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Container Housing: Is it the new cheap housing that Kenyans need?

Shipping containers, which are normally used to transport goods, such as vehicles on a ship from one country to another for months, are known to be hurricane, earthquake, and fire resistant.

The shipping container homes cost about KES 100,000 and KES 130,000, while a 40ft container is about KES 200,000 and KES 230,000. For latest prices, please see Kenya Containers.

Due to this, they are better at making durable houses that are affordable, especially for people living in Kenya. One company that constructs houses for people at affordable prices is Containers Kenya. In order to make an informed decision on whether to construct a house using shipping container, it is essential to understand the advantages and disadvantages.

Below is a sample of a container house made of 5 20ft containers.

Advantages

  1. A shipping container house saves costs. A house that is built from a shipping container cost less than a conventional house because a container is affordable. For example, a 20ft container is about KES 100,000 and KES 130,000, while a 40ft container is about KES 200,000 and KES 230,000. For latest prices, please see Kenya Containers.
  2. A shipping container house has a structural strength that can withstand harsh conditions, such as hurricanes and earthquakes.
  3. A shipping container house is eco-friendly. There is no need to use wood to construct a shipping container house.
  4. The construction of a shipping container house takes a relatively short amount of time to complete in comparison to traditional construction.
In a news article from Daily Nation talking about the advantages of living in a container house, Murage is quoted saying:
"When I brought it here, people could not believe it was a house. Many feel that such structures should be taken to ghettos. Once you are inside, you practically forget that you are in a container. You feel just as you would if you were inside a stone house." Murage

Disadvantages

  1. A shipping container house becomes hot inside during the day and cold during the night because the metal is a good conductor of heat and cold temperature.
  2. Some of the shipping containers have been used to a point where they spill contaminants, such as lead and mercury that may cause health issues when inhaled.
  3. Some countries have very strict housing rules and do not give building permits for the construction of container house.

The cost of constructing a house using a shipping container takes less time than the traditional stone houses because the container costs less. However, just like the traditional buildings, a container house has disadvantages. The biggest one is health issues due to the inhalation of contaminants, such as lead, mercury, and cadmium.

Comments

  1. Thank you for every other fantastic article. Where else may anyone get that kind of information in such a perfect approach of writing? Intermodal Container

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