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Mom Transforms A Shipping Crate Into A Beautiful Home For Herself And Her Daughter
By David Clarke
2 min read
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The simple life has grown in popularity in recent times with people looking to de-clutter and de-stress their lives. Tiny homes and alternative lifestyles have become more prevalent options, and blogs abound showing people how to make that simple way of life a reality.
Another style of housing that’s grown in demand is shipping container homes. Basically, one or more shipping containers are fashioned into beautiful homes on the inside, usually while retaining their crate appearance on the outside. Lulu decided to go the shipping container route, and many will likely identify with her reasons for doing so.
Lulu decided to go the shipping container route, and many will likely identify with her reasons for doing so.
Hailing from Argentina, Lulu relocated to the United States with her young daughter. She wanted to go back to school, but the 9-to-5 full-time job and lifestyle that goes with it held no appeal for her. Lulu realized that one of the biggest expenses that requires that kind of income is housing.
After realizing the lifestyle she would need to lead to live in a home she loved, Lulu decided to choose the alternative housing option of a shipping container. The specific container she chose was used to cart supplies back and forth from China, and she selected California as the place to plant the home.
Even though Lulu had no building experience to speak of, she was able to modify the shipping container with windows, insulation, and a functioning kitchen that utilizes a camping stove and a water heater. The total cost was $4,000, and it only took her a month to complete.
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“When you don’t have much money, you just have to get more creative,” Lulu shared, and that certainly was the case in the outfitting of her shipping container. She acquired much of the building material from recycled materials found at the junkyard.
Items like floorboards and cabinets were used previously, but they’re still in great shape and work fine. The container home is fully functional with a toilet, bathtub, sinks, and even a little playroom for Lulu’s daughter.
The original shipping container was limited in space with only 160 square feet for the both of them to use. With more space in mind, Lulu decided to expand the container by building a new bedroom on an old flatbed trailer to substantially increase the size of the space.
“This really came down to a choice about how many hours we have in our life, and how do I really want to spend those hours?” Lulu commented after reflecting on the project she’d completed. Ultimately, she decided that she wanted to spend more time with her daughter and less time working.
Lulu’s incredible feat can be seen in more detail in the video below.
What do you think of the lifestyle and the living situation that Lulu has built for herself and her daughter? Please share your feedback in the comments!
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