Container home additional dwelling units are a happy medium between a freestanding build and a conversion of a garage or apartment. The benefits, as we see them, of a shipping container additional dwelling unit include:
- Predictable lead time – most projects deliver in 8-12 weeks
- Build completed off-site
- One build team
- Agile project management practices
- Easily moved
Predictable Timeline
The main benefit of shipping container ADUs is a predictable timeline. Standard lead time for most container ADU projects is 8-12 weeks, depending on our queue and the model you choose. Compared with other freestanding options, container home ADUs give you a clearer schedule from contract to delivery. That matters if you plan to rent out the unit, since you can plan around a delivery window instead of an open-ended construction timeline.
ADU Build Completed Off-site
Building your additional dwelling unit off-site affords you much more freedom and flexibility than a garage or basement conversion as well as a freestanding ADU such as a junior accessory dwelling unit or backyard cottage. If the build is taking place on your property, the space is tied up for potentially months, rendering it practically useless in that time. It may be an area you need to keep the children or a dog out of in the backyard or completely closed off in the case of a basement or garage conversion. This is not optimal for anyone, but you may be stuck into one option and have to deal with the shortfalls involved.
Having Bob’s Containers build your additional dwelling unit frees up the space to use as you always have until you are ready to prepare the land for delivery. We take the lion’s share of the work off your hands and coordinate fabrication with our established Texas fabrication partners, then deliver the unit to your site. This allows you to prepare the land while we are building the unit. Handling site prep and fabrication side by side keeps your project on a clear, predictable schedule.
One Build Team
If you choose to go the route of a converted area, such as your garage or basement, or a freestanding traditional build ADU you can end up with multiple contractors to keep up with and balance schedules between. This can extend your timeline greatly depending on availability and other factors. Keeping your build limited to one team you trust ensures, from beginning to end, that you are taken care of. You work with our team to create a plan and customize the container to your liking, we work you into our project management system, and get constant updates on the status with pictures and text updates. There is no lapse in communication between teams or confusion on materials. We have built our processes to be as easy and efficient as possible for customers just like you.
Agile Project Management Practices
Agile project management has its roots in managing software development projects. We have customized the process to match our needs in production. Agile project management lets your production team stay lean and responsive and constantly iterate through customer feedback. The agile process keeps us responsive to customer feedback throughout a project. The agile manifesto contains 4 main values:
- Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
- Functionality over comprehensive documentation
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
- Responding quickly to change
While, as noted previously, these values were determined for software development, they can be customized to match any production process.
Easily Moved & Expanded
Shipping containers, by nature, are designed to be moved with the right equipment and container homes are no different. If you decide you wanted to move the unit to another location on your property or to a completely different location, it would be much easier than trying to move another type of additional dwelling unit. Forklifts, cranes, and other options are available if needed as well.
Shipping container homes and their design introduces potential for creativity in that you could add a 20 or 40 ft section to expand the space if you so choose. The same benefits apply as you could continue using the space you had previously until the new section is ready to be delivered. If you are renting out the space you could use your return on investment to purchase more units and increase your bottom line by offering more units to rent. This is especially beneficial because you have already been through the process of preparing the land for one unit and understand the value a container home possesses as a rental property.
Ready to Purchase or Build an ADU?
We hope this has been informative if you are interested in placing or building an additional dwelling unit on your property. As you can see, there are a variety of options and a shipping container home is not going to be the best solution for every scenario. If you are considering the route of a container home, schedule your no obligation consultation with one of our container techs today. We can talk through the options in front of you and determine the best path forward for you whether it includes one of our containers or not. We look forward to making your ADU dream a reality.