Shipping Container Home: Behold, the Reason for Nonsense Building Codes and Zoning Laws
January 2nd, 2012There’s a reason why they don’t mention where this is with any greater precision than, “California.” It’s because banks and maniac filth don’t get to draw as much energy from people who live in outlaw dwellings.
Via: Fair Companies:
Lulu is a single mom who’d gone back to school and didn’t have the time or interest in working full-time to pay for rent. So when she had to move out of her more conventional home, she decided to move herself and her daughter into a shipping container.
“I think I’m a little claustrophobic so the storage container was a little daunting, but I got the container for free.”
DIY container home
With no building experience, Lulu spent just one month cutting windows and a door and installing insulation and a basic kitchen (complete with propane-powered campstove and on-demand water heater).
Then she and her daughter moved into the 8 by 20 foot square foot home, fitting a bed, couch, bookshelf and kitchen cabinets into the 160 square foot box.
A flatbed trailer bedroom addition
When Lulu decided they needed a bit more space, she went from shipping to trucking waste and began to build their bedroom on a used flatbed trailer.
“It’s really mostly built like a shed. It’s a nice looking shed, but it’s really an 8 by 16 shed with windows in it.”
Salvaged furniture
Using only recycled building materials- including used floorboards, windows, cabinets, doors, bathtub, toilet and sinks- she built the entire thing for about $4,000 (trailer included).
When you don’t have money you just get creative you know and I had to go to the junkyard many times and be like, ‘okay, what am I going to do’ and be like ‘okay, I’ll pick that’ and ‘how can I convert that into a closet’ and ‘how can I make that a sink’ and ‘how am I going to make that fit’.”
Herein Alaska outside of city limits there are no building codes and the only required permits are sewer and water well…which is reasonable. We built our 750 square foot home on vacations over the last 8 years and it’s quite lovely. Ten foot ceilings make the open room seem much larger. kitchen is 15×16 gourmet kitchen and bathroom has tiled shower and a 72″ whirlpool tub. We have a splendid view of Cook Inlet and the Alaska mountain range.
Many people here opt for much smaller cabins because they are cheaper to build and heat (right now it’s -26 f). Over 50% have outhouses and many don’t have running water. Now can you imagine doing that in California? I didn’t even need a permit to hook up to the power grid with my inspected wiring. They told me if it burned down it’s my problem. I agree. I was an inspector for 25 years so I understand the value of inspections. But I opted to get none so I would never be tempted to sell to anyone except a cash buyer. Screw the mortgage industry.
Shipping containers are very popular here for storage. Im one of the few people in our neighborhood who doesn’t have one but I have a 30′ enclosed “car hauler” trailer instead. I’d love to build a garage/shop/greenhouse out of two containers with roof trusses over them. Set the containers 30′ apart, concrete slab between, greenhouse lexan roofing and end walls and I would have a fantastic building with secure steel store rooms on each side for a fraction of what stick frame or pole barn costs…and all without permits.
If you’ve got something to hide or want radiation protection, dig a hole, add drainage, set the container then bury all but access and ventilation in concrete and dirt. Insulate and dehumidify it and you’ve got seriously secure space at very low cost.
Uninspected wiring.
Re: cabins:
My brother in law lent me Alone in the Wilderness:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0058JQYE4/ref=nosim/cryptogoncom-20
Maybe you’ve seen it already, but WOW!
Dick Prenoke’s cabin is 60 miles from my front widows. As stunning as what he did is, in 1890 he would have been a typical, average Alaskan with a typical middleclass home. People should keep that in mind come EMP detonation time at 500 kilometers.
Google ‘Nuclear High Altitude EMP’. It’s on cryptocomb. It will only take one over Oklahoma to make Alone in the wilderness a worthless survival guide because nobody will be able to watch it. Folks, don’t wait that long to startlearn how to start a fire without matches and liquid boyscout.