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Launch HN: Boxouse (YC W17) – Shipping-container homes

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Re: Launch HN: Boxouse (YC W17) – Shipping-container homes

#61

Post by abakker »

brudgers wrote: post #55
billmalarky wrote: post #41

I was under the impression zoning regulation, not construction costs, was the main challenge for development in urban areas. Can you seriously just drop these off in people's backyards and legally rent them out?

There's more than local zoning at play. There are health regulations regarding potable water and sanitary waste disposal for dwellings that occur at the state level. There's ADA and FHA at the Federal Level. Also at the local level are things like occupational taxes and building permits. Unlike room and whole house rental, a container provides direct visible evidence of the activity from the air, over a neighbor's fe…

Short summation: No way. Living in shipping containers is not a great idea. By the time you overcome all the hurdles, you realize the envelope is smallest cost of housing development.

Re: Launch HN: Boxouse (YC W17) – Shipping-container homes

#62

Post by n-exploit »

liseman wrote: post #25
n-exploit wrote: post #13

I love the idea, but as-is, I think your product could more attractive if you hired an interior designer to help with the sample pictures/overall product "image". Attractive product, unattractive design. There's nothing there to make me want your product over another company doing the same thing with more emphasis on design.

Here's some photos of work in progress: https://goo.gl/photos/N6jiAo9696QJG6KU8

Honestly, there is still nothing here that compels me to buy your product. Who is your target audience? What's your appeal? What makes your product special?

I am a mid-twenties millennial looking for a starter home (considering a container home) and I'm not really seeing something I want.

Re: Launch HN: Boxouse (YC W17) – Shipping-container homes

#63

Post by liseman »

abakker wrote: post #59

How to you ameliorate the toxins inherent in shipping containers? Typically, those paints and pressure treated woods are not used indoors, and I would be worried about some of the chemicals? Second, in the climate here, how do you avoid mold? Metal is a prime target for condensation, and in the bay we are always around the dew point. If you insulate the walls, how do you avoid mold growth (maybe put insulation on the…

The interior environment gets entirely sealed under closed-cell foam insulation applied directly to the metal, leaving no interior space for condensation on the metal. Literally all surfaces that you're exposed to are things we buy at home improvement stores: bamboo flooring, cabinet-grade plywood, etc. A big part of the 'deluxe' cost is the elaborate solar system: we're able to cook, heat space + water, etc. all off of the solar array + batteries. We're thinking about possibilities for pop-outs in the future.

Re: Launch HN: Boxouse (YC W17) – Shipping-container homes

#64

Post by elmar »

liseman wrote: post #52
howderek wrote: post #43

These prices seem too high. Low-end mobile homes are around the same price, are larger, offer nicer interiors, and face fewer legal complexities. I also know tiny home builders who can custom build homes with similar square footage as these for around the same price. I live in Missouri so housing is cheap, but isn't the advantage of pre-fab homes the ability to ship them for a much lower cost than building on-site? I…

We'll make it clearer on the website, but the 49k version includes a 1.5kw solar array, ~15kwh of battery storage, all water systems, full smart home functionality (ie 'alexa, trigger windows' to go from transparent to opaque), and furnishings down to the utensils. Our 9k barebones model is closer to how most mobile homes I've seen are outfitted (but with better insulation and design in a boxouse); looks like these a…

Hi Luke, Thanks for taking the time to talk with us and your efforts on tackling the housing problems.

One question, is the main focus of the business to manufacture and sell the Box houses or offer then for renting with AirBnB or similar sites? If the latter do you have some planed strategy to lower the high CAPEX needed for scaling?

Re: Launch HN: Boxouse (YC W17) – Shipping-container homes

#65

Post by liseman »

elmar wrote: post #64
liseman wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We'll make it clearer on the website, but the 49k version includes a 1.5kw solar array, ~15kwh of battery storage, all water systems, full smart home functionality (ie 'alexa, trigger windows' to go from transparent to opaque), and furnishings down to the utensils. Our 9k barebones model is closer to how most mobile homes I've seen are outfitted (but with better insulation and design in a boxouse); looks like these a…

Hi Luke, Thanks for taking the time to talk with us and your efforts on tackling the housing problems. One question, is the main focus of the business to manufacture and sell the Box houses or offer then for renting with AirBnB or similar sites? If the latter do you have some planed strategy to lower the high CAPEX needed for scaling?

Both, balancing the capex needs for the latter via sales as I scale:)

Re: Launch HN: Boxouse (YC W17) – Shipping-container homes

#68

Post by willholloway »

liseman wrote: post #45
ttam wrote: post #32

how come it took so long to "launch"? I recall seeing you working on this in 2015?

This was firmly a hobby until a few months ago, at which point I quit my job to focus on boxouse full-time.

It's very inspiring that you were able to build out an idea like this on a hobby level and get it into YC.

Don't let the negativity in this thread get you down. You will work out all the problems listed in this thread, and zoning change is on the horizon all across the country.

There is a real need for housing like this. Pre-fab housing is a proven model, my father developed modular home projects starting in the '80s and swears by them.

If you ever have been on a stick built job site and have gotten to know the workers well socially, you can see the advantage of indoor, factory precise, standardized construction that is supervised.

There is a lot of substance abuse, laziness and the contractor relationship and payment structure very often goes south in home construction.

I think the best decision you could make today is to ditch the shipping container as the starting point.

Just build them out of wood. It's the cheapest material there is besides some composites perhaps. You already are building a wood framed wall inside the metal container. They could still be made the same size, and shipped the same way.

Re: Launch HN: Boxouse (YC W17) – Shipping-container homes

#69

Post by elmar »

liseman wrote: post #29
Matt_stove wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How does that work, ad your main component, a shipping container, doesn't really scale much?

At thousands of units per month, we're probably off of shipping containers and onto something lighter and cheaper:)

Building a wood structure with the same size of a container would cost more than the $2,000 price of the container?
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