The world is overpopulated, space is limited and property is expensive, which is why more and more people are turning to “tiny living”.

Tiny living means downscaling, and living in a way that leaves less of a carbon footprint.

It’s also a more affordable way to own and live in a house without accumulating massive amounts of debt.

The most popular way to build a “tiny house” is by converting a shipping container into a fully functional home.

Yes, shipping is usually best left to the experts, but there is no denying the boom in container living these past few years.

Alicia Kalil from Berman-Kalil Housing Concepts spoke to CapeTalk recently about tiny homes, or rather “container living” in South Africa.

The story was covered on BusinessTech:

…container living has several attracting forces, including build time, mobility and affordability. She said that 90% of the build is done at the factory, which is then taken to site.

“That is a big factor compared to building with brick and mortar, and then obviously the cost.”

A single bedroom 12 metre container with basic finishes starts at R225,000 excluding VAT, a quarter of the price of the average brick and mortar home.

The finishes will set you back a bit more, but you’ll still save a significant amount of money.

“You can roughly work on, say, entry level finishes, and anything from R7,000 to R7,500 per square metre, and the most luxury we have quoted on is about R10,000 per square metre.”

Another company, Container Home South Africa, charges around R242 000 (excluding VAT) for a two-bedroom container home, and promises to deliver within 30 to 45 days.

I suppose the turnaround time is another one of the major selling points.

Overall, the cost of a container home is roughly 30-35% cheaper than a regular house. You can save even more by swapping out a traditional foundation for a plinth arrangement.

The really surprising thing is how much space and design can turn a basic container home into a luxury tiny home:

Not a bad second shot at life for a shipping container, which usually has an interesting life before it settles down to become a house.

You live in whatever house you see fit, but if you’re keen on seeing those containers do what they do best, as in sending goods around the world, you start by asking the experts at Berry & Donaldson.

The South African-owned logistics company has been helping importers and exporters navigate the labyrinth that is international freighting for over half a century, mapping out and ensuring the safe departure and arrival of shipping containers at their destinations around the world.

If you think about it, it’s kind of cool to have a well-travelled house to settle down in.

Add in the reduced cost and limited impact on the environment, and you’re on your way to better living.

[source:businesstech]