Myth 1: Modified Shipping Container are so strong you can do anything with them.
Myth 3: Modified Shipping Container Homes are Cheap to Build
Wow we get this one a Lot !!! the short of it is No, now let me explain. If you have a bush block and you want a build weekender, something with a couple bedrooms a nice kitchen and bathroom and a space to hang out. Then yeah this can be cheap and on site quickly, especially getting quotes from the builders in Containify. But if you have a block in the suburbs of Brisbane and you think I really like the look of these shipping container houses. 5 beds, a large open plan living, 2 bathrooms and an awesome kitchen. Something like this is going to be marginal to a spec house builder. The people who build these houses have the money to spend and they are willing to pay for something that will turn heads. They have had an architect working with them for months to come up with a design that will set them apart. Now there is always exceptions to the rules, say you’re a carpenter and you just need the boxes with all the steel work done and all the cut outs for windows and doors. You have the contacts for any other trades that may need to come in for a day or two and your going to do the majority work yourself. Going down this way you will get that great modern architecturally designed shipping container house far cheaper than any spec house..
Myth 4: Converting Shipping Containers is the “green” thing to do because I’m recycling
When a shipping container is built in China, that container then goes to work for the next 10 -12 years on the shipping lines. At the end of that period the shipping lines decommission these boxes to container resellers around the world. Now you can imagine the life these boxes have had and who knows what has been in it. When modifying a shipping container through Containify, the container
builders will 9 times out of 10 offer a “single trip” container to modify. This way they can all but guarantee a perfect container to cut, weld and paint. Single trip containers are built also in China but instead of going to work for the next 10 years they do one trip into the country (normally with some stock in it) and sold directly to the public. Never to see the salty waves of the ocean again. So the only “green” approach with shipping containers is if you work with and upcycle a decommissioned box but make sure you inspect first as these normally will be pretty tired after 12 years of work.
