Rising housing prices made Eloy Quijada fear that he would never be able to buy a home. One day he saw on television two boys who lived in a shipping container acclimatized as a home and decided to do the same in Tenerife.
Today he has the Youtube channel Fabrica tu Sueño, where he answers questions, and helps others to build their house with a budget of 20,000 euros, although it is more of a studio since it has 31 square meters.
“I lived in London and while I was there, I was constantly assailed by the doubt of what my future was in terms of housing: everything was expensive and more expensive than it was going to be. There was no clear future, and with inflation on the rise I knew I had to think about alternatives,” Quijada explains in an interview with idealista.com.
Quijada bought a plot of land on the island of Tenerife and began to live there, as it was sold to him with a caravan inside. “That's when I realized that this project was serious, and that it was up to me to have something optimal and comfortable to live in.”
"The first thing to do"
“I preferred to look silly for asking than to act silly for not asking, so I used Youtube tutorials and asked their authors my questions. In 90% of the decisions I had to make, I researched on the Internet,” he says.
“The first thing I did was the bathroom, but before all that I cleaned the container well, removed the rust, and repaired the parts that needed it.”
Once the container was “set up”, Quijada explains that the most important thing is to put polyurethane foam on it to insulate it and finish the profiles. “From here, the rest is carried out as a normal reform”.
It took him two years exactly, but as he explains “anyone with the right knowledge and money can have it ready in less than five months”.
The advantages: cheap, ecological and durable
One of the main advantages of using shipping containers is that it contributes to the reduction of waste and promotes the recycling of materials, offering a second life to structures that might otherwise be unusable.
Containers are also relatively cheap and their construction can be faster and less expensive. The main structure is already completed, which considerably reduces construction time.
Shipping containers are very durable, designed to withstand adverse weather conditions and to be stacked on long ocean voyages. This structural robustness makes them especially attractive for housing construction.
They also offer great flexibility and modularity, allowing designers and owners to combine them in various ways, making it easy to expand or modify the home.
The challenges: temperature, regulations and technical issues
However, building houses with containers also presents certain challenges. One of the main problems is thermal insulation. Metal containers can have problems maintaining an adequate temperature inside, so it is necessary to invest in good insulating materials.
Another challenge is permits and regulations. Depending on the location, there may be obstacles related to building permits and local regulations.
In addition, making structural modifications to containers, such as cutting to install windows or doors, can compromise their integrity if not done correctly. These modifications often require the assistance of qualified professionals to ensure that the structure remains safe and stable.
