Minimalist living is here
Stylish, compact and cost effective, container homes are a trendy alternative to bricks, writes Marchelle Abrahams
CONTAINER homes are becoming the go-to solution for first-time home owners. More cost effective and with a shorter lead time, it could be the answer to those trying to get a foot on the property ladder.
But don’t go comparing these structures to the hideous looking steel containers you’ll find on the side of the road. Container homes have grown up to become something to behold in the property market, something that screams, “Hi, look at me!”
One such home belongs to former nightclub owner Lucas Steyn. When he envisioned eco-conscious living, he went completely off the grid with sustainable shipping containers.
“I scrolled around on social media one night and came across a conversion someone had done in the States,” he told Top Billing. He became obsessed with container conversions and decided to incorporate it into his home.
The result is a secluded getaway on his family farm just a few short kilometres outside Bot River.
The walls are insulated with non-combustible mineral wool, clad in recyclable boarding, while the interior is chic and minimalist. Now standing tall for three years, Steyn saw the potential in the move and now rents out the property as part of his booming ecotourism venture.
Cape Town-based Berman-Kalil helped bring his vision to life.
“That was one of our first luxury products where we looked at it and thought maybe there’s something to this,” says Bradley Berman, the founder and co-owner of the company that specialises in innovative housing solutions… In the city bowl, you’ll see all these new urban developments. Moving into containers is the next logical step of that process.”
And because people are becoming more eco-aware and with South Africa’s housing shortages, with container homes, they have the option of recycling once they move on.
When looking at the pros and cons, it’s an unbalanced contest. “The price, the timeline, the portability of the whole thing and the nature of things [clearly wins out],” says Berman.
He says a container home will cost between R8 000-R10 000 per square metre to complete. A traditional brick and mortar building can cost up to R12 000 per square metre in an affluent part of town. The minimum lead time is about six weeks, and in most cases you can get your container home up in 10 to 12 weeks. BermanKalil also uses less water in the process.
There are limits to container spaces. “But we have over the years found ways to address it by making hybrid spaces where we extend the width of a container because the only real problem is the width,” says Berman.
There’s also the challenge with municipal regulations – officials might deny city planning approval.
So, if you decide this is the route you want to take, what’s next? First, acquire a piece of land and have an idea of what you want. Don’t let your lack of understanding deter you – most firms have architects to walk clients through each step of the process.
Inizio Homes specialises in sustainable prefabricated structures. Most of their homes are assembled and finished on site. The components are flat-packed together on a truck.
If the investment potential and green credentials are there, why aren’t more people building these modularstyle homes? “There is a lot of interest in these homes, but not yet many people willing to buy them,” says Dirk Coetser, the director of Joburg firm A4AC Architects.
But Berman is hopeful the trend will gain more traction locally. “The fact that we treat it now as a luxury product… is also making a difference to the perception,” he says.