When starting to build your 40ft shipping container home, space can be a looming challenge. A small home based on a shipping container requires its owner to find ways to maximize the limited space available, especially if the home owner was previously used to a large bungalow. Most 40ft shipping container homes will feel really tiny, though they would still have the usual spaces that a bungalow would: a kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom and a living room, at bare minimum. So the question is: how can you, the homeowner, maximize the limited space your home has?
Here are 3 simple ways you can make use of your new home’s space.
Find alternative storage space
If you have problems with space, the simplest solution is to make existing space more useful. The first step to that is to make use of spaces that are naturally hidden. Many pieces of furniture can offer additional space; a bed has space underneath the mattress and a sofa can have space underneath the cushions.
The solution can also be as simple as moving your possessions around so that it fits snugly in the house as if you were packing your luggage for overseas travel. Compacting your books, CDs, DVDs and games into a tight space affords you more space to store more things.
Alternatively, throw away the things you don’t really need! The concept of Japanese minimalism has taken over home owners’ minds, who are trying their hardest to maximize space. People who support this mindset suggest it is unimportant to have too many possessions. By indulging in constant consumerism, you would only have a desire to constantly get more things and upgrade your existing things. Instead, you can maximize your space by removing all your unwanted collections, and all the unnecessary things from your home. A TV show host speaking about minimalism once realised he had 4 kitchen knives before removing 3 and only keeping 1. This solution might be the simplest way to make additional space for your 40ft container home.
Make multi-purpose spaces
Compacting houses isn’t always about saving space by removing things or re-arranging things. Sometimes, it becomes essential to convert your existing spaces into multi-purpose spaces. A living room can be converted into a bedroom with a simple movement in furniture. For example, including a couch that can be pulled out to make a bed will allow your living room to easily turn into a guest room or a bedroom. There is also a type of bed in the market which can convert into a workspace with the press of a button. Including these spaces in your home will easily allow you to optimize the limited space in your 40ft container home.
Make use of natural resources
The good thing about a 40ft shipping container home is that you can easily power your home with the power of nature. Setting up rainwater collection systems is pretty easy with the ledges available on the roof of your house.
You can also make use of the power of the sun by installing solar panels on your new home and connecting it to a battery system that powers your house.
With all these simple tips you can use to make your shipping container home on your own, what more can you ask for?
