Photos: a Family of 6 Built Rental Homes Out of Shipping Containers

Apr 13, 2024

A post shared by Box Hop (@theboxhop)

The Britts, who met in 2012 and married a year later, launched The Box Hop, a collection of sleek homes built from stacked shipping containers, in December 2018.

Seth, 32, and Emily, 34, told Insider they both had some experience with real estate — they renovated a duplex together in 2012 — but it wasn't until early 2018 that they decided to take a leap of faith.

"We were trying to figure out our next move with investing and real estate," Emily said. "Honestly, we kept getting outbid by cash buyers, and the market just kept rising. That's when Seth just said, 'what about that shipment container idea I had in college?'"

Seth said the shipping container idea sparked while attending Ohio State University in the late 2000s. He worked the night shift at FedEx, where he helped load products into shipping containers and realized how versatile they could be.

"I was like, 'what do shipping container homes look like? What could this be?'" Emily said.

The ambitious idea turned into three separate shipping container homes settled across a large plot of land. So far, the Britts – who have four children – have built The OG Box Hop, The BoHo Box Hop, and The Hygge Box Hop. Most recently, the Britts finished construction of The Roca Box Hop.

The OG Box Hop combines three shipping containers: two placed side-by-side on the ground floor and a third container facing the opposite direction on top. The containers were stacked in July 2018, and the entire project was finished by December.

"I'd envisioned a container, maybe one or two, with sleeping bags on the floor or something," Seth said. "But Emily designed something totally different than that. It caught me off guard when we started building."

The OG Box Hop was initially estimated to cost $300,000, but the Britts were able to build the home for around $220,000. The house has three bedrooms and two bathrooms and can sleep six guests at a time.

Emily told Insider that she designed all three properties' floor plans.

"In Hocking Hills, we were used to seeing lots of rustic log cabins, and I thought it would be unique to play up the fact that the homes are metal and more modern looking," she said. "I envisioned something so different from what people would typically see in that area."

She said deciding on the shipping containers' final shape was like playing Tetris.

"You only have so many walls to work within, and the containers are like a forced footprint," she said. "From there, you just do what feels functional and good."

Seth explained that after the shipping containers were placed in the correct spot, he and Emily worked alongside hired contractors to build the home to meet local code requirements.

While the contractors addressed tasks that required a licensed professional, Seth and Emily worked on other necessary jobs, like cutting space for the windows.

"A lot of traditional building methods still apply to container homes," Seth said, pointing to insulation and plumbing. The OG Box Hop includes modern amenities like air conditioning, heating, electricity, hot water, cable TV, and Wi-Fi.

When guests enter the front door, they're met with a spacious living room decorated with pristine white walls and a row of glass doors. The glass doors help illuminate the space, offer views of nearby nature, and lead to the downstairs patio.

Emily told Insider that she wanted to "honor" the shipping container's aesthetic, so the ceilings still have the original corrugated design. Much of the interior is adorned with a modern flair.

The couple installed a bright orange refrigerator that adds a pop of color to the white and dark gray kitchen.

The first-floor bedroom leads to the main bathroom, which has a shower head, bathtub, toilet, and sink.

Across from the reading nook is a garage door that guests can manually lift to reach the second-story patio. The outdoor patio has string lights, a hot tub, and a grill.

Walk past the reading nook, and you'll find two bedrooms, both outfitted with a floor-to-ceiling window. A second bathroom with a shower is on the opposite side of the reading nook.

Emily told Insider that she and Seth decided to make a smaller unit for a more intimate experience.

"It's far enough away that you have privacy, but still on the same property that could house couples or small families that don't need much space," she said. "That's how we decided to keep the momentum going and go for the BoHo."

This house has one large shipping container as the base and a smaller container on top.

It cost around $180,000 to build The BoHo Box Hop.

Emily and Seth agreed that constructing The BoHo Box Hop was smoother than The OG Box Hop.

"That's when we felt like we started to find a groove. We never built a house until the OG, so there were a lot of hard lessons learned, but also things that went really well," Seth said. "We learned we should buy a plasma cutter and contract certain jobs to save time."

As Seth noted, Emily used a different aesthetic and motif inside The BoHo Box Hop compared to The OG Box Hop.

"It was cool to see Emily put an entirely different design spin on it," Seth said. "Not reinventing the exact same house, but a totally different look."

"We had that modern, sleek look for the OG," Emily said. "When we went to the Boho, it just felt like it needed to be a little bit more cheeky and romantic for couples or small families."

The wall behind the stove is a mix of light pink paint and white pentagon-shaped tiles, which add texture to the home. The dark green cabinets, which feature gold accents, match the seating area near the front door.

While the farmhouse sink and intricate design draw guests into the space, the panoramic window offers a glimpse outdoors.

The kitchen then leads to the dining room, which features a foldable wood table and a cozy seating space that doubles as a pull-out bed.

A pink door opens into the bathroom, where a mixture of wood, tile, paint, and flower-themed designs cover the walls.

Guests can wash up in a porcelain clawfoot tub or with the overhead shower. A skylight is installed above the tub.

The stairwell leads to the second floor, where the Britts placed the main bed.

The king-sized bed is nestled between two large windows and an overhead skylight that allows guests to enjoy nature. The walls are white, while the roof is painted a light hue.

The main bedroom and the stairwell feature three rectangular windows that add a quirky vibe to the home. The outdoor patio is down the hallway from the main bedroom.

Guests can walk outside to a wood-floored patio with a hot tub and string lights overhead. To the left of the hot tub is a seating area with a wood-burning fireplace.

Seth and Emily said The Hygge Box Hop took the longest to plan of the three homes.

"With the first two houses, it was like, 'we need a footprint tomorrow because we're digging a trench,'" Seth said. "But with this one, we started planning six or seven months before we ever dug a hole in the ground."

They stacked the containers in June 2021 and finished construction five months later, in November that year. It cost around $570,000 to complete the project, partially because the price of building materials skyrocketed in 2021.

The Hygge Box Hop, which is ADA-compliant, has four shipping containers on the ground and three parallel boxes stacked on top.

"It's almost like twice the trouble we're used to getting into," Seth said. Unlike The OG Box Hop and The BoHo Box Hop, their third build used structural steel to help construct the home.

"I think the structural steel package was significant, which wasn't traditional on the other builds because they were smaller," Seth said.

Emily said finding pieces for The Hygge Box Hop was easier than the previous two builds because it takes inspiration from Scandinavian design.

"It was pretty simple just because the Scandinavian design is so minimalistic," she said. "I had some things that I've just collected over the years that I could put to good use."

Emily also collected home items from local shops, flea markets, and, naturally, the Scandinavian furniture store Ikea.

The Hygge Box Hop has crisp white walls and hardwood floors on the first level. On the right, at least two large picture windows showcase the natural views and offer a glimpse of the outdoor patio. A stairwell to the second floor sits to the left, and straight ahead is the kitchen.

The width of the kitchen allowed the Britts to put a white island in the middle with wooden cabinet space and a sink.

The island has four bar stools for meal times, and a nearby table offers more seating room.

The first-floor bedroom has a single bed, striped carpet, and access to an outdoor patio. On the deck, guests can see the original design remnants of the shipping containers.

The first-floor bathroom has a large shower with a built-in bench, a handheld showerhead, and an overhead showerhead. The bathroom walls are a mix of white paint and thin tiles.

Guests will encounter a large table beside a winding couch in the living and dining rooms. Large picture windows surround the area, and skylights are installed in the ceiling, inviting more natural light into the home.

While much of the home was renovated, the living and dining room's ceiling and a nearby wall still have remnants of the shipping container's corrugated pattern.

A projector is available for entertainment, and a hanging fireplace sits in the corner for a cozy finish.

The outdoor patio uses wood as the primary material, including wood floors, walls, and chairs. A second hanging fireplace was installed in the corner.

Walk past the grill, and you'll find a sauna and hot tub. The sauna's wood was constructed in the shape of an oval that guests can sit in and look over a nearby ravine.

Three of the bedrooms have also floor-to-ceiling picture windows that overlook the property.

The bedroom features one bed and a unique hanging light fixture to add flair.

Wood panels on the wall and ceiling act as an accent and headboard. The two side walls and ceiling also highlight the corrugated shipping container pattern.

The third bedroom has corrugated walls and ceilings like the other upstairs bedrooms. The light hardwood floor adds another texture to the Scandinavian design.

The fourth bedroom also has a pendant light alongside a single bed.

The upstairs bathroom includes a toilet, shower, and sink space for all four bedrooms. The black tiles compliment the unique bathroom mirror and add contrast to the minimalistic, light-colored interior.

The Box Hop website provides details about each home, including their rental prices.

At the time of writing, The OG Box Hop costs $427 per night, The BoHo Box Hop is $304 a night, and The Hygge Box Hop costs $451 a night.

The properties are also featured on Airbnb.

Axel Springer, Insider Inc.'s parent company, is an investor in Airbnb.