I have a penchant for technology. So I am often amused by, interested in, and spend vast quantities of time looking over different ideas for building a low cost, on-going cost-efficient home. I’m always driven to the point of laughter when I see many of the so-called “green living” websites talking about affordable housing – only to find out that the costs of actually building many of their fantasies will run about the same price per square foot as a traditional, stick-built home.
So what is the yard-stick measurement of affordable? Is it affordable to the smug, urban hipster? Or is it affordable to the every-day joe?
One of the ideas I’ve been working with in my head is the idea of building out a shipping container home. They are often mentioned as a low-cost building tool that can be used in a variety of ways. And I agree to a certain point. Shipping containers can be a low cost way to recycle some old steel into a modern home. But by the time most of the plans I see on the Internet are finished being built, there is nothing but a small living space with the price tag of a large home.
