After about 10 days of being on site, our shipping container home was ready to move into. Now when I say ready to move into…I mean liveable, but not near done and complete as we want it to be.
We have big plans to overhaul this building to something spectacular. And with that said, our vision is to do this without a bond (or mortgage). We are going cash all the way. Now to create a warm and cosy home, you will have to provide essential components and rooms within the building. For now, we only have 2 bedrooms (one for us, the other for our daughters, and one big open living space which doubles up as dining room and kitchen. No bathroom inside yet! Eeeek!!!!
Outside bathroom
We use the outside bathroom (with shower) of the adjacent main house which our neighbour occupies. At least it has warm water! We have cold-water supply in our make-shift kitchen and basic electricity to power 3 wall plugs.
Our plan is to be off-grid by the end of 2015. We have started in our small way by using a gas stove and oven and solar lights in our outside bathroom. This lifestyle is nothing new to us, as we lived without electricity for a whole winter in 2013. Although uncomfortable initially, it became a blessing in disguise. Our lifestyle became significantly slower and our quality of life improved tremendously. As a family we planned our days better to get optimum of the daylight and evenings were spent reading the Bible by candlelight. We learned to do our chores efficiently and had much more time to talk to each other. We intend doing the same now.
But until we find the best solar and water-harvesting systems, (budget-friendly and efficient) we will continue to live on the-grid for the next few months.
So last week Monday, was our first night in our new place. Wow…it was cold! I am not exaggerating when I say; I have never been so cold in my life! It was like sleeping in a freezer! From our experience we know insulation is essential when living in a container, and it is a must-have. But the pressure was on for us to move in. We couldn’t find a reasonable price for the service and we wanted to test some alternatives.
Before moving in
So on Tuesday, in between packing out and settling, we started packing polystyrene panels on the roof. We found them by coincidence at a great price from someone who dismantled a cold-room. They have already made a huge difference in keeping the house cosier, but it is not yet perfect. This coming week, we plan to mount the rest of the panels onto the external walls before we clad the building.
Front facade with polystyrene panels on roof
So we have been in the house for 7 days now, and every day we are settling in better.
Newly upholstered couch
TV corner
Make-shift kitchen…cannot wait for my real kitchen!
Dining room
We are truly blessed!
