With housing affordability constrictions, urban density, and lack developable land unless you’re out in the sticks, shipping container homes have been widely hyped as an affordable, easy building alternative for years. But, although they’re unquestionably trendy— just ask Pinterest— there’s some things you should consider if you’re thinking about sticking it to the Australian housing market with a shipping container home.

Brenda Kelly, 36, from Auckland, New Zealand, embarked on building her own dream shipping container home six years ago after quitting her job at a local Bunnings. She now runs IQ Container, and has seven builds to date and consulted on a handful of custom builds. Brenda shares her story, and what you need to know before you dive into building a container home yourself:

"I’ve always been passionate about small space design, living within ones means with all the necessities but nothing excessive, freeing up time and money to live life rather than spending years working to pay off an excessive mortgage. In 2011, was ready for a work adventure, and before I knew it I had compiled and comprehensive business plan to build a home for myself which doubles as a display unit, along with my resignation to my job at the local Bunnings.



Unseen Perspective

The appeal of a shipping container to me was that it’s the ideal compact, affordable, low maintenance, durable shell in which to fulfil my aspirations. I visited several container modifiers to share my vision and one stood out from the rest. They were able to source single trip containers for me at a competitive price and do the required steel work such as cut-outs and framing. From memory the containers themselves cost around $11k.

The first tip I’d share for anyone thinking about doing this themselves is, don't go in thinking it’s a cheap as chips option. While the containers themselves are very affordable everything that goes into them is as per a normal home. Ensure you embark with all the information and facts and be prepared for some questions from council. Or, consult the experts and save yourself some grief.

Brenda's design incorporates a 12-metre container which features an entry, sitting area, kitchen and her main bedroom. In a second 6-metre space is her office a and a spare bedroom. Unseen Perspective

You will however save money on your bills if you add sustainable editions to your build. I use a special form of closed cell polyurethane foam insulation and insulate to 1.5x building code requirement reducing the need for heating and cooling in my container home. I also installed UPVC double glazed windows and doors, which offer superior efficiency over traditional aluminium double glazed glass.

A word on regulations

The council approvals were the consuming part for me. Given the builds unique nature, the onus fell on me to convince council that my design and material selection met, and in many cases, exceeded building code. I did a lot of research and development, compiled a stack of paperwork and international studies and liaised with council closely for around two years to ensure they were comfortable with my proposal.

Unseen Perspective

My next tip is to consider how you’ll live in the space. Unless you plan on joining a couple of shipping containers together, they are very narrow, so the space needs to be well thought-out. You’ll need an engineer sign-off on your cutouts and reinforcing, and a specialist insulation is required to name a few unique aspects which unfortunately add to the cost.

Unseen Perspective

As with any small home, every nook and cranny was utilised and furniture had to be dual purpose. I have desks and sofas that convert to spare beds & beds and couches that incorporate hidden storage.

I had a big clean-out when I downsized and donated a lot of goods to charity which was quite freeing and rewarding. Since then there is not a single thing I've missed or thought "I shouldn't have gotten rid of that".

I thought long and hard about the design to ensure from the outset there was space for all my essentials.

Shipping containers are super liveable, and suited to anyone with an open mind. They’re like Lego for grownups. While my passion is for small container homes, there's nothing stopping people from scaling up and out — the only limit is your imagination (and perhaps your wallet)."

Unseen Perspective

Things to consider when building a container home:

Cost: Due to their structural integrity in most cases they only require minimal foundations so are an ideal cost effective solution for steep or sloping sites. Brenda warns, while affordable they should not be seen as a "cheap" alternative to conventional housing. Container designs range from around $29,500 – to $300,000 in Australia.

Environmentally friendly: "My waste water system is vermiculture based. It’s completely gravity fed due to my site being sloping so no pumps or equipment is required," says Brenda. "Tiger worms in a large tank break down both my black and grey water which then passes through a series of plant filters which serve as a secondary treatment system prior to be dispersed throughout my site."



Lifespan: Brenda says shipping containers are virtually indestructible. They are earthquake, fire and hurricane resistant and if maintained will far outlast the 50yr life span our building code requires.



Bills: Brenda has a 2kw grid tied solar system, which means whatever power she generate in excess of what she sells back to my electricity provider and buy back off them at night. Her bill is “essentially zero across the year” she has a small bill in winter which is offset by a small credit in summer months. Brenda also installed an inbuilt 1000L water tank which collects rainwater runoff from her roof and is plumbed to supply this to my toilet and washing machine, reducing her water demand by around 45 percent.

Want to build a container home yourself? Check out Australian companies Container Homes Designer Domain and Lismore-based Container Build Group. Brisbane-based, Gateway Containers, and Cube Modular Homes in Perth.

Unseen Perspective