When it comes to the happiest state in America, look no further than North Dakota. Why are people so happy among the national parks and National Bison Museum? Sure, it’s the low crime rates, affordable sales tax, and higher air quality. But what if you could take the already low cost of living in North Dakota and make it even lower?
This might be possible with the help of a shipping container home in North Dakota. Plus, shipping container homes do more than just give you affordable housing; they also help you decrease the carbon footprint of your entire way of life. When you choose to repurpose a shipping container to make your new home, you are committing to a home that is unique to your neighborhood and better for the environment.
Read on to learn more about the shipping container home trend and how you can start building a shipping container home in North Dakota today.
A Shipping Container Home in North Dakota
There are a lot of great reasons to love North Dakota. Located in the northwest corner of the nation, North Dakota is listed as one of the top 10 most tax-friendly states in America. But did you know the state offers personalized relocation assistance to help you move there?
Throughout the state of North Dakota, you will find rich history that connects to the Native American prairie culture that once thrived in this area. And now North Dakota thrives as the top producer of honey and many other natural produce items in the United States. That means when you choose to invest in eco-friendly housing in this state, you are also supporting local farmers by helping them keep their state land clean and fertile for future crops.
When you choose to move to North Dakota, you will get to enjoy the state that currently holds the world record for most snow angels made at the same time in one place. This fact alone speaks to the loving community and family focus everyone harbors in North Dakota.
What is a shipping container home?
But what exactly is a shipping container – and why should you build one?
Shipping container homes can trace their history back to the call to action that came out of the damage from several tropical storms. The short explanation is that other home designs are not as resilient against extreme winds and rain, which unfortunately has left many individuals homeless after extreme weather hits their area.
Shipping containers were designed back in the 1950s to protect merchandise across international ocean travel. With the help of shipping containers, more material can be moved faster and free from damage. So when new home builders were looking for a home option that was long-lasting and would protect a family’s living space, someone suggested using a shipping container as a new building frame.
Now shipping containers are being reused internationally as metal frames for customizable buildings of all shapes and sizes. Shipping containers come in three main sizes: 10, 20, or 40 feet in length. And what’s even better is that thanks to the easy interlocking sides of shipping containers, you can use multiple shipping containers to make a shipping container home floor plan as unique as your new home dreams!
Why Should I Build a Shipping Container Home in North Dakota?
North Dakota is one of the top 20 states as far as size, but interestingly it is also in the top five least populated states in America. For this reason, you can actually purchase a lot of land for a low cost to create your shipping container home.
With a shipping container home in North Dakota, you can enjoy all the year-round activities available to North Dakota residents. But more than anything, there is a great market for long-lasting, environmentally friendly homes in North Dakota – which means you and your shipping container home will fit right in.
Homes in North Dakota are already almost 90% cheaper than they are in other areas of the United States. Your shipping container home can take the already low home prices in North Dakota and make them even more affordable for anyone. Even better: your shipping container home gives you a new living space you can be proud of as it helps you commit to a more green way of life.
How Much Does a Shipping Container Home in North Dakota Cost?
The more you plan for every detail of your shipping container home budget, the more your entire home project will benefit. This does mean you’ll need to do some extra research upfront, but you will thank yourself later.
Any new home construction cost includes both the purchase of land for building your new home and the creation of your new home on the lot. But shipping container homes also have two potential added costs: buying your shipping containers and converting them into a workable living space.
In general, a shipping container home in North Dakota will usually cost around $30,000. A traditional timber home in North Dakota will cost about $280,000. If you plan to only use one shipping container to build the initial structure of your new home, you can spend almost one-tenth of the money on a shipping container home than you would on a regular home.
The numbers speak for themselves. Even if you only want to build a small shipping container home as a secondary residence for you and your family, a shipping container home is always going to be more affordable in North Dakota than you might think.
Shipping Container Home Builders in North Dakota
While there are no shipping container home specialists in North Dakota, there are still a lot of great local businesses you can trust with your shipping container home design. Shipping containers are usually easiest to purchase online from coastal states, and it costs very little to get them transported to the area where you actually want to build in North Dakota.
Here are the top three green-focused construction companies we encourage you to consider using for your shipping container home in North Dakota:
Kochmann Brothers Homes
Kochmann Brothers is one of the top green builders in North Dakota. Based out of Fargo, North Dakota, they know the importance of balancing eco-friendly construction with luxury living spaces.
Scull Construction Service
This company is dedicated to making communities better with the buildings they create. Scull Construction Service will build your residential, commercial, health care, or educational structure with an emphasis on sustainability and communication.
Green Home Builders
Green Home Builders is known nationally for its green construction practices. That means you’re going to get a shipping container home that is energy efficient and environmentally friendly for years after it is initially built.
Shipping Container Homes for Sale in North Dakota
Shipped.com Shipping Container Marketplace
Shipped.com helps buyers learn what shipping container is suitable for them and help them. With over 60 depots and thousands of containers on hand, they offer great prices for shipping containers. They have online direct checkout and a digital cart to help you find what you are looking for!
ModuGo
ModuGo helps you find shipping container homes at affordable prices. They offer the lowest prices in the industry and a great selection.
How to Finance and Get Insurance for Your Shipping Container Home in North Dakota
It might seem initially trick to obtain funding for a shipping container home project. But that doesn’t mean you should give up! The main reason for uncertainty around shipping container value is that shipping container homes are barely 20 years old, which is still extremely new in the history of the housing market.
To help lenders understand the value of the type of shipping container home you plan to build in North Dakota, you can research all the line items of your budget and break down the overall cost of your new converted home. This includes everything from the purchase of land, to the cost of the initial shipping containers, to everything you need to add to your shipping container to make it a working residential space – even the foundation for your new shipping container home on the property you’ve bought.
You can also work with an appraiser in the area of North Dakota where you plan to move to help figure out the value of other shipping container homes in the state. And it helps to reach out to small local lenders for new construction financing, as they are willing to take more risks than bigger financial firms.
Whenever you have questions about how to move forward with your shipping container home project, it’s always helpful to reach out to fellow shipping container homeowners in your area. They can help connect you to the resources they used to get their shipping container home approved and created.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve read through our shipping container home cost guide, the only thing left to do is to start building your shipping container home! Feel free to also check out our shipping container home FAQs, including our tips on the five best shipping container home doors. Or read more about shipping container homes on our blog, where you’ll see content like everything you need to know about shipping container home foundations and floor plan inspiration for two-story shipping container homes.
If you want to learn more before you commit to building your shipping container home in North Dakota, check out our program “How to Build a Shipping Container Home: The Complete Guide”. It’s affordable, informative, and will give you every resource you need to confidently move forward with your shipping container home build.
