The 5 best shipping container houses of 2018

Made from the thousands of surplus containers that sit on docks around the world, shipping container houses can be an eco-friendly alternative to traditional building materials. Diehards love their durability and, in some cases, their portability—although moving a shipping container house can cost a lot of time and money.

To showcase how these industrial workhorses can transform into gorgeous homes, we’ve rounded up the best five shipping container houses that we reported on this year. Interested in buying one yourself? Don’t miss our guide to five shipping container homes you can order right now

A shipping container house in the desert

Courtesy of Alternative Living Spaces

Targeting people who want a backyard unit to use for rental income or anyone looking to use a shipping container as a guesthouse or primary residence, Las Vegas-based Alternative Living Spaces builds luxury shipping containers that maximize on space. Each home starts at $36,000, includes the shipping container, and can be completely customizable. Most units feature a bathroom with shower, a kitchen, some sort of work and dining space, and a living room that converts into a sleeping area.

A sleek shipping container home in New Jersey

Photo by Studio Edwards

This project from Melbourne-based Studio Edwards has perched connected shipping containers on a hillside on the Surf Coast in Wye River, Victoria. Dubbed House 28, the weekend retreat in southeastern Australia was designed with sustainability in mind, incorporating three 20-foot shipping containers sourced from nearby Port Melbourne and set on steel silts anchored in concrete piles.