Are you interested in building a home with a small footprint? Consider joining the trend of living in shipping container homes. Despite the limited space, these dwellings offer surprisingly versatile floor plans.
To maximize the interior of your storage container home, take your time in planning the final layout. Check out our guide for creating cozy floor plans on a budget-friendly 40 ft used shipping container and learn more about the benefits of container living.
Image from: Steelhaven
Advantages of Living in 40ft Shipping Container House
If you’re considering converting a new or even used shipping container into a residence, you can enjoy the advantages of small living.
- Living in a shipping container is affordable, letting many people enjoy a mortgage-free life with lower utility and maintenance costs.
- Tiny homes are energy-efficient, cutting down carbon footprints. Using repurposed shipping containers instead of new ones further boosts environmental sustainability.
- Shipping container homes are built easily, often in just a few weeks, so you can move in much faster than traditional homes.
- Portability lets container homes be easily moved, giving homeowners flexibility and freedom to relocate.
- Shipping containers are tough and durable, built to handle harsh weather, making them a reliable and long-lasting option for building tiny homes.
One major benefit of shipping container homes is their customizability, letting people personalize their spaces with unique layouts and custom interior designs to match their preferences and lifestyles.
Prioritize Practical Needs When Planning
Before designing your shipping container into a home, it’s important to consider the logistics of daily living. This means taking into account key factors such as:
- Select a suitable place for your container home and decide on its placement on the property.
- Plan out the placement of doors and windows carefully as it can affect the stability of the container home when holes are cut out for these additions.
- Including a pitched roof in your container home design is recommended to prevent water accumulation.
- Consider the most effective type and amount of insulation your container home will need based on location.
- When designing your container home, decide whether to connect it to local utilities or embrace off-grid options such as solar panels and rainwater catchments.
Creating 40ft Shipping Container Home Floor Plans
Planning out the interior is the most exciting part of choosing a container home. When designing homes from shipping containers, floor plans need to make the most of every available inch of space.
Standard plans for a container house typically involve using a single 40’ x 8’ container, providing 320 square feet of living space. But, you can increase the area by merging multiple containers into a single dwelling; you can position them beside each other and stack them on top of each other.
Image from: Steelhavenhome
Option 1: The Single Story
This single-story design features 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room. The main entrance is at the end of the container, with large windows on both sides.
Image from: homedit
Option 2: The Split Level
This design features two stories, with the living room and kitchen on the ground level and the bedrooms upstairs. The container is split in half, with a set of stairs connecting the two levels.
Image from: contemporist
Option 3: The Loft
This design includes a lofted bedroom reached by stairs at the container’s end, with the rest of the space for the living room, kitchen, and bathroom.
Option 4: The L-Shaped
This design has an L-shaped layout. One side has the living room and kitchen, while the other side has the bedrooms. The L-shape creates extra space and dimension by splitting the container in half.
Image from: Shipping Container Homes & Buildings
Option 5: The Expandable
This design features a clever expandable design, where the width of the container can be doubled using a sliding mechanism. The main living space is located in the wider section, with a bedroom and bathroom in the narrower section.
Tips for Optimizing Space in Your 40 Foot Shipping Container Home
- To maximize the space in your shipping container home, consider using a high cube container. These containers have the same length and width as standard ones but offer an extra foot of height for more volume and ceiling space. Extra space is useful for adding lofts or mezzanines to your home, or just for a more open feel. High cube containers also offer better natural light and ventilation, giving you more design flexibility.
- Create a lofted area for your bedroom to free up the floor space below.
- Choose furniture pieces with built-in storage, such as a couch with a bench seat that folds or stairs with built-in drawers that lead up to a loft.
- Add a Murphy bed to free up space and convert your bedroom into a versatile living area during the day.
Conclusion
In summary, living in a shipping container house has many benefits like affordability, energy efficiency, and low maintenance. Homeowners can customize their space to fit their needs and preferences. When planning to build a shipping container home, it’s important to focus on practical aspects like location, door and window placement, and proper insulation to ensure comfort.
Also, designing effective container floor plans to maximize space is essential. By considering these factors, you can create a beautiful, sustainable, cost-effective, and functional home from a simple shipping container.
At On-Site Storage Solutions, we know everyone has different shipping needs. That’s why we offer a variety of container sizes and types. Whether you need a standard or specialized container, we have options for you.
Our dedicated customer service team is ready to help you find the right container for your needs. If you have any questions or need assistance, contact us at (888) 405-8772. We’re here to help you with your shipping container plans.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Shipping container homes can be designed to be energy-efficient. With proper insulation, ventilation, and sustainable energy systems, such as solar panels, these homes can greatly reduce energy consumption. However, it’s essential to work with an architect or designer experienced in container home construction to maximize energy efficiency.
The cost of building a 40ft shipping container home can vary depending on various factors such as location, design, finishes, and construction materials. On average, the cost can range from $10,000 to $150,000, excluding the cost of land and site preparation.
Yes, one of the advantages of building a shipping container home is the flexibility in interior layout customization. Shipping containers can be modified and combined to create various spaces, such as bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and living areas. Working with a professional architect or designer will help you create a layout that suits your needs and preferences.
Like any other home, shipping container homes do require ongoing maintenance. Regular inspections for rust, leaks, and structural integrity are recommended. Additionally, maintaining the insulation, plumbing, electrical systems, and exterior paint will help ensure the longevity and durability of the container home.
