Shipping container homes have been steadily becoming more and more popular as alternatives to traditional housing. They may look unappealing at first due to their hard, right angles lacking any trace of creativity on the part of the manufacturer, but they offer a lot more beyond their seemingly plain rectangular appearance. Here are just three advantages that you could get from what some people see as nothing more than an enormous steel box. Shipping container homes are built to last Shipping containers were originally designed to keep cargo intact while being transported over great distances. For this to become possible, cargo must always be protected from extreme weather and the other unforgiving conditions that are likely to be encountered during transit, such as bumpy roads and vehicular accidents. Containers therefore required the use of steel walls that are as much as four inches thick to make sure that whatever they held inside would be kept safe no matter how punishing the outside conditions were. The decision to use such thick, strong walls proved to be a sound one. Around the world today, thousands of shipping containers that have been discarded after they have spent years serving their original purpose are now fulfilling entirely new functions in various applications. This should leave no doubt in your mind that a home that began life as a shipping container, or even a container that has been used as a home after being delivered straight from the factory, is sure to be around for a very long time regardless of the climate in your area. A container home costs less than a traditional house Being plain and simple in appearance has one obvious benefit: lower cost. Because the main structure of what will constitute the house is already available, it will cost less overall than brick, steel, and all the other materials you will need to build a typical single-story home. There's no need for you to put the roof/ceiling, the walls, and the floor together because all these are delivered to you in one piece and essentially ready for occupancy. It is also because of that same simplicity that shipping containers present fewer problems for anyone looking to buy a new house. Because they are lower in price compared to traditional houses, the accompanying mortgage is lower as well, enabling homeowners to be debt-free much sooner. Finally, maintenance will also cost less compared to that of a traditional home. As typical shipping containers are designed to withstand the most punishing conditions, you will find yourself worrying less about factors that could put your home's structure at risk such as flooding and termites. They allow you to be creative This is especially true if you manage to acquire more than one container to serve as your home. If you have two or more containers, you can stack them one on top of the other to have a multistory dwelling, side by side for increased floor area, or just about any way you want whenever you want (for as long as you do not violate the local building code or impinge on other people’s land, of course). Thus, if you started out with two containers side by side but decided after a few months that stacking them vertically like building blocks is a better idea, you could easily pursue that option if you wish. You won't be able to enjoy such freedom with a house that is readily available or one that still needs to be built from scratch. Even if you feel you have the resources to build a new home from the ground up, the time you spend putting everything together could easily stretch into months, usually no less than five for a standard single-family dwelling. That is time you could have been spending actually living in and benefitting from a shipping container home. Also, because these containers were originally designed to be easily moved from one place to another, you may opt to move your container home by as little as a few feet in any direction or even just change its orientation while remaining in the same parcel of land (However, either option will require you to hire the services of a forklift operator or any similar business.). With benefits like these, it becomes easy to see why a growing number of people around the world have opted for shipping containers that will serve as their homes. Perhaps it's time you started thinking about getting one for yourself and for your family.

A lot of questions have been raised regarding the prefab or pre-fabricated container houses. Some people call it a process of upcycling and some call it a smart move of repurposing the old shipping containers. But the most popular one has been to call the prefab container houses a new and modern way of turning the dull shipping containers into beautiful modern and lux homes. It should be mentioned that the prefab shipping containers do have the possibility to make one of the most durable and appealing container homes today in this modern era. People love shipping container homes more than traditional houses. The demand is high and this is all thanks to creativity and the ability to implement the ideas into reality. A prefabricated container home is simply the house that is being constructed off-site and then they are shipped by the experts of the company to the building site to do the finishing touches and assemble the parts for the final stage. The contractors simply have the potential of completing the last touches and then starting with the process software plumbing and the electricity and last but not least the utilities for the gas. Describing it technically we can say that the shipping container homes are prefabricated as much of the manufacturing is done off-site and then they are assembled at once. The prefabricated house may not even look modular as well because what matters the most is the final touch and the end product. What Are the Advantages of the Prefab Shipping Container Homes? Shipping container homes being prefab or not almost have the same advantages. The advantages are States as below such as: The Prefab Container Homes Are Cost-Effective When you compare the container homes to the stick-built homes you can see that the shipping container homes have the potential of saving a lot of money when it comes to the overall cost of the house. On the other hand, custom-fabricated homes are known to be affordable as well compared to traditional homes as they even offer the owners a cost-effective yet comfortable house.

In many countries, shipping container homes are quite popular among homebuyers for a sustainable lifestyle. These homes have now become the trendiest living space across the world. Thanks to modern architecture and design! Homes in some countries have been built with shipping containers as they are eco-friendlier and more affordable than traditional buildings. The concept is mostly preferred in Western countries and port cities where container homes are popular include, Cape Town, China, New York, and Tokyo. However, prefab container homes are making a strong presence in India as well. In India, such homes are established in a few places like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Jodhpur. There are multiple benefits if you go for a shipping container house. One of its most important key benefits is that it already comes with floors, walls, and a roof. You just need a good architect or a designer who will help you to customize your container home as per your requirement and combine multiple containers into a single dwelling. Due to increasing prices of building material, land shortages and environmental concerns, many people across the globe are looking for an alternative to the traditional bricks and mortar houses. And container homes are the most considerable housing concept they could ever have. Here are 5 reasons why container homes are so great: 1. Eco-friendly: Most of the people are yet unaware that the method used to manufacture cement, bricks and concrete is quite toxic to the environment. The structure of shipping container homes is made up of materials such as aluminum and steel, that can be easily recycled and does not harm the environment. If you build a container home, it needs very less concrete and that too just for its foundation. A major way to reduce the carbon footprint and save the mother Earth is through recycling. There are many things, including paper, glass, metals and plastic that can be easily recycled. However, when it comes to the shipping containers, the material used in its making could be recycled and is the best way to save the environment. In addition, these shipping container homes are movable and can be placed anywhere without harming nature and uprooting the trees. As compared to traditional buildings, it needs very less resources such as water and electricity for living. To turn the container home into an enviable eco-friendly home, one can do rainwater harvesting vegetable gardening. The shipping container homes are an answer to many of the problems related with home building and offer an eco-friendly approach to reusing existing materials. 2.Affordable: One of the major perks of buying container homes is that they are quite affordable. Depending on the requirements and material used, a container home will cost you less as compared to traditional homes. The elements used in making a shipping container home include a metal roof, exterior walls, and a metal frame that are cost savings. Buying a shipping container home will not only save your money but the time as well because these are built faster. On an average, the cost of constructing each unit in India is around Rs 5 lakhs. Moreover, if a person still wishes to build a traditional house, he needs to hire subcontractors for plumbing, painting, electrical and other works, ending up paying everyone separately for its construction. It is pertinent to mention that due to its less cost, many international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have used the concept of shipping container homes to provide such houses to the homeless poor. 3.Movable: The shipping container homes are portable and can be moved easily anywhere. This is a major advantage that no other housing concept enjoys. It is built off-site in a factory environment and assembled on the final destination where one wishes to live. If you love travelling and want to explore different places and seasons, these homes with modern architecture are perfect for you. The container homes are designed in such a way that resists harsh climatic conditions. A container house can last long up to 25 years and even more if maintained properly. If it is well fabricated and finalized at a factory then the time of its construction at site will be lesser and economical. 4.Safe: These high-end container homes are as safe as traditional homes. Due to their structural stability, they can bear heavy load and deal with extreme weather conditions and natural disasters such as earthquakes and storms. The shipping containers can resist high winds even when they are not bolted. A container house can handle strong winds having speed up to 100 mph, which makes it a better choice for people living in areas with extreme weather conditions. In the past, some countries had built such shipping container homes at times of natural disasters for the homeless and poor people.

A prefabricated home, also known as a prefab, is any house constructed off-site and shipped to the building site to be fully assembled. There, contractors can complete any finishing touches and connect the home to plumbing, electrical and gas utilities. Technically, all shipping container homes can be classified as prefabricated homes, since most of the manufacturing is done off-site and assembly is done on-site. Of course, not all prefab homes are anything like a shipping container home. Far from it! To start, a custom prefabricated house doesn’t need to look prefab or ‘modular’ at all. The distinct design aesthetics of a shipping container home set it apart from traditional homes, while a custom prefab home can be built in almost any architectural style imaginable. But that’s not all. There are other distinct advantages to customizing your home from the ground up rather than starting from shipping containers. 1. Cost-effectiveness Compared to a stick-built home, there’s no doubt that building a shipping container home will see you save a ton of money in terms of the overall cost. It’s a relatively simple project and the majority of the costs are related to interior work. However, custom prefabricated homes are also more affordable than traditional homes, and they can offer significant cost savings in other areas like energy. 2. Eco-Friendliness Prefabricated homes are built with more energy-efficient materials and designed to be better insulated and sealed. Shipping containers, by nature, aren’t built to be energy-efficient or well-insulated. They require expensive modifications on-site to be efficient. 3. Quality of Materials and Construction Echoing the advantage above, Topindus custom prefabricated homes are built to the highest quality standards using top-notch building materials. They comply fully with any municipal by-laws and provincial building codes. Overall, even the smallest prefabricated home is much more durable than one built from shipping containers. 4. Renovation Shipping container homes are adapted, not built, as a living space. They’re missing a lot of the structural elements and fixtures of a traditional home. This makes renovation a lot more difficult. With a prefabricated home that mirrors traditional home designs, this won’t be a problem. Is a Prefab Home Right For You? Building a shipping container is a cost-effective and innovative solution, and it’s certainly something that appeals to some people. But a custom, factory-built home will always offer greater freedom to design a house that perfectly meets your needs.