What is a Shipping Container Home?
A shipping container home is a dwelling made from steel shipping containers—large reusable intermodal containers that transport goods.
How Much Does It Cost To Build A Shipping Container Home In South Africa?
One thing about shipping container home is that they are cheap. In South Africa, the average price of a new home is about R1 million. On the other hand, a shipping container home can start as low as R100 000.
Reasons why container homes are gaining popularity
1. New and creative designs – One of the reasons that held back potential homeowners from going for container houses was the plain designs of the past. Today, the internet has been bombarded with incredible designs that many would not even tell are container homes at first glance.
2. Cost – In most parts of the world, and certainly in South Africa, building a house out of shipping containers will cost you considerably less than building or buying the same house the conventional way.
3. Sustainability – It is generally agreed that building your home out of shipping containers is much more sustainable than building from concrete or other material.
There are millions of shipping containers in the world, and more are made every day. Instead of tossing them into huge crushers, giving them a second life after they are done sitting on massive ships is great for mother earth.
There is also the fact that most people who opt for shipping containers are minimalists looking to live the tiny lifestyle. Their footprint on the planet is much smaller.
4. Mobility – Some of those opting for shipping container homes are doing so for mobility reasons. The ability to pack up your home, and relocate it to a different location is important to some people. This is true particularly for those who love living off-grid away from noise and human interaction. Containers can be loaded on trucks and shipped anywhere across the world.
Try packing up your concrete home and let us know how that goes.
5. Speed of construction – Compared to a conventional house, a shipping container home can be constructed in a fraction the time. Many of these structures can be put up and be ready to occupy in under a month.
Do banks finance shipping container homes in South Africa?
Fortunately, most banks do not dictate what building materials you can use to construct your house, or what type of house you should buy.
Many lenders in South Africa have realized there is a need for alternative housing, not just brick and mortar, and are therefore willing to finance them.
According to Mpho Ramatong, FNB Home Finance Division Channel Head: Housing Schemes, the bank is aware of this paradigm shift and is ready to finance such homes subject to approved certification and accreditation.
Nedbank has its own criteria, and would look at container homes as mobile homes, and thus would involve some creative financing.
Standard Bank does not offer specific financing for shipping container houses, but are willing to evaluate on a case by case basis. For example, they will finance it if the house is to be built on a normal foundation and in compliance with national building regulations and municipal by-laws.
Basically, if your bank is satisfied that your house will be permanent and safe, they should have no problem financing it, if you meet their other requirements.
Shipping container home Architects in South Africa
It goes without saying that buying the containers is not the end of the story. In fact, it should not even be the start of the story.
You need a cool design for your future home. Unfortunately, unlike conventional houses where you can step into any architect’s office and get yourself a plan in a couple of weeks, very few specialize in or know anything about shipping container homes.
Consulting with companies like Berman-Kalil or Edge Studio Architects that specialize in designing and building container structures will be your best bet.
Is container homes legal in South Africa?
As with any building, a container home or office will have to comply with local building regulations and to be council approved.
With the exception of certain fire safety regulations, the rules pertaining to brick and mortar dwellings in South Africa largely apply to container homes too.
Can you live in a container in South Africa?
The housing type made waves in 2017 with the launch of the Drive Lines apartment block in the Maboneng Precinct in Johannesburg, which is constructed entirely out of these shipping containers, and offers affordable living for rents as low as R4,000 per month.