# Have container, will settle: Couple homesteading in the woods



## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

> Have container, will settle: Couple homesteading in the woods of Ellsworth with a unique spin on housing
> 
> By Bill Trotter, BDN Staff
> Posted June 18, 2011, at 3:19 p.m.
> ...


http://bangordailynews.com/2011/06/...-twist-on-going-off-the-grid/?ref=mostReadBox


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## used2bcool13 (Sep 24, 2007)

Very cool article, I really liked the cedar shingles on the end of that one container.

Thanks for posting this.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

There are companies here retrofitting containers as cottage homes. Very nice. I'm sure there are American versions too. Wish I had the website handy!


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

I think once the craze and trends of shipping containers gets fully figured out and realized by everyone it will be too late to stop the trend. It's a great idea and very economical! We Americans have decided that we can't live in 160 sq.ft. but this article and many other stories proves you can. You don't have to have a sprawling mansion to be happy and comfortable. 

Good for this young couple!


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## beowoulf90 (Jan 13, 2004)

francismilker said:


> I think once the craze and trends of shipping containers gets fully figured out and realized by everyone it will be too late to stop the trend. It's a great idea and very economical! We Americans have decided that we can't live in 160 sq.ft. but this article and many other stories proves you can. You don't have to have a sprawling mansion to be happy and comfortable.
> 
> Good for this young couple!


Why the put down on those of us who have more square footage? 
If you choose to use a space of 160 sq ft and are happy, good for you!
But I don't understand the "contempt" your post seems to convey for those of us who have larger homes..


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## gobug (Dec 10, 2003)

Shipping containers interested me for a short while. Since Denver is an international customs location, they are pretty easily obtained. Here the price is higher than $1500 each for 20ft, and then there is delivery. Add to that the rigid dimensions and that metal conducts heat very well. Cutting holes for windows is not impossible, buy not fun. It is more restrictive, in a design sense, than 4x8 panels and 2x sticks.

My idea shifted from steel containers to steel pallet shelving. They come in a larger variety of sizes with many other things, like stairways, flooring, doors, etc available. There are shopping center mezanines made using these.

Last fall I bought 2 pallet shelves at a metal salvage yard and made a 100 sq ft shed. 14ft verticals were $45 each, 8ft horizontals were $15 ea. It was my prototype for a larger version on my mountain property. That larger version will be made late summer this year. Lessons learned from the first shed will bring my total cost for a 200 sq ft shed in at $500.

Still, I respect what the couple did in that story.
gary


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

Timely thread.

This was just posted on Fine Homebuiding's FaceBook page:
http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/17975/cargotecture-would-you-live-in-a-metal-box


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## gobug (Dec 10, 2003)

Nice photos, thanks for posting them.
gary


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

beowoulf90 said:


> Why the put down on those of us who have more square footage?
> If you choose to use a space of 160 sq ft and are happy, good for you!
> But I don't understand the "contempt" your post seems to convey for those of us who have larger homes..


I don't have any contempt for those with more square footage. I'm way above that but was simply trying to say we've conditioned ourselves to want more. In the 70's, if you had a 1100sqft. home in suburbia America you were keeping up with the Jones'. Today, unless you have 3500sqft in a sub-division you're not. 

I'm simply saying that we can do the same with less. It's our conditioning and non-willingness that causes us to want to spend higher heating, cooling, upkeep, and insurance costs on a bigger piece of the pie!


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

I don't have the article on hand at the moment, but a few years ago I ran across a story of a couple who made quite a nice home out of a 40' and 20' containers. They were put at an "L", and were quite attractive. The problem was the final cost. With insulation, inside and outside finishing, heat and A/C, the per square foot cost was not really any cheaper than building a simple cabin of the same sq. footage. 

I also read about a company who retrofits these for housing in 3rd world countries at about $5,000.00 apiece. 

If you look down at the comments on the article above, the owners state they have 5" sod covering on top of them. That's a great idea for insulation.


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

francismilker said:


> ... We Americans have decided that we can't live in 160 sq.ft. but this article and many other stories proves you can. You don't have to have a sprawling mansion to be happy and comfortable.
> 
> Good for this young couple!


They have two, hence 320 square feet -- not a bad area for just two folks living simply. I lived in a 400 sq ft. cabin for several years and had all I needed, so this certainly can be done.


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

I think the sod covering is great as well. And so what, if you have to add some to it now and then it's free from your land. Just a little labor involves. I seen a cabin one time that had some awesome looking moss and ivy growing from the roof and it was very attractive.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

I love the idea, and if you have these containers laying around for free they are a good choice. what gets me though is that for two of them I figure it would end up costing 5 grand for the two containers, sales tax, delivery charge, and tip. Then comes framing the inside walls, insulation, drywall, adding windows, a door, electric, plumbing, etc, and that all adds up. Some of these containers are rusty and the walls are thin. The rust needs to ground off and the whole container has to be painted if you want to live in it for life. The roofs are a problem also. i would not trust that roof to not start to rot after a few years. Ether you have to check it for rust and paint it every year or you will have to build a pitched roof on top to move the water.

I dont know, after doing all that, it seems better to just build a little cabin the same size frame out in 2x4's, because all the container winds up being is the shell.


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## Bandit (Oct 5, 2008)

If we do buy some land down south , Fl. or Tn. I think the first thing that I would put on it would be a steel container for securing our belongings . 
You can always make a part of it livable to start out .
Something like this for a secure door . A simple design for inside
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b201/krpind/CampHouse001.jpg http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b201/krpind/CampHouse002.jpg
A site with a lot of info
http://firmitas.org/
A container vendor in Tx. with lots of cabin ideas
http://www.square1containers.com/


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## taylorlambert (Jul 4, 2010)

We have a 53 foot van trailer at work its one of those stack trans type boxes from Fruehaff. We gave 400 of it as one side was damaged and the doors needed replacing. Its got insulated sides and the bottom is a sturdy wood floor. Even on these hot doys its a nice shelter and easy to cool. I put a 110 AC unit in one of the doors while working inside the other day and it was cool. A freind bought onelike it and bought a rafter and truss set and made a nice house from it. 


I worked on a water treatment plant job one year. We had 2 supply trailers. Both insulated. THey parked them side by side 20 feet apart and dropped them. WE set the landing gear on pads and ablocked upo the rear suspension. THen used ground anchor on the outs sides of the trailers. THen put a set of rafters top. Then we underppined the outer sides of the trailers. It was where i did maintence on the equipment when it was raining. I had an office in the front of one trailer and a place to sleep on when I had to stay on rainy days and unload material.


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

I see more space as having more life...

I've lived for entire summers in nothing but a backpacking tent. I lived week to week, continually getting resupplied. I couldn't easily live full time in a backpacking tent. In a wall tent, I probably 'could'... but it would be tenuous. With a regular sized house, I can store enough food and supplies to last literally years. In a tiny house, I'd be hard put to keep more than a month or so, and still have room to move around. My storage areas have more square feet than your average container or tiny house.

So yes, you can live in a coffin... I've done basically that very thing, for over a decade, in the summers. To have any of the finer things in life, like books, movies, music collections, food storage and prep areas, etc., larger spaces are necessary.

I wish everyone would live crowded together in micro apts. crowded in like sardines... it'd leave more elbow room out here in the country, for us folks that need the room.


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

texican said:


> I see more space as having more life...
> 
> I've lived for entire summers in nothing but a backpacking tent. I lived week to week, continually getting resupplied. I couldn't easily live full time in a backpacking tent. In a wall tent, I probably 'could'... but it would be tenuous. With a regular sized house, I can store enough food and supplies to last literally years. In a tiny house, I'd be hard put to keep more than a month or so, and still have room to move around. My storage areas have more square feet than your average container or tiny house.
> 
> ...


Well said my friend!


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