Shipping Container House CrazeWow! I didn't even realize that shipping container houses were all that popular, but apparently they are. One of my neighbors back in Florida had a shipping container that he converted into a storm shelter and it was an awesome little thing. The container was set up like a tiny house with a kitchen area, sleeping area, and living area. He didn't include a bathroom just because it was meant only for staying during a hurricane and not for everyday living but it had all the other comforts. I took a class yesterday all about converting shipping containers into homes though and the information I learned is certainly worth passing on! Savannah is a huge shipping port and there are shipping containers just hanging out waiting to be used. Some industrial Georgians have already made the decision and put in the work to create homes out of shipping containers. Just keep in mind that shipping container homes still need to meet the requirements of Georgia Building Code, but the cool part is they actually address shipping container homes in the Georgia Building Code. It states that shipping container homes must meet the minimum requirements of IRC (International Residential Code); the main sticking point here is that R304.2 states the minimum dimensions for any room must not be less 7 feet in any horizontal direction. Since most shipping containers are only 7 feet 10 inches in width it prevents the homeowner from creating a hallway space or two separate rooms width wise in the container. However, an industrial homeowner will put two or more containers together in order to create a traditional style of living inside the containers. Also, when using containers there are many options and one of those options are to purchase used containers. There is absolutely nothing wrong with purchasing used containers and they will be on the cheaper end of the spectrum. If that is the route you choose to go I feel its necessary to point out some facts. One being that the majority of containers used for freight have been manufactured in China. The container must pass the IICL's CSC (Container Safety Convention protocols), these protocols state that the roof and walls of the container must not contain holes and must be of sturdy construction, the container's original door must open and close easily (this is even if you do not plan to use the door and will be replacing it), the interior must be dry so as not to create an environment for microbe growth, and there must be no residue from previous cargo. If a container has passed its CSC that will be a stamped plate located in the end of the container stating as such. The plate is good for five years and must be reinspected. However, in order to turn a container into a home the Ga Industrialized Building Manufacturing has determined that the container must be less than 48 months old. Another restriction on used containers is that the container must not have ever transported hazardous materials. There are various places around Georgia that has been allowing shipping container homes to be constructed. A popular residence in Atlanta is the Gartrell Street duplexes that were constructed out of 12 total containers. There is another group of containers in Atlanta, appropriately named the "IVillage@MLK". This grouping of containers has been set up as a public work space and has a common space set in the middle of the containers. While the above picture clearly indicates that shipping containers were used they blend together somewhat for an ascetically pleasing look, the ones at IVillage definitely look like shipping containers placed on a lot.
If you are looking into constructing a shipping container home, just know that the costs associated with the construction sometimes become overwhelming for a person new at construction. The average shipping container home construction costs could cost you over $100,000. The most common expenses associated with this type of construction are the land to place the containers on, the cost of the actual containers, transport of the containers from wherever you purchased them from, professional fees (this would be the architect or structural engineer that would have to sign off on the building plans for the construction), the actual construction costs (this would cover the cost of heavy machinery and the people needed to work the machinery), contingency, and building permits. Owning a shipping container home seems to be a really neat way to insert your personality into the building of your home as well as a way to use materials that already exist and could possibly be clogging up our environment. I look forward to hearing from others that have looked into this kind of project. What did you decide to do? If you have already constructed your container home, I would love to see pictures of the completed home!!
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AuthorThree Spunky Eclectic Sassy Darling Realtors® that live in the Hollywood of the South and help people all over the east metro Atlanta area with all kinds of real estate needs. Lynn Pynckels, Dewayna Pullum, and Stepfanie Gray Archives
January 2020
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