In America, there is a new startup business that has big plans for those who are looking to live in tiny apartments. This company is currently proposing a new apartment complex which will be made entirely of shipping containers in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. Could this be the new norm?

Path Communities think so! The company’s vision includes 31 ‘micro-apartments’, each one having 320 square feet of living space each. The co-founder, Brandon Casten, has said: “For a subset of the population, this is not only going to be an affordable, nice place to live in the middle of the city, but the size of the unit will be a feature and not a bug." Rent is expected to range from under $1,000 to $1,300 a month (£720 - £937). 

The whole idea of this complex is to be a ‘little luxury' and many people have already expressed interest! Construction is due to being at the start of May. Brandon Casten and his business partner, Scott Brien, have said to be focused on designing the interior of the apartments, to maximise space by making a 40-by-8-foot space feel as large as possible! 

Casten said that they: "Really want to make the outdoor space an extension of the unit itself.” He added: “We are really gonna open up back to the backyard and we are gonna try to incorporate permaculture design so we’re gonna have some fruit trees and some gardening in the backyard."

Although Path Communities are paving the way in terms of shipping container apartment complexes, many people are already on board to have a tiny home as their first home. According to a survey conducted in late 2020 by Investment Property Exchange Services (IPX 1031), 86% of Americans agreed. Among those who were surveyed, 65% said that affordability was the main factor. This could be due to the cost of homes skyrocketing alongside wages decreasing and unemployment at an all time high. 

Living in a tiny home is most popular among millennials. Chelsey Hathman, 29, renovated her van to live full-time and had spoken to news outlet, Next Advisor, about why she made this decision: “I wanted financial freedom.” She added: “What I really want is to be able to save up enough money to buy a container home for myself...It would be much more affordable for me than a condo or larger house.”

Hathman said regarding the idea that millennials want to live in tiny homes: “A lot of millennials don’t really see financial freedom in their future.” She added: “Our wages haven’t kept up with the cost of living. And so owning a regular home is outside the realm of possibility for too many of us.”

In addition to this, there is also ‘The Tiny House Movement’. This is a trend whereby tiny houses have become a social movement. Due to higher demands on affordability, people are choosing to downsize the space they live in and live with far less including that accompanies the tiny house lifestyle like minimalist living.

Many people are opting to live in a container home; a dwelling made from recycled steel shipping containers that may have been used as a cargo carrier on a ship, train or lorry. Due to their size and the ability to repurpose them, container homes are seen as environmentally friendly. They come with unique costs, unlike regular housing, like permits and land ownership, but overall, they are much cheaper than a traditional house! Could you imagine yourself living in a container home? Or possibly turning one into a lodge in your garden? Get in touch with us today!

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CS Containers are a family-based company in Kent. We have over 23 years of experience in the container and shipping industry and cover a range of shipping container requirements, including hiring, buying or selling. 

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