleepers and no one bats an eye.But hey, nothing beats doing your own research, especially because municipal rules can change by municipality.
Forgot to mention, on youtube "The Container Guy", while shilling his products and services also has some nice DIY videos for container modification. Decent balance of shilling and giving you some neat tricks/ideas.
>>2869663I currently live in one. Came with the property, so I framed the internals.Generally, I really don't see the benefit of using a container though. You'll end up with an internal timber frame anyway and, at that point, you may as well just build a frame yourself and clad it.It is good if you need instant shelter though.>How do they work in regards to code/inspection?Wasn't needed here (Australia). We're allowed two per property in my zoning IIRC.Mine is not, technically, a livable structure (Class 2A).
>>2869991
>>2869807The container isn't in any decent shape no matter what condition you.buy it in.You.need to wire it for electrical, plumbing, insulate it, put up walls, buy fixtures, buy furniture, cut holes and put in windows, buy hvac shit because your insulation isn't going to be very good either.Or you.could buy an rv that already has all of that in at least some.sort of condition
>>2869991>>2869992First time I see one not larping, nice.Also, seems comfy enough for what it is. Thanks for sharing!How much did it cost you to frame/make viable?
>>2869976$4-5k wow, they sell for about $60-120k in America. Almost as much as a real house.
>>2869991>>2869992You're living my dream anon. This is exactly what I am looking to do. What kind of foundation do you have under it? Can you elaborate more on the frame idea? Alibaba/chinese websites sell prefabbed steel frame skeleton containers, I figured it might even be cheaper to build something like this, but I don't know what I would use for the walls or if I should use regular sheet metal? I figured container metal is at least a little bit thicker and the wave form gives it a little more rigidity. And I kind of like the idea of the doors already being there to seal it up and weld it shut if I am ever away for a long time.
>>2870020>How much did it cost you to frame/make viable?Timber here in Australia is expensive. I framed the walls with 70x35mm or 70x45mm (can't remember) and then used 90x45mm across the ceiling (I can't remember spacing, but it's not that frequent... maybe 500mm or 600mm).It's just plyboard for the walling. Probably more expensive than gyprock/plaster, but I was in a rush and did it in less than 2 weeks.All up, minus the wardrobe, probably around $2k AUD (including insulation). Maybe less.>What kind of foundation do you have under it?The container was already here when I arrived, I just framed it. It doesn't have any "proper" foundation under it, just dirt. Seems fine so far, it's been sitting here since at least 2016.>Can you elaborate more on the frame idea?I just mean that, if you're going to be building an internal frame anyway, the only benefit you get from a container is that you've got something that comes with cladding + roofing + flooring. But, if you're on a budget, you could probably do it cheaper+better by just buying your own cladding/roofing/flooring. Comfortably under $5K AUD imo.>I don't know what I would use for the walls or if I should use regular sheet metalThis might be Australia-specific, but we just use "Colorbond" - which is corrugated sheet metal. See pic attached (it's a new 9x4.5m structure I'm working on).
So for those who don't know. Shipping containers are not cheap and considerable work needs to be done to make them usable, work that's very hard because you're modifying a steel cube.Shipping containers are highly specialised, they only bear weight from another shipping container, not four tons of crushing force from the side or top, the top is not designed to bear weight, that's what the walls are for.They offer value whereA. You're securing cargo in them. They're cheap for secure storage. B. You will use it as-is then sell it unmodified. Because time=moneyC. You would be buying the equivalent cost of steel anyway, you're buying the container at scrap price. These containers are too small to insulate internally, you can however mount a freezer on them and externally insulate. You see them in fields to act as a portable root cellar for harvesters.You can get value out of them if you're stacking them vertically as intended. So if you needed to raise something really heavy like a plant. Though I've seen this go wrong before because the containers vibrate like mother fuckers
>>2870148Very nice and clear, thank you.>>2870178I once work at a place that uses them indoor, as offices. It was smart because no thermal insulation was needed (already inside), only soundproofing.Can't say it was comfy, but still, it was way better than an open space.
>>2870074Seriously? That's insane. You sure you're not looking at new/never sailed containers? They get a lot cheaper after they've been used for import because the owner would have to pay the price to send them back.I'm in the UK, and the prices are not that different from that mainlander's prices for one trip containers.
>>2871098Depending on where you're situation and how much sunlight you have, solar may be a viable power solution.I have a veranda thing where I put my panels (8 x 250W), but a container should be able to squeeze six on its roof.You could then build something like this (<$1K AUD equipment + ~$1K AUD batteries 12V:100A x 4) to power it all.Pic isn't my exact setup in the container (which was done shitly when I first arrived as I needed power asap) but, if you're in good sun, will probably be enough for some people (provided you're conservative with power and not running gaymen pc's, etc).
>>2871169>Seriously? That's insane. You sure you're not looking at new/never sailed containers?NTA, I'm the anon he's replying to.Not even new/never sailed containers would be that expensive. They'd be maybe 2-3 times the price of a used one.I think he was referring to the container modules I talked about (already insulated, wired, etc. office/room containers) which was the only thing I quoted at 4-5k euros. He most likely is thinking of actual bougie "container home" modules which are overpriced everywhere. (I've seen 1k euros/m^2 around here), meanwhile I'm speaking of basic shit that usually gets used as an office on construction sites. picrel
>>2871410Ah gotcha. Office conversion here is around £7,000 maybe, I've not looked into it because the only time I've needed one I needed it empty. Once sailed is £2.5k to £4.5k. I did find this house conversion for £7k. They've listed the work they've done if anyone here wants a template for the work they would have to do.https://cabindepot.co.uk/products/40-ft-converted-shipping-container-with-wc-shower-room-n0-702
no one other than me mentioned refrigerated shipping containers ITT. JFC, /diy/>>2870178>they only bear weight from another shipping container, not four tons of crushing force from the side or top, the top is not designed to bear weight, that's what the walls are for.how this is a problem? can you elaborate please?
>>2869664>tfw no sluttily dressed youtube 'homesteading' gf
>>2869713The meme hinges on the idea that shipping containers are abundant and cheap, but that is not true. It appeals to the 'lifehack' mindset where somehow the stupid majority is overlooking an obvious and very cheap alternative to what everyone else is doing.If you take away the false idea of containers being cheap and abundant you're left with an expensive, hard to procure, awkwardly shaped metal box with very bad construction and insulation issues. If you must live in a 40ft long clown shoebox, it's easier and cheaper to just make one out of timber frame. Easier to insulate too.
>>2873546(4chan ate my previous message....)I'm the anon you replied to.Can you show me an insulated 40x8 timber shoebox that sells for $4k installed, with floor and all? Sure, it might have some holes in it (from the missing doors and refrigerator motor) but both shoeboxes need work anyway.Also, for 2x that price you can get a much bigger building (40x16)
>>2873516>how this is a problem? can you elaborate please?Some people just assume someone wants to bury the damn things every time someone mentions containers.But real Chads know how to live (mostly) unnaground.
>>2873546>shipping containers are abundant and cheap, but that is not true.But it is true.There are plenty of the damn things.And compared to anything that can be immediately (or very quickly) used as shelter (for people or things) with the same useable area they are plenty cheap.Even shit metal sheds with no floor have trouble competing on price.
>>2873516shipping containers can only bear significant load on their corner posts. The corrugated walls and roof will at most bear half a metric ton before buckling inwards.Do not bury them trying to build a bunker or other such nonsense.
one of the things that attracts me more about a shipping container thank a timber house/frame is that the container won't burn in a fucking fire.
