How to build a tiny container cabin
Less than a year ago, my wife and I set out on a journey to build a tiny home out of shipping containers. The decision didn’t happen overnight. Most people don’t just decide to build a cabin, on the top of a mountain, in a state halfway across the nation, out of shipping containers, especially if they have never built a home before or have little experience in construction. Oh, and did I mention we were expecting a baby at the same time? But we did, and we want to share everything we learned along the way with you, in case you want to build a tiny home out of shipping containers as well.
We live a busy world. Digital devices consume our attention. Careers are demanding. And there doesn’t seem like there is much time for anything anymore. As we waded into the rhythms and responsibilities of adulthood, we realized we were spending a lot less time on the things we loved, and a lot more time fulfilling the expectations of what it meant to be successful in the world. We live and work in a city, spend countless hours behind digital devices, and rarely have time to go for a hike. Why? Each of us has our own answer for what a balanced lifestyle looked, but it’s hard to really live a life well balanced with dual careers, multiple kids, school loans and mortgages.
There were a number of factors that really influenced us to take the risk and go down a path less traveled, but the real revelation was when my wife’s grandparents passed away just a few years ago. There were so many things we learned from Frank and Jan that have blessed us in our own journey, but the biggest lesson we learned from them came after the last hug. Even though they had worked hard and planned their estate well, and all their kids worked together to resolve the distribution of their possessions after they passed on, there was still so much discussion after they were gone about things and stuff and money. It’s a reality so many families face when they lose a loved one, but it started to make us think about how invested our own time, resources and attention. We realized that instead of a lifetime of saving and collecting and working, we’d rather invest our time and treasure to live a radically generous life now. We longed to spend more time outdoors with our boys who were already growing up way too fast. We longed for a moment to just get away and read our favorite book on a cool summer morning, without worrying about expensive flights and hotels and restaurant bills. We longed for the chance to share these experiences and bless our closest friends in a way that really mattered.
So, without knowing anything about purchasing land, building structures, or everything in between, we set out on our adventure. It’s been the best decision we have ever made (besides, of course, that day I proposed to my wife, and that other day we decided to have kids, and a few other things I’m sure I’m leaving out). After years of sacrifice, hardware, tough conversations, late nights, trips to the emergency room, disappointments and surprises, we’re excited to share our story with you.
As recently as a year ago, we were looking at a number of alternative building methods, including timber frames, butt and pass log construction, and traditional stick framing. We even seriously entertained buying an old Airstream shell and converting that into a cabin — and probably would have made that mistake if the guy on Craigslist actually responded to our request (I’m pretty sure it was a fake ad). And then we got a phone call from a friend, Daniel.
Daniel and I work together in the aerospace industry. The only difference is that Daniel is an actual engineer, who builds actual space hardware that actually flies to space. I just pretend to know what I’m talking about and call myself a “strategist.” Daniel knew our property well and had even primitive camped with me (through a monsoon rain storm) and managed to pretend he had a really good time. When he heard that a company called Backcountry Containers, which was featured on the HGTV show Tiny Homes, Big Living was holding an open house, he encouraged me to check them out. I honestly had written off container homes as an overly priced option but decided to check them out. Never having stepped home in an actual container home, I was really excited about the option. The containers were small (which my wife liked), modular (which the engineer in me liked) and transportable (which made a lot of sense given that we were really having a hard time getting anyone in the Appalachian region to even call us back… which we now realize is very normal in the Appalachian culture). A month later, the owners gave us a call to let us know they had just signed a deal with HGTV to feature container builds on a new series they’d be releasing later in the year. They were interested in working with us on the season premiere!
It’s not often you get presented with an opportunity like this — and it’s not an easy to decision to make. Here’s how we ultimately came to the decision. Have you seen the 2008 movie “Yes Man” starring Jim Carrey? If so, you know that Jim Carrey’s character, Carl, reluctantly promises to answer “Yes!” to every opportunity, request, or invitation that presents itself. I’ll refer back to this plot regularly throughout this series, because the analogy is so close to our experience. We decided to say “Yes!” — reluctantly, fully aware that we had no way of knowing what we were really getting ourselves into.
Tonight, at 9pm CST / 10pm EST, a new series titled “Containables” will launch on the DIYNetwork. The first episode features our container cabin build. Appropriately named “Deadlines and Due Dates”, the episode will document our adventure transporting a 40’ container from Texas to North Carolina, up a steep mountain road, and placing it perfectly on a mountain top deep within the Nantahala Forest and the Smoky Mountains, all while both of our wives are expecting new babies!
Side note: My wife is not too excited about filming this during her pregnancy. We’re thankful for the experience and are really anticipating the premiere tonight. We hope you’ll check it out!
Building the Appalachian Container Cabin was truly a unique experience with many unexpected twists and turns. We learned a lot and thankfully documented it all in ridiculous detail! Over the next few months we are going to share our experience with you through a series here on Medium. We’ll cover a number of topics including the following:
- Things I wish I knew before building a container home
- Budget: How much does a container home actually cost?
- The Planning Process: Step by Step Instructions
- The In’s and Out’s of Permitting and Inspections
- Modular Homes, Custom Builders, Or DIY
- Floor Plans, Layouts and Design Considerations
- Transportation: How to transport a container cabin, even up a mountain.
- Finishing Touches: How to turn your container into a designer home
- Insurance: Can you even get insurance on a container home?
- Rental: How to generate rental income from your container
We hope that you’ll consider following along, especially if you are considering building a Tiny Home or a Shipping Container House. We’d love to hear from you about what you would like us to talk about and encourage you to follow our story at the Appalachian Container Cabin website, Pinterest, Instagram or sign up for the mailing list.
Until next time!
