How to use shipping containers to create homes

Yes, those big ugly boxes stacked high on the back of sea-faring tankers. Turns out they provide a pretty good skeleton upon which to build a house and their stackability allows for easy expansion. As a small-space enthusiast, I find this premise very compelling, and apparently so does much of the Irish population: “Container homes” is currently one of the fastest-growing Google searches in Ireland.

In response to demand, clever Irish companies have risen to the challenge, providing anything from basic container modifications to fully fitted turnkey homes, delivered to you on the back of a lorry.

Assuming you have land, shipping container homes could be an excellent way to keep your construction costs down and get you into your home more quickly.

Why shipping containers?

The key benefits of a shipping container home are affordability, quick construction time, and the potential eco-friendliness. Shipping containers offer a pre-built structure that is relatively sturdy and is the right size and height for a small home. They come in standard sizes — usually 10ft, 20ft, or 40ft — and of course they can be easily transported, the combination of which lowers their construction time and cost as they can be uniformly modified in a factory and then transported to site.

There are plenty available, and theoretically they are sustainable because you are recycling a pre-used item (more on that later).

Shipping containers are made of corten steel which is sturdy, rust-resistant, and weather-proof. It’s also easily weldable, allowing for modifications such as window and door frames or adding on extra containers.

They have reinforced corners so that they can be safely lifted by a crane, even when fully loaded, and the floors are reinforced with beams to prevent moisture seeping in through contact with the ground. So far so good for residential purposes, right?

Where can you get them?

Shipping containers are not hard to come by. For a home, you would need at least one 40ft shipping container which would provide about 300 sq ft of living space.

A quick look on DoneDeal revealed plenty of new and used containers for under €5,000. Some professional resellers, such as Titan, grade their used containers which is very helpful.

It’s a good idea to make sure your container has been certified wind- and weather-proof. You can then have your container modified (or do it yourself), or you can choose to buy a fully modified container home. GTL Container Homes in Dundalk offer a range of affordable, turnkey container homes delivered to your site — their one-bed 40ft home starts at €59,950 (price taken from gtl-container-homes.com).

What do you need to add?

Once you have your shipping container (or containers), modifications must be made to make it liveable. Of course you need doors and windows, so large holes must be cut into the sides which must then be reinforced.

If you are combining containers to expand your home, these will need to be welded together and additional support may be required if stacking containers on top of each other. It will need to be insulated, which can be tricky given the thinness of the walls. It’s a good idea to have the paint checked out — some of the paint that allows containers to weather hurricanes at sea can be toxic. You will also need to engage a plumber and electrician who know how to work with shipping containers. 

It may be necessary to install a new roof. If you have the tools, tenacity, and skills, all this can be done for quite a low cost. If not, you can contract a number of Irish companies who specialise in container home conversion.

Considerations

You will need land, a foundation, and a connection to utilities. And of course… you will need planning permission. Planning can be very tricky — the path has been paved in certain regions, but in others the novelty of a shipping container home may result in a lengthy application process.

While the industrial aesthetic may appeal to you, it may not appeal to your neighbours and as such you may need to clad the exterior to make it more fitting to the locality (resulting in more cost). You may also run into issues with furniture — containers are made to be narrow so that they can fit on trains, which does not bode well for your dream of a giant L-shaped couch.

Built-in furniture is a recommended option for your container home. Finally, longevity may be a factor — shipping containers should last 20-25 years as they are, which can be extended by careful measures to prevent rust.

Are they sustainable?

Whether to buy new or used is where the sustainability element comes into question — taking a new or very lightly used shipping container out of circulation to build a home with it is not the most sustainable option. Repurposing an old shipping container that has seen years of service and is no longer in use is not a bad way to recycle it.

However, be careful with used shipping containers — you don’t always know what dings it has gotten along the way that may have compromised its structural integrity.

There’s also the question of what it contained — what if it was hazardous materials that have left a residue? Finally, the amount of steel in a container is a lot for one house — some say recycling the container as scrap may be better. Sustainability is rarely a straightforward topic!

See for yourself!

Architect Patrick Bradley built himself the stunning Grillagh Water House in Northern Ireland from four shipping containers, winning many accolades (see Changing Spaces feature, previous pages, P26-27 in this edition) and more of this beautiful house can be seen on Channel 4’s Grand Designs, or on Patrick’s website pb-architects.com.

For an urban example, check out Gordon and Maggie Kelley’s creative home in Ringsend, built using seven shipping containers, which won a Building and Architect of the Year award in 2018.