There’s a new fad hitting neighbourhoods and it’s truly proving that just about anything can be turned into something new. Shipping container homes are beginning to pop up everywhere. In fact, a whole neighbourhood is due to be built in Edmonton very soon. You’re probably picturing something in your head that’s a bit reminiscent of a dumpster-turned-apartment but you’d be wrong! These homes are almost unrecognizable as shipping containers once they are complete. Most have full kitchens, bedrooms, and bathrooms, and often have floor-to-ceiling windows; they can range from a small 200 square feet to goliath-sized homes over 3,000 square feet.
One of the greatest perks about these homes, quite obviously, is the price. You are saving substantially on the costs of building a home. Most shipping container homes cost less than the average apartment. In fact, Edmonton’s average condo in 2015 sold for about $250,000. The average cost of the shipping container home? Under $125,000. That’s half the cost! And, unlike the condo, you are not looking at extra fees. In fact, some smaller container homes don’t even require building permissions, meaning you can do all the work yourself! Now that’s a new way to “flip a house”.
On that note, these homes can be set down just about anywhere. You may have been drooling over a beautiful lot of land, perhaps enclosed in trees and lining a beautiful lake… But the cost to build a house or even a cabin on said land? Considerable amounts. The cost to purchase and renovate your own shipping container? Many individuals have done it for less than $40,000. Finally, that dream of owning a vacation home could be in your grasp!
Or maybe you want to earn a little extra money with your new miniature home. One popular use for these containers have been for current homeowners to add them to their property as a secondary residence. They then rent it out and reap the benefits of being landlords without the high costs of purchasing you’re the average second home. Add some solar panels onto your new dwelling and you’re looking at almost pure-profit.
Although these new homes are not a new idea, they are now just starting to become popular. Interest is growing in these unique little residences and they are quickly spreading out all over the world. In fact, you may have already passed by several and not even known about their “past lives”.
