Our Quest to Build a Mountain Cabin – Exploring Container Homes
Since moving to Colorado nearly a decade ago, my family has come to love spending time in the mountains – skiing, mountain biking, hiking and fishing – and we have been examining options for how we can have a place of our own.
For a long time we looked at buying a home but never found one that fit our needs – in terms of price, location, size, features and accessibility from Denver. The decision we eventually came to was that to have everything we want, we will have to build.
Selecting a site, architect, and contractor can be an expensive endeavor and can take years to complete. Problem is, we don’t have a big budget and are looking for a place we can enjoy sooner rather than later. So, we began exploring ways to get what we want without spending an arm-and-a-leg.
Container Homes
I was always curious about the container home trend but when I saw this home from Tomecek Studio, I knew this was something I had to know more about. You wouldn’t look at this home and think, shipping container, and that’s because architects are beginning to push the boundaries from simple mountain cabins to conceptual retreats that perfectly blend the environmental friendliness of repurposing used containers with high-concept home design.
The use of shipping containers in home and retail construction has become extremely popular recently, and the trend is picking up steam as homeowners, contractors and architects have begun to focus on sustainable building practices. Speed and ease of construction, lower cost, and the environmentally friendly nature of repurposing containers are the primary drivers in the rapid growth in the container homes market, where the more than 14 million out-of-service containers can be had for a song.
One estimate has the container home industry growing from $44 billion in 2017 to $73 billion by 2025. Driven by the reasons laid out above, but also because of the need for affordable housing throughout the world, the trend seems here to stay.
Cost
Shipping container homes can be quite cost-effective to build. Simple but livable homes can be purchased and assembled onsite from reputable companies for less than $100k, plus the cost of land. These tend to be straight-forward cabin-style homes with a small kitchen, living and sleeping area. Great for an individual or couple just looking to get away.
Construction
A person can easily build their own shipping container home, and it does not take months, as traditional homes do. Shipping containers are basically already in the shape of the house they will become, so the frame of the house is already there. Experts estimate that they can be built over several days if the component parts have been pre-cut.
Design
Container homes run the gamut, from single room studio/office to complex structures using up to 9 containers in some cases. Since our family is bigger, we’ll have to explore some of the options in between.
Sustainability
These homes can last only 25-30 years, as these old containers have higher possibility of corrosion, which is expected to hinder the growth of the container homes market.
Although we are just beginning our research into how to make the mountain dream a reality, the process has become fun for the whole family to come up with design ideas. Next up, we’ll look into what a modular home can offer.
