Converting a shipping container is sometimes called Cargotecture. The approach is increasingly becoming popular as many people are seeking an affordable way to build a house. In these tough economic times, a cargotecture is a worth investigating as you consider options to build a home. Also, converting a shipping container into a home is environmentally friendly.
As with any investment, you must take in to account the type of home that you want before you start construction - a home is a long term investment. It's important that you're committed to the lifestyle and won't change your mind after a few months, leaving you equity tied up in a creative form of non-traditional housing.
Before starting construction of the house be sure and check the local codes and regulations to make sure that your project is in compliance. This will ensure that the local authorities don't reject your container home when it is under construction. Before approaching the authorities, take the help of a professional designer, contractor or architect. Their valuable advice will make sure that your container house is approved by the authorities. Contact them with the details of your container house plan so that they can go through the plan and check whether the plan complies with the local codes.
The next thing to consider is the size of the house which will enable you to know the number of containers you need to purchase for constructing the house. Used containers are cheaper but it can be expensive to transport them to the building site. It is better to stay away from purchasing containers that are old as they may contain some harmful materials which may affect you in the long run. However, if you still want to buy used container, ensure that the containers are cleaned properly.
It is advisable to buy new shipping containers that are rust-free. There are various sites on the internet that offer new as well as used containers and hence it is easy to buy the one as per the requirements. It is highly recommended to employ cargotecture professionals in order to have a well built shipping container home. This will make sure that you have a nicely designed cargotecture house which will last longer.