Contentar · The build

How a container becomes a home, stage by stage

Nine stages, from the container lifted in by a HIAB lorry to planning and Building Regs. A 1-bedroom home from two 40 ft containers (2×40) costs £69,684 to £94,278, VAT included and without land.

  1. The container arrives. A one-trip, grade A container, lifted in by a HIAB lorry. It is the part everyone budgets for, and the cheapest part of the build.
  2. Foundations. Concrete pads or screw piles at the corners and in the middle. Without them the steel sits on damp ground, rusts from below and building control will not sign it off.
  3. Cuts and reinforcement. Every opening takes stiffness out of the container, so every cut gets a steel frame welded around it, checked by a structural engineer. Cut little, and cut well.
  4. Insulation and cladding. Uninsulated steel sweats all winter and overheats in summer. Continuous insulation, a vapour control layer and timber cladding on the outside, to meet Part L.
  5. Windows and doors. Double or triple glazing with thermally broken frames. This is where the budget stretches most: every metre of glass counts.
  6. Water, power and drainage. Services, partitions and the bathroom. The most forgotten part: water and sewer connections can cost thousands. A heat pump and, from 2027, on-site renewables come on top.
  7. Flooring and kitchen. Floating floor and a fitted kitchen. The kitchen alone costs more than the whole container.
  8. Furniture. Bed, sofa, table, storage. In 56 m² every piece is made to measure or chosen to the centimetre.
  9. Planning and Building Regs. Planning fee, building control, architect and structural engineer. Paperwork that costs more than the container itself.