You'll want to work with someone locally. Many members of this forum will share their experience and/or opinion, which will be based on where they live, where the rules, regulations, and customs are entirely different.

Do a lot of research and heed the advice of those that are not trying to sell something.

I love container homes too but if you think you will save money by doing one think again .Do you have an insurance company that is where you start for some weird reason apparently many will not insure container homes. Then find out if you can put one on your property usually out in the country there are not so many rules. The starting price in no way reflects a price for what you want and I have never seen them done in all wood kind of defeats the design IMO. We live in Canada and in Alberta there is a company that we have been in contact with 1052 Sq ft upscale finishes 3000K that does not include delivery , foundation and all permits . I can stick build 2 x that size for the same price .

3000K

is a measurement of light intensity.

Eric, does your land have an HOA?

There is an episode of Grand Designs with an additional follow up episode where an architect built his own container home. It's beautiful. But, it was quite the engineering feat. The upper story was cantilevered crosswise of the first story. The structure is in Ireland. I suggest you find the episode online and watch it. It goes into great detail as to what is required to make a container structurally sound to carry the loads required. It was one of my favorite episodes. The result was stunning.

Do society a favor and build something traditional.

Here is an excellent and level-headed critique of shipping container homes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7yEDz6bCfU

Here is a follow up to her first video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjbgduaH_7U

And the TLDR? Vastly easier, and better, to build a basic home from scratch using traditional materials and construction techniques, rather than using shipping containers.

Where does the insulation go? Inside and the space is too small to be usable, outside and you defeat the purpose of the metal siding.

The Grand Designs Shipping Container House - Ireland - Living in a Container

LOL 300K was what I was trying to say. Thanks Worthy

Something like this is usually done by a DIY handy architect who is trying to showcase how far outside the box he can be, all while using boxes. A one off vanity project.

Or it is done all DIY, off the grid. Think modern day Unabomber cabin for preppers and conspiracy theorists. Cheap, no comfort, rigid asceticism. Slightly better than a cave.

Or it’s done as a ”green” new age mobile home park by money losing hipsters with no construction experience, who go bankrupt. Single wides are way cheaper, and far more attractive to live in.

There is no ”investing” in any of these scenarios. It is a dumb idea whose whimsy has captured those ignorant to actual construction realities.

That Ireland house perfectly illustrates the inanity of using shipping containers to build houses. The structural engineering and reinforcement that was required to make that cantilever possible would have been better and more cheaply spent building the basic structure from scratch (and without the length, width and height constraints posed by standard-sized shipping containers). And then to put a $27,000 bathtub in it...wow, it just eludes me. Wasn't the whole premise of using shipping containers in the first place...to save money?

I had forgotten about the tub. It must have worked out. The follow up show said that he had gotten engaged and was married. I hope she's enjoying the tub. It wasn't that nice a tub, either.

While I wouldn't be attracted to a container home, and as an appraiser, I would be horrified to try to find comparable properties, I do think that this was an interesting journey and the result was visionary. It does show what it possible. Building to this standard won't work in a third world country filled with derelict containers.

Actual shipping containers are treated with chemicals like pesticides, substances that retard mildew and mold, and anti-rust coatings. Before you even consider creating a home out of a shipping container, keep in mind that determining where the container has been since it was manufactured and that the task decontaminating it might be daunting:

Toxic Chemicals Present in Shipping Containers

It might be fun to design and build a container home but I would think that few would want a used one, unless it was on a really attractive landor in a desirable community.

Container homes seem like a massive step backwards.