Building a shipping container home seems pretty straightforward in theory. There are millions of excess shipping containers laying around in ports around the world, and they are the perfect size for a home. If you want a multi-story or larger square footage home, you simply stack a few shipping containers on top of one another and, voila, you’ve got a home. Unfortunately, things are never as easy as they seem from the outset. When it comes to building a shipping container home, there are several things you need to know to make sure that your home is structurally sound, sustainable, and singularly beautiful.
1. See Before you Buy
You would never purchase a used car without first inspecting it and taking it for a test drive. When purchasing a used shipping container, you will most likely not be able to do a complete “walk through”, especially if it is currently located at some obscure port on the other side of the world. However, you can ask the seller for detailed pictures and a thorough description of the container.
