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brotha
Joined: 23 Oct 2006
Posts: 6
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 Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 6:35 pm Post subject: Bulding Home from Shipping Crates |
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Hi, im new to this site.
I wanted to ask some questions and oppinions in relationt to making a home out of shipping crates, the 20by8 ft or 40x8.
Would this be a good idea? They are very cheap about 2000-3000$ each. About 6 of them would make a pretty big house.
DOes anyone have any oppinions on this>? Have they heard anyone who has done this and would you think this is a good idea. Because for lets say 6-8 crates tahts only about 18-24k$ you could have the frame work of your house.
Im thinking of making up a cad moddel for a house like this, it could in theory be reallly cool. Like you could have a tower with one of them and just make it intricate. One block could be completely dedicated to all the heating, pipes and appliances. The roof would be very strong because it would be a giagantic metal welded structure.
If the outer look of it looks really unnapealing one could even cheaply cover itw ith something nicer but keep that as the frame.
any ideas comments....Im th inking this would be a GREAT way to make a cheep really good house.
Also what would you exactly need to cutt the steel containers?
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-20ft-Shipping-Container-Worcester-Area_W0QQitemZ150047768583QQihZ005QQcategoryZ26261QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/STORAGE-CONTAINERS-USED-20-SHIPPING-CONTAINER_W0QQitemZ300039327217QQihZ020QQcategoryZ1267QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
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brotha
Joined: 23 Oct 2006
Posts: 6
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buildinglongtime
Joined: 23 Oct 2006
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 9:09 pm Post subject: |
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This is an interesting idea and has been since these containers have become more affordable....at least those used and with a few dents. My ideas on your idea come from researching an inexpensive, practical, workable design for some indestructable rental dwellings. The steel construction of these containers gets a gold star for indestructable. I might add here that I have run accross several companies on the web selling these outfitted for cabins, offices, etc....for about 10,500. starting price...bare unpainted walls and a coffee table no doubt...also some years ago one of the trailer (then) manufacturing companies were planning to offer 8 foot modular units to be assembled on site much like your drawing (I remember the one standing on end). My approach, however would be slightly different than yours in that I would use one container as the central core/hall, build up the floor in this enough to carry all the electrical and plumbing and then stick build rooms off this. This would be less desireable if you are not a doityourself person. Having to hire a contractor would make this approach less desireable than adding more containers in some fashion. If you are a do it yourself person or have friends who are the stick built add ons would have a lot of advantages over the containers and the structure could more easily be built to look like and adapt to your lifestyle. I saw one of these in "Escape Artist Magazine" on the web as a two decker and a large deck around....just painted....looked nice...especially with the palm trees in the background...A couple of disadvantages which may or may not be of any concern is 1. If you need a building permit...gonna be a lot of work to get em passed if at all. When you apply list the building material as steel and the frame work as steel...don't mention shipping container. 2. The banks won't loan money on them...they might if classified as a steel building...3. Resale value will be nil, if you want or have to resell...Keep in mind that most of us end up doing things differently than when we started...The lawyer and the ex wife usually see to that. .A final thought on the cutting...If these are the standard, ocean going containers, they are corregated and relatively thick. The only way to cut em is probably going to be with a torch. I have some cement hopper type contrainers I bought for my project and these are 1/8 welded steel with angle framing outside. These can be easily cut with a skill saw and an abrasive blade but the blade wears pretty quick. I think if I do any more I will use the torch...Hope this helps a little..
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lekizz
millennium club
Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 1110
Location: UK
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| Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 5:19 am Post subject: |
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Building with shipping containers seems to be increasingly popular. Like you say, they are relatively cheap, very robust and mobile too.
One of the earliest examples I know of was in East London, "Container City", which began as a simple collection of artists' studios and has expanded more recently.
http://www.containercity.com/
There are several companies worldwide that specialise in designing and building container architecture. I remember a long thread on the Archinect discussion forum a couple of months back.
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brotha
Joined: 23 Oct 2006
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 7:21 am Post subject: |
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| What is required to get a building permit? Why is it so hard to do so?
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FreelanceCAD
Joined: 27 Sep 2006
Posts: 22
Location: New Jersey
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| Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 7:40 am Post subject: |
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| I was recently in Ireland, I dont remeber the town we were in at the time but I seen a couple of building made from contianers. Seems to be catching on, I do know the government in the US has devloped buildings to use as emergency moblie command centers and medical centers from containers. This is something I seen on Modern Marvels on the History channel.
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brotha
Joined: 23 Oct 2006
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 11:08 am Post subject: |
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| along with the question in relation to a bulding permit, can anyone contribute any more links to sites or pictures or any info inrelation to this having already been done?
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buildinglongtime
Joined: 23 Oct 2006
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 12:11 pm Post subject: |
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The requirement for a building permit varies depending on where you live......more populated areas have stricter codes than rural, farming districts.....Here in S.E. Arizona that is becoming more populated everyday one must first find out from the local county Planning and Zoning office (it will be listed in the phone book under county) if your lot of acerage is zoned for what you plan to build. Then if not on a sewer system have the soil tested for percolation to determine how much pipe you need for drainage. Then submit your plans (house, outbuildings, fences, etc) along with a site plan (shows where the buildings will be placed on the lot) and your fee. Here the septic permits are 375.00 with the prior perculation test (3-500.00) and the building permit about 1500 -2000. for an average size house. The fees will be much lower in less populated areas. Houses that are different like the containers will be more difficult in that you will be asked to prove that the construction is safe and that it meets the building and fire codes. I am changing the roof style and construction on a garage I am presently building and having to have a structural engineer go over it and approve it....about 1200. Takes all the fun out of it....
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brotha
Joined: 23 Oct 2006
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buildinglongtime
Joined: 23 Oct 2006
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 3:21 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks much for the websites........the first has many innovative and interesting ideas and should keep you busy for weeks deciding which you like best...The Aussie research station was also interesting and alluded to the fact that I mentioned earlier.....they are cutting the steel with abrasive wheels (cheap grinders) but no mention of how many they use......discs and grinders.....they also mention that you have to cut where the ribs....ain't.......
The website (the first listed) with all the different layouts, etc. had one very noticable feature........most of the listings were not in the United States and most were projected, under construction,etc...While I suspect much of it may be because the idea is new, just starting to catch on, etc., much of it may also be the difficulty in getting from the prospectus to the final product........lived in......on your site.....You might try and contact the few in the U.S. who are using the Units to live in and see what problems they had in getting their permits....If you could get a copy of their permits and any engineering they had to have done... it will help when you apply for yours... Most countrys have websites and I suspect you can get on yours and get the rules and regs for a building permit...or if you call them, they will gladly (most states do) mail or fax you out a copy.
You may have to move....Massachusetts is probably in the top dozen of toughest states on building......any place where folks with money live in abundance is going to be tough....If the popularity of these units continue, then the ease with which they will be acceptable will be more apparent...If you have money, by all means get your permit, get your structural engineer.......(the cost will vary depending on how much work they require him to do...can't be much...not many moving parts) and go for it...If you are poor like me you can wait until someone else paves the way...or try and bootleg it in .....in some backwater town....out of the way....form a company....tell folks its an experimental model...to be moved later on...maybe by the time you are done tinkering and they (the Planning and Zoning folks) will have left you alone for a number of years and you have saved enough so that no matter what happens you've saved a bunch of money.
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brotha
Joined: 23 Oct 2006
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 3:34 pm Post subject: |
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Lol i have NO money. Im in college and studying Geography: City planning and computer science minor.
Ive been thinking about building, buying, homes latley because getting an appartment seems like a waste of money.
Im thinking that this will in no way be possible untill i have more money and my only idea"method of getting more money" so far other then getting a job is buying and renting homes.
Im thinking of shopping around and getting a house in the next few years which i will specificly make into two separate homes. I will chose a home that is cheapest and easiest to do this too. After i will rent out half of the house or, The whole house while living at my family home. After obtraining some money and getting everything straightened out. I plan to morgage another home and live in half of it while having another house help me with money.
Can any of you gimi any tips of anything in this matter? Is this a compeltely rediculous idea or is it possible?
Atleast not rent out hte whole house but half of it. The reason i wanted to rent out the whole home is im thinking that "if i add together both renter's prices" this will be greater then the payment for the house; thus making me a profit on top.
Also if i spilt a home i would prob take the smaller of the two halves. Thus having the renters pay more in ration compared to me. So i would not have to work so hard to keep living there.
what do you all think is this possible?
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buildinglongtime
Joined: 23 Oct 2006
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 4:46 pm Post subject: |
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I caught your post as I was heading upstate to a project I need to spend some time on.....so will quickly answer your post (as I see it). First of all the fact that you are in school and have no money is good in that you have some time before you jump into the pool filled with sharks with the rest of us. Your ideas all have merit from the first post but need some thought and familiarization with how things work out here so you won't waste the little money you will be able to accumulate when you start up. My startup was similar to your idea.....I bought fix up houses....rented a room......or kept the room and rented the house as the situation dictated.
It has taken me many years to build equity, suffer some losses, rebuild, and etc. The one big clunker I think is that it will require more capital to start where you are (in Massachusetts) than some small town in a less populous state. I grew up in the Washington, D. C. area and property values, like in Massachusetts no doubt are 10 times what they are here and in many other areas of the country...Unless your home or some other underlying reason is in Massachusetts...I would consider looking around the country (world) to base your venture. I will be happy to elaborate on anything posted or misunderstood here but suggest you email me at - blocked - ....some information may be lengthy or irrelevant to the post.....
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johnhad
Joined: 08 Nov 2006
Posts: 10
Location: Pennsylvania
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| Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 10:24 pm Post subject: fabprefab - container buildings |
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Visit fabprefab.com they have a ton of informaton on building with them. A freind of mine is selling solar powered containers that are self contained of isolated areas of the world.
Again, visit fabprefab.com
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anuja g
Joined: 11 Nov 2006
Posts: 9
Location: London
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| Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 1:32 pm Post subject: need ur help |
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hi
I m doing research in interior architecture and i hv chosen a topic to reuse the shipping crates and pallets in making a floating house.
Can u help me in finding hw many extra crates r available n where or can u suggest me any site frm where i can get d information regarding d same.
As u mentioned that u hv a deal to purchase the crates.
hope u wl help me n looking forward for ur early response.
thanks
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buildinglongtime
Joined: 23 Oct 2006
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 2:57 pm Post subject: |
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Not exactly sure of your construction idea and what you are using "Crates" to describe.....Pallets are being used all the time to construction low cost housing....The strawbale folks gave up their straw house project in Mexico in favor of the standard, found everywhere, 4x4 (or thereabouts) wood pallets. If you will type in Pallets Sri Lanka on your search engine...the first entry will take you to I beams website who have dones lots with the Pallet for low Cost housing in third world countrys. You have seperated the Pallets from Shipping Crates in your question and not mentioned the 8x8x20 and 40 foot steel shipping crates that was the orginal question from Brotha...Are you meaning shipping crate to describe these steel containers? or are the shipping crates just bigger wooden crates...Give us a little more on your proposed idea ( do you propose to float this big steel container?) (Are you going to build a big platform of pallets, float it on oil drums and put the steel container on top...Almost anything is possible. The 4x4 wooden pallets are available almost everywhere but some companies pick them up and recycle so better ask...The steel shipping containers available from most shipping companys..they are always upgrading..."Pallets Housing and shipping containers will bring up a lot of useful information....you can also add low cost, experimental, etc. and pull even more.....
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