Live in a shipping container?

[chingmai331]

My poverty stricken friend wants to buy a 2nd hand shipping container, aka, in USA a semi-trailer but without wheels.  I guess the sort of thing loaded onto the giant sea vessels: steel boxes with big doors on one end.  She would 'install' this thing on her tiny plot of land, make needed mods and move in.  She hopes to save at least half the cost of building a new small house.

 

Does anyone here have any experience with such a 'house'?  How to evaluate the box before purchase, how best to support on the land, interior walls, exterior protection from sun...the list of Qs could go on and on.

 

So help me out here.  Good idea or rubbish?  Don't forget she's paying 5K baht per month rent now and will be forever, if she has no house of her own.

[unsubscribe]

Your friend: "I want to live in a shipping container"
Pattaya: "Say no more..."

 

 

[papa al]

Doubt if there would be much savings vs. a block house.

Bank would probably loan on the construction.

[steven100]

fine ..... but not cheap to renovate and must be air-conditioned.

There are two sizes of shipping containers, 20ft & 40ft . The containers get extremely hot inside so a lot of cost has to be spent on windows, ventilation & air circulation.

Renovation costs $500/sqm min + air-con+ sewerage + water + electrical + plumbing.

Can be installed on a concrete slab so no need for foundation. 

Generally, can be done but I hope she has at least 60k-80k minimum ...

and if it's not done professionally both inside & out, it will look like every other trailer trash around.

[impulse]

Lots of old threads on the topic, including places to buy a container, and other places to buy one already converted to an office or tiny house.  There's several in Thailand, especially around the ports and between BKK and Patts.  The search function is your friend.  (Unless there have been too many format changes to the website and old search results got deleted- hate when that happens)

 

My favorite part about a container home is that you can uproot and move it if the land it's on is no longer available (or appealing) to you.  Like a bad landlord, boom-boom bar going in next door, expired lease, or a divorce.  Sadly, moving big stuff around Thailand is pretty expensive unless you know someone.

 

Edit:  Whether it makes sense or not depends on a lot of things, including the temperament and skillsets of the owner.  I don't think it's a good solution for the OP's friend if she's struggling to make the 5K monthly rent.  Unless the underlying motive is to get the OP to front her the funds.  Bank financing will probably be easy for the land itself, but tougher for the hundreds of thousands of baht for the box and improvements...  The good news is that she can spend the money for improvements as she get it.

 

[ChakaKhan]

Sweet!!!!  I'd do it!!!

[CharlieK]

Have a look at these small houses. Maybe your friend's finances can stretch that far?

 

www.facebook.com/THEWILDmobile/

[regularguy]

I was watching a video recently about someone that did a container conversion. He mentioned that he got a history of the container by getting the bills of lading. The major concern is that some of these containers ship toxic chemicals and you would need to be concerned about that and how you would clean these containers to get rid of the toxic materials.

[baansgr]

At over 100 degree heat everyday, no matter what insulation you have...its gonna be hot, hot, hot...air con running 24/7. Mind you, can always fry an egg on the food save on gas.

[URMySunshine]

Seems a desperate misguided solution. She lives in Pattaya you say then if she really needs to be a homeowner then a cheapie second hand condo in one of the Thai blocks could be got for 400k I would have thought - which comes with all utilities plugged in and chanote to boot.

 

Just re-read your post - maybe better building a well-built serviceable 'shanty' I would have thought or try to sell the land for a good deposit and then if she is loan worthy get a mortgage. The shipping container is a pretty inflexible core structure to easily adapt I would have thought. Do you have any idea  of her budget for the build ?

 

https://www.bahtsold.com/view/studio-38-sqm-hagone-condotel-600-000-tb--381727

[Rookiescot]

Would you want to try and sleep in one of those when the monsoon rain is hammering down?

 

[CharlieH]

There is a Hotel that uses them here, and there is a company near me that operates converting them into offices and shops etc.

 

Great way to try one out, book in for a few nights !

[scubascuba3]

there was a post on facebook 2 weeks ago selling these, 2 bed, 3 bed, already kitted out, depended what you wanted, search and you should find it, price seemed reasonable

[URMySunshine]

8 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

there was a post on facebook 2 weeks ago selling these, 2 bed, 3 bed, already kitted out, depended what you wanted, search and you should find it, price seemed reasonable

As a vanity project for a hipster I can see this has legs but as a new  build from scratch for a bahtless person I'm not sure it's the right way to go. I guess if we knew a bit about your poverty stricken friend then it would be easier to make a judgement.

 

One upside in Thailand is you can do pretty much what you want on your own land with no building codes. If it was me I would go for a bamboo / natural materials above the ground more traditional build. Old 'poor' houses that I have been privileged to visit over the years all over Thailand have been a revelation in as how cool they are compared to the cement condo sweat boxes.

 

 

[crazykopite]

They are very expensive here she might as well build  a wooden house if it’s on concrete posts which you can buy I believe you don’t need planning permission as it’s classed as temporary or build a big wigwam type of dwelling out of bamboo .unless you fit out a container properly it will end up like a sweat box . I have even seen prefabricated buildings advertised google it there might be a place not to far from where she wants to live 

[steven100]

51 minutes ago, URMySunshine said:

As a vanity project for a hipster I can see this has legs but as a new  build from scratch for a bahtless person I'm not sure it's the right way to go. I guess if we knew a bit about your poverty stricken friend then it would be easier to make a judgement.

 

One upside in Thailand is you can do pretty much what you want on your own land with no building codes. If it was me I would go for a bamboo / natural materials above the ground more traditional build. Old 'poor' houses that I have been privileged to visit over the years all over Thailand have been a revelation in as how cool they are compared to the cement condo sweat boxes.

 

 

and after cyclone ' destroyer ' passes through ...  ?   lol

[URMySunshine]

32 minutes ago, steven100 said:

and after cyclone ' destroyer ' passes through ...  ?   lol

well if was me then my preferred solution in the absence of any other info at the  moment  is a cheapo second-hand Thai condo though than in itself might be a fool's errand I fear. Would love to know size of plot , location and budget !

 

EDIT - Apologies seem to think you were in Pattaya rather than CM !

 

 

 

[seancbk]

Superb idea if you do it right
 

 

 

[EVENKEEL]

2 yrs ago I bought a 40 ft connex box in Calif. from a place that's been selling for at least 20 yrs. Cost was 120,000 bht  $4000.USD I doubt they will be much cheaper in Thailand. That would not make baht sense to convert to live in.

[scubascuba3]

17 minutes ago, seancbk said:

Superb idea if you do it right
 

 

 

That does look good but they have a flair for design it seems

[robertson468]

2 hours ago, CharlieH said:

There is a Hotel that uses them here, and there is a company near me that operates converting them into offices and shops etc.

 

Great way to try one out, book in for a few nights !

The idea of putting a roof on top would reduce the problem of over-heating to quite a large extent.

[sandrabbit]

44 minutes ago, robertson468 said:

The idea of putting a roof on top would reduce the problem of over-heating to quite a large extent.

Just need to line the inside with Rockwool slabs for insulation which then gives a surface to put plywood on although you can get them 'faced' but they are meant for exterior use. I've been in many nice containers offshore, they can make great homes.

[geoff65]

Just remember the dangers of building a shipping container Home.

https://containerhomereview.com/3-things-to-avoid-when-building-a-shipping-container-home/

 

 

[cornishcarlos]

[cornishcarlos]

Container home to any standard is gonna cost more than a traditional build.

Whether wood, bamboo or block..

150k-250k I would think...

 

My hut cost 40k !!

 

 

[nervona81732]

One thing go consider ( i was a longshoreman for 35 years ) I worked in the industry and was in on 

containerization from the get go. You're friend must be aware that containers have a grading categories as far as ( new #1 used #2 used #3 used #4 ) , number 1 clean inside FOOD GRADE, then on down the line to #4 which is hazardous material, not fit for making a livable space. 

Big industry now making livable spaces out of. The industry retires old shipping containers for various reasons. The one she should be aware of is #3 #4. Not suitable for conversion into livable space. I have seen many creative designs out there. Note, in a hot climate , above ground can be like an oven. Just saying. Cheers.

[Thingamabob]

Only in a mild climate.

[Nanaplaza666]

Let her get a container from ecuador maybe there's a hidden compartment with i little surprise in there that will help her buy some land and a house . Just kidding , i geuss those small houses look fine and quit cheap . 

[DJ54]

This is from an article I read previously. I’m not connected to this

company. Sharing because it has a lot of information. 

 

 

Per their website...

Container Homes compared to regular built homes in THAILAND do not vary much between them in terms of costs. Materials are the same, labour is similar and foundations are the same. 

 

http://www.containerkingsthailand.com/prices/

 

 

[ChouDoufu]

thai gf's niece works for a company that sells these.

here are some current prices (google translate from her email):

 

container fee for a grade office

 

empty box: 55,000

make 1 window:  9,000

door:  8,000

rust-proof coating:  7,000

paint with external rust proof primer, interior, 10,000

can chose 2 colors, padded foam with ceiling panels around the heat

 

base cost around 80,000  (box with rust-proofing, paint and ceiling insulation), then add for doors and windows, and add shipping cost calculated according to distance.

 

lotsa how-to videos on youtube if interested.