Inspection and selection
We only use one-trip containers with no perforating corrosion and no chemical cargo in their history. Every unit is inspected and photographed on arrival.
Product line
Container homes ready to live in
Twenty and forty foot shipping containers turned into housing with continuous insulation, structural reinforcement and a complete standard finish. Five models, from a 15 m² studio to a 116 m² two-storey duplex.
What a container home actually is
A container home is a dwelling built from one or more ISO shipping containers — the 20 or 40 foot steel boxes stacked on container ships. The structure is high-strength corten steel, sized to carry thirty tonnes and to survive ocean forces. It is, from the outset, more robust than most housing structures.
The problem with a raw container is thermal and acoustic: 2 mm steel plate conducts heat and cold with no resistance, condenses inside in winter and turns into an oven in summer. All the value in a well-built container home lies in what happens after the box arrives.
The dimensions that shape the design
- 20 foot container: 6.06 × 2.44 × 2.59 m externally. About 14.8 m² gross and 2.35 m internal width once insulated.
- 40 foot container: 12.19 × 2.44 × 2.59 m externally. About 29.7 m² gross.
- 40 foot high cube: the same footprint at 2.89 m external height, giving 2.45 m of internal ceiling height once the roof and floor are insulated. This is our default for housing.
A single module makes a comfortable studio. Two 40 foot modules joined side by side, with the shared wall partly removed and replaced by a reinforced portal frame, give a living space 4.7 metres wide — enough for a genuinely comfortable two-bedroom layout.
Technical specification
What we do to every container
Blasting and corrosion protection
Mechanical blasting, zinc-rich epoxy primer and an exterior polyurethane or polyester topcoat. The original treated timber floor is always removed.
Structural reinforcement
Every opening receives portal frames and tubular reinforcement verified to Eurocode 3. Without that, cutting an opening in a container wall compromises the structure.
Continuous insulation
80 mm sprayed polyurethane or 100 to 140 mm mineral wool on an independent frame, with thermal bridges cut at the corners and a vapour barrier.
Built-in services
Certified electrics with consumer unit and RCD, multilayer hot and cold water, vented drainage, and pre-installation for HVAC and solar PV.
Finishing and testing
Linings, thermally broken frames, a weathertightness test and a full services test before the module leaves the factory.
Catalogue
Container models
Every layout can be adapted to your plot and to your brief.
Container home — studio
ML-20 Studio
A compact studio in a single 20-foot container: sleeping area, kitchenette, full bathroom and a wide glazed sliding door. The fastest way into modular living.
See specifications
Container home — 1 bed
ML-30 Compact
A single 40-foot container with a separate bedroom, open-plan living space and a steel-framed covered terrace. Our most requested holiday and short-let model.
See specifications
Container home — 2 bed
ML-60 Family
Two 40-foot modules joined side by side, with two bedrooms, a generous living space and an 18 m² covered terrace. Mixed steel and thermo-treated timber cladding.
See specifications
Container home — two storey
ML-120 Duplex
Four containers stacked with an offset, creating a cantilever, a roof terrace and an external steel staircase. Corten weathering steel and matt black panel cladding.
See specifications
Interiors
Inside, it does not read as a container
Once insulated, lined and opened up, what remains of the steel box is the geometry: a linear space 2.35 metres wide with a 2.45 metre ceiling in a high cube. It is a proportion that works very well if the design owns it — glazing concentrated on the gable ends, kitchen and storage against one side, clear circulation along the other.
We offer three finish levels. Essential uses lacquered plywood, seamless vinyl and a melamine kitchen. Signature moves to seamless plasterboard, engineered timber flooring and a quartz worktop. Atelier is bespoke, with joinery designed from scratch.
Comparison
Container home or modular house?
We sell both, and the honest answer depends on what you need.
| Criterion | Container home | Light steel modular home |
|---|---|---|
| Usable width per module | 2.35 m | up to 4.00 m |
| Cost per m² | Higher on small areas | More favourable on large areas |
| Best suited to | Studio to 2 bed, duplex | 2 to 4 bed |
| Layout freedom | Constrained by the module | Almost total |
| Factory lead time | 35 – 110 days | 35 – 95 days |
| Aesthetic | Deliberately industrial | Neutral or industrial |
| Material reuse | High | Medium |
If the goal is a permanent three-bedroom family home, the light steel modular route is usually the better choice. If the goal is a holiday house, a short-let unit or an annexe with an industrial character, the container wins on price and lead time.
FAQ
Container homes: specific questions
Do container homes overheat in summer?
An uninsulated container does. A container home with 100 mm of mineral wool, thermal bridges cut, low-e double glazing and shading on south-facing openings behaves like any new class A building. Our models achieve wall U-values between 0.20 and 0.29 W/m²K.
Can it have two storeys?
Yes. Containers are designed to be stacked under load, so stacking is structurally natural. Our ML-120 Duplex stacks four modules with an offset, creating a 2.4 m cantilever. What needs calculation is the connection between modules, the cantilever and the seismic and wind action at the specific location.
What foundations are required?
On most firm ground, isolated concrete pad footings at the corners and intermediate load points, or a light raft slab. Made ground, expansive clay or steep slopes may require short piles or a retaining wall. We always assess on the basis of geotechnical information.
Is a crane needed? My access is difficult.
Almost always. A finished 40 foot module weighs 6 to 9 tonnes, which needs a 35 to 50 tonne crane with room to set up outriggers and a clear swing radius. Before contract we run an access check: track width, bends, overhead cables and crane standing position. If access is not viable we say so before accepting the order.
Are used containers safe?
We only use one-trip containers with verifiable cargo history and no record of hazardous chemical transport. The original timber floor, treated with pesticides, is removed in full from every single unit without exception.
Interiors
Inside a container home
The usable width of a container is 2.35 m. Everything shown here was designed from that constraint, not in spite of it.
Architectural visualisations of our models, produced from the construction drawings. They are not photographs of completed work. The finishes shown correspond to the Signature and Atelier levels.
Get a quotation for your plot
Tell us where the land is and which layout you are after. We reply within 48 hours with a detailed quotation, a lead time and a clear list of what is and is not included.