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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

#151

Post by aepearson »

KaiserPro wrote: post #72

A couple of points, Photos: Hire a decent photographer, large sensor, low f number. You'd be surprised what a good camera with a competent person running it will do. Go wide angle. Your unique selling point should be the thought you put into the layout. Anyone can insulate and sling in some furniture, the real hard part is making the space lovable/liveable. Choose a theme or period, industrial is a good start. You ha…

Definitely do not take this guy's photo advice. But DEFINITELY hire a pro and let them do their work. The existing photos on the site are a huge turnoff. It should cost you a few thousand dollars to hire a top notch photographer - their work will pay you back tenfold at a minimum though.

"Large sensor, low f number, go wide angle" means absolutely nothing...don't go to a photographer saying some shit like that.

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

#152

Post by blhack »

liseman wrote: post #57
ph0rque wrote: post #23

Hi Luke! What is your initial market, and what are your scaling plans?

Hi Andrew! Initial focus is the Bay Area, where rents are particularly absurd. Unlike other tiny homes, we can stack these to scale existing locations to meet demand (with some zoning hurdles, of course)

Have you guys looked into providing these for industrial sites or the military?

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

#153

Post by tgragnato »

seanp2k2 wrote: post #136
kevin488 wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At those price points these posh studio sheds become competitive https://www.studio-shed.com/

The problem with all of these seems to be: where could you actually live in one in any city or suburban area? I don't reckon you can just buy a small plot of land on a residential street in San Jose and plop this down, hook up utilities, pave a driveway, and live in it. I doubt any homeowners here would want it next to them. I've never seen it done in the Bay Area. Is it possible?

The idea is beautiful, living "in a box" is sure something complex because of the regulations.

But I remember very pleasantly a holiday in one of these prefabricated (in Sweden): with a good (big and serious) design work and targeting the recreation market they could even raise prices.

An example: [http://www.vipp.com/en/shelter/the-vipp-shelter/the-vipp-she...] - [https://youtu.be/LCyN1hxQtdA]

> I doubt any homeowners here would want it next to them.

IMHO it all boils down to your product: if you're selling a high quality tiny home / shelter / box, then I definitely want one of those next to me.

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

#154

Post by nojvek »

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…

That's pretty epic to have a fully functional human nest for 49k.

Is there a place where I can try them out. I will be visiting SF and definitely want to experience staying in a container home before deciding to make a call.

A dream of mine is to buy some land in a remote place with a gorgeous view and place a container home there.

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

#155

Post by davidddavidson »

aepearson wrote: post #151
KaiserPro wrote: post #72

A couple of points, Photos: Hire a decent photographer, large sensor, low f number. You'd be surprised what a good camera with a competent person running it will do. Go wide angle. Your unique selling point should be the thought you put into the layout. Anyone can insulate and sling in some furniture, the real hard part is making the space lovable/liveable. Choose a theme or period, industrial is a good start. You ha…

Definitely do not take this guy's photo advice. But DEFINITELY hire a pro and let them do their work. The existing photos on the site are a huge turnoff. It should cost you a few thousand dollars to hire a top notch photographer - their work will pay you back tenfold at a minimum though. "Large sensor, low f number, go wide angle" means absolutely nothing...don't go to a photographer saying some shit like that.

What the OP suggested might not be the best approach (that'd be for the pro to decide when shooting) in terms of display photos, but making the claim that '"Large sensor, low f number, go wide angle" means absolutely nothing [to a photographer]' is patently false.

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

#156

Post by donclark »

liseman wrote: post #113
alexhutcheson wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does the 49k version have a toilet?

Yes: toilet, shower, water heater, kitchen sink.

Does anyone know the details of the toilet? My guess is that it is a composting toilet? https://duckduckgo.com/?q=composting+toilet&ia=web
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