Off-The-Grid 40ft Shipping Container Home Even Charges Electric Car

there really is something incredibly alluring about living off the grid taking charge and responsibility for the things that we need in life using the Sun and the rain and harnessing the forces of nature around us and that is exactly what an inspiring couple here in Northland New Zealand have done living in their off-the-grid shipping container home [Music] hi Anita how are you lovely to meet you get a pass how's it going this home looks absolutely fantastic and you guys have found a really beautiful place to put it haven't you can you tell me first of all how you came to be on the land here and how you decided to put a shipping container here as your home it came from Switzerland originally and after we moved to the UK for a roofing trip working on organic farms really liked it I wanted to do the same over here in New Zealand which has a very nice climate for growing plants and came to Auckland's after job in IT so I work there every States there's different places house-sitting and we're looking for a piece of land found it and got the house built off-site and then moved it here and I guess the shipping containers just very you know you've got everything you need and it's quite a nice and secure place to be and yeah it's fuss-free I'd say sorry that appealed to us because we're busy enough with the lanes around us so we don't have to worry about her so just brilliant you certainly are busy enough with the land because looking around you have done a tremendous amount of planting here haven't you yeah it's gonna be exciting when we have something you know the trees are giving us back what we put in our face I think this the whole self-sufficiently bit that was really kind of something that resonated within us that we can do things yourself and not be dependent on on the ideas of a landlord or any banks that just rip you off or even a supermarkets to some extent you know whatever happens we're pretty safe here it's a great feeling that security and by the lots of things you are completely off the grid here aren't you yes we are yeah you have solar panels to give us power yeah water connection with a water tank going up there collecting rainwater that's it and I have to say I am super impressed because this has got to be the first small home that I've ever visited which is actually charging an electric vehicle off of the solar system how did you it wasn't planned in the beginning well we designed the solar system to last us for a long while so when the degradation no but the solar panels can gave over 20 years this is quite a bit so you have to size up the solar cells over summer we have just too much energy and just made sense to switch to a car which can use that energy so we're not wasting it when it's produced absolutely so what size solar system are you running to be able to charge the vehicle it's 3.5 kilowatts system at maximum output the car really only needs one point seven kilowatts so we could monitor off a smaller one plus we can kind of balance the solar cells and the batteries if need be so it doesn't have to shine and pull on to actually charge the car but just deplete the house Patrick's a bit right and then with the water system you're collecting it here in this tank and then you're pumping it to a hitter tank at the top of the hill I yeah that's right if it rains in the night it can just pile up in the tank and then whenever we got Sun or enough power we can pump it up then it sits there generates its own pressure and we can just open it up without a pump running and then it's really lovely what you're doing in this area is well here by having the firewood storage and then another 20 foot shipping container to store all of your but sim bobs and act as a garage there for you you know it's just really helpful and we just put everything that we don't really need in this beer container storage container and we also got lots of gardening gear I reckon that's all in there yeah absolutely well especially with as much land as you've got here because you're on ten acres right that's right so you definitely need some things to be able to tend to the 10 acre property and have a listen bush or a tisket so not too much right there but still yeah all the trees are there Richie garden yeah and then your home is a 40-foot shipping container yeah it's a your usual size but we've got a high cube because we've both quite tall that gives us a lot of extra head space things you know just makes it feel comfy you're not cramping so yeah well the land that you're on here just looks so beautiful and I am very interested to see what you're doing inside your home can we take a look please absolutely come on in alright thank you oh wow look at the view that you've got from here pretty cool yeah Bush paradise it certainly is and then immediately we are now in your kitchen and this is a fantastic size isn't it yeah it's just a normal sized kitchen really which is very important for us because we plan to do a lot of you know using our own veggies and stuff that we grow and just process that them to store it yeah it's very comfy also for two people to work in it without being in each other's space all the time so that works really well for us here absolutely and then the guests over there as well yeah yeah it's just a caravan oven hop combination but it's working really well once you figure out how to deal with the gas it actually uses astonishingly little gas which is brilliant and for summer if we really have way too much energy we also have like an electric powered oven that we just plug in especially when we break the bread or do things like fruit that takes a long time in the oven it's brilliant to just you know use the free energy instead of the gas which we have to buy in and then you've got the water filter there as well that's right yes because we catch an award we have off the roof and we've got lots of lovely native birds here in New Zealand you know it can be a bit contaminated so we've got two filters that filter all the water that comes into the house I think it's a 10 micron and zero point something micro filter but just for drinking water we just put it through this perky element in its the best water you could wish for and then over here we have your lounge area yeah it's not yet but it's enough footage of us and a cat that we squeezed together is that fair enough lots of bookshelf storage there yeah couples house a room divider that was the option of having a sliding door in the middle to really have two different rooms but we just have it a bit more open so it's easier to walk through it all so we can use it as storage for books and electronics and what have you and who's the guitarist well I'm learning starting to learn very good yeah I've got now some time in the evenings not having to commute and I can relax Flinx on the courts absolutely so you work from home don't you yes I do yeah so that really is a perfect situation to be able to live and work here and I'm guessing you just sit upright here at the table do you guess what I do what enough or on the supply and no one can complain about that right and then Anita you work quite close by in town as well don't you that's right yes it takes me about 20 minutes careful driving with those rights in a work two and a half days and time that's brilliant the rest of the time I spend on the London yeah do gardening and stuff what a great way to do it very lucky and then what do we have through here over the other side well bedroom and bathroom calendar have a look at me sorry this is really lovely I really like the way that you've done the design in here because even though everything is open and accessible just by placing that bookshelf there it really has created a completely different feeling zone in this space isn't it yes still cozy even though it's in one big space sort of yeah and then for all of your wardrobe storage you've kept everything again very open haven't you yeah there's just you know no point of having doors that come into your way and that's just the quickest most accessible way it does look maybe a little bit messy but nah never mind we have to build a small wardrobe to hang our clothes as well and then even a bit of storage underneath the bed with a rolling platform fantastic curiously enough I see you've got all the fire wood out there but I don't see a fireplace in here so what's the Lord storage for well we came across lots of trees that have been taken down for the fences and we cut them up already the idea is to have a pizza oven right behind you outside that would be a project for next summer though fair enough - so in that case what are you doing for heating in here we have underfloor heating so it would be one panel here and another panel in front right before the sofa right and that's enough to warm the entire home to keep it warm so and we have passive solar heating we have raised the roof just in front of the container such that the winter Sun still shines in to the edge of the container that kind of heats it up during day time and then we can keep the temperature with underfloor heating and then I'm guessing that through here we have your bathroom and right you are this bathroom is a great size isn't it yeah and it's also got the laundry included very cool lots of storage space in here above the laundry as well yeah comes in handy when we have guests they can put their toiletries there and so always good to have a bit of extra space it doesn't feel cramped in and then you've built a really good sized shower in here as well and I like that you've got the shower dome on top as well it's super warm and toasty yet yeah and then you've got the composting toilet there as well that's correct yep we've got a friend who's kind enough he said woodworker and he's kind enough to give us all his shavings and sometimes we also you know use the cheaper to make our own from the trees that are on the land so we don't have to buy in anything that's great perfect that's the way to do it and then really importantly to complete the home you have built on this really lovely big dick on to it as well haven't you yeah that's right it doubles as our dance studio as well we love to ballroom and Argentine tango dance so it's brilliant for us to just you know help out when we feel like a bit of moving and just do it and not have to wring the space or anything fantastic I love that you're using the space for that I mean everybody needs a place to dance in their heart absolutely absolutely how long have you actually been living in the house now it's one and a half years and a year since everything was connected right and how have you found adapting to life living in the shipping container it's luxury we were staying in a tent before planting trees and coming into the house like this is a big step up in luxuries it's so nice and how are you adapting to living life off the grid as well and living by the Sun and and you know waiting for a sunny day to charge your vehicle and all that sort of thing what's what's that like you're much more connected to nature nothing you realize what's happening and it's not just oh it's rainy outside it's like thank you it's raining or oh no it's raining again we need to charge so it's very much living in tune but it never feels like we have you know it doesn't really feel that without off the grid for me it's more like we can do anything we want it's just we've got more freedom in a way that we can do it ourselves we're more independent or even now with the water shortage we're still okay with water because we don't use much anyway and we have our own storage tanks and people in town have restriction for or something going on and you know they can't even walk to take Gardens which is horrible we're really glad to be independent and can we talk a little bit about the cost of building this home and also the solar system because the all of the off-road technology here there must have been a little bit pricey yeah it was and the house not so much it was 115,000 nizina dollars plus GST so it's pretty cheap yeah can't get a deposit for mortgage in Auckland for that that's true and we kind of got the whole house for it and the off-grid systems were around 40,000 New Zealand Dollars but then that's gonna spread over 20 years and it's actually cheaper than running power line to the property and paying like nine charges yeah well and especially that that's now covering essentially the fuel cost of your vehicle as well yeah and really actually you're right over twenty years really does become quite manageable doesn't it yeah we're in for the long haul so for us it was always you know the next 20 years we just always think long term and then it ends up being cheapest option actually if you think that way well I think you've got a really beautiful home here it's such a great result and I think you're right this is a tremendous investment in your future thank you both so much for sharing it with me thank you for coming Bryce my pleasure here on this land Annina and Pascal have created something really special this home is beautiful the gardens are a complete work of art and they really are living the off-grid dream here I am so impressed with the fact that they are even able to charge an electric vehicle here and I think it really just goes to show with a little bit of forward-thinking what you can truly create if you set your mind to something [Music] you

Channel: Living Big In A Tiny House

Views: 1,355,156

Keywords: living big in a tiny house, tiny house, small house, shipping container house, shipping container home, container home, 40 ft container home, 40ft shipping contianer, small spaces, small home design, off the grid, solar power, electric vehicle, electric car, ev charging, off the grid electric car charging, architecture, home design, shipping contianer tour, tiny house tour, small home tour, shipping container house 2020

Id: BUQczoFlzBY

Length: 14min 1sec (841 seconds)

Published: Thu Mar 12 2020