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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

#101

Post by sarcher »

willholloway wrote: post #68
liseman wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

I agree, building them out of wood will allow much lower frame costs and greater design control.

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

#102

Post by liseman »

conductr wrote: post #95
n-exploit wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I've followed this space for years now. The problem I see is, at these prices, someone like n-exploit can hire a custom builder to do it exactly to their tastes/layout. I'm not seeing what benefit do you add to the existing ecosystem?

I will be absolutely stunned if you can get a tiny home custom-built with a solar system half this size for less than 80k.

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

#103

Post by jdavis703 »

vitalus wrote: post #75

Where exactly in the Bay Area could these legally be placed? Do the founders live in the prototypes?

There was a "colony" of these near my house in Oakland. They were taken down to make room for new development AFAICT, not because they were legally required to do so. There's also a stack of container units across from the MacArthur BART station.

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

#104

Post by dogma1138 »

ceejayoz wrote: post #93
dogma1138 wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Keep telling that to yourself the air quality in these shoeboxes alone is a reason to stay away from them. Homes should be roomy these are not prison cells or airport sleepover rooms.

I suspect air quality's tied a lot more to where you live than the square footage of the house you've got. (I dunno, maybe you're an edge case and vape constantly or something...) As an example, I'll bet this house has better air quality than mine: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/15/a4/8c/15a48c913...

It's has nothing to do with Vaping it's about air circulation and total availabile volume, humans exhale 300-500ml of CO2 a minute.

And yes the small cabin in the woods with good air circulation might have better air quality than a flat in the city.

But wasn't your argument just a minute ago that these tiny homes are for "walkable" cities?

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

#105

Post by alexhutcheson »

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…

Does the 49k version have a toilet?

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

#107

Post by researcher11 »

Guys; I like the idea but your prices are too high. You're in the decent trailer price range.

The big advantage of a shipping container is the ability to cheaply ship it. Once you cut into it you can't ship it anymore. It's not a great use of recycled material as it uses way too much steel for a dwelling.

I'm actually in the market for a shippable shipping container house. Similar to https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sPgjndFqqwY . He gives the quote of $50K including high quality fittings and market price labor. I will probably build one myself then ship it to where I need it. I'm an expat and I historically move countries every year or so. If you were to build a clone of this I would buy it.

Another benefit of shippable shipping container homes is you can service customers anywhere around the globe! Not just SF.

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

#109

Post by oomkiller »

Before you make any of these you need to make sure you're complying with various fire-related regulations and testing against ASTM standards. We ran into this issue at a startup doing something similar about a year back, and it's one of the things that led to its downfall. From the looks of it, you've built a tinder box. Wood paneling, backed by insulating foam, which is likely quite flammable. All wrapped up in a metal container.

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

#110

Post by prawn »

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

Here's the aesthetic you need to aim for to stand out: https://getaway.house/annabelle/

Get a designer in your team ASAP IMO as I think the styling is going to seriously hamper you in the short term otherwise.

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