This Expandable Container Home Flaunts a Huge Bathroom and Luxurious Style

In 2022, statistics showed that the housing crisis in Australia had only gotten worse after the pandemic. The five largest cities in the country were all featured among the top 20 least affordable housing markets in the world, with Sydney ranking second and Melbourne fifth. This house price crisis is determining more and more people to look for alternatives that are cheaper and more sustainable in the long run.

Tiny homes on wheels (THOWs) are a popular option, although they do come with some disadvantages. Just like RVs, they're supposed to be as lightweight and compact as possible so that they stay within legal limits for road transportation and are also easy to maneuver. Often, their inherent space limitations can make them less convenient for long-term living.

By contrast, instant container homes are much more similar to conventional houses in terms of design and comfort. They come with generous main-floor bedrooms, dining areas, and larger bathrooms, all of which are essential in the long run.

Plus, a well-equipped shipping container home can prove to be extremely durable and capable of withstanding extreme weather conditions – mandatory qualities when talking about the harsh Australian climate.

The folks at Instant Cabins have created a luxury shipping container home that has it all. A lovely dining area and a surprisingly large bathroom (even bigger than ones in regular houses) are some of its top features.

A simple 20-foot (6 meters) container is expanded to approximately 387 square feet (36 square meters). It only takes a few days for the container to be expanded and installed, which saves a lot of time compared to tiny homes on wheels.

The walls are made of galvanized steel and insulated with a 75-mm cool room panel. This helps keep the home warm in winter and cool in summer, which also means lower living costs. It's also a guarantee for comfortable living in various environments and climates. According to Instant Cabins, they've delivered shipping container homes in tropical areas as well as snowy ones.

Speaking of resilience, this container home also flaunts high-quality flooring. The compressed fibro floors are water-resistant and can’t be chewed by rodents, making them particularly effective in natural, remote environments.

All the home’s windows are also double-glazed to improve insulation and for effective soundproofing, and each one is fitted with an insect screen. The rear of the house is where all the connections are placed.

Power can be connected via a 15-amp cable, similar to an RV. Those who need extra power for more appliances can opt for hard wiring. Plumbing is also designed to be easy to hook up. For water, plumbing via a simple garden house will do the trick.

The Instant Cabins luxury home is meant to function as a granny flat, meaning a secondary home on one’s property. At the same time, it can easily switch to off-grid. The electrical system includes two circuit boards. One is for power and lights. The second one is pre-wired for air conditioning and a stove. All of the power points and lights comply with Australian standards.

In terms of layout, the Instant Cabins home is as beautiful and welcoming as a standard house. The glass sliding doors and multiple windows keep the interior flooded with natural light and filled with fresh air. As soon as you walk in, you are welcomed inside a cozy living room with a large sofa and enough space for custom furniture.

The open-plan configuration places the living room next to the kitchen, with no formal separation. The kitchen features a high-quality stone countertop that gives it a premium look. Multiple cabinets, including overhead ones, offer abundant storage space for all the cooking basics.

Facing the kitchen is a beautiful dining nook with a large table and comfy seats. Unlike homes on wheels, this container home boasts sufficient space for comfortable family dining, a real luxury when it comes to downsizing.

The house is big enough to include two cozy bedrooms, yet those who only need one room can skip the dividing wall and enjoy an extra-large bedroom. With shipping container bedrooms, comfort reigns supreme – no pesky ladders or cramped spaces. This home's bedroom boasts multiple large windows, plenty of walk-around space, and enough room to store personal stuff.

The bathroom is truly luxurious, mainly due to its size. Bigger than some conventional bathrooms, it features a shower cabin with a shower chair that makes it even more convenient for elderly people and has enough room left for a washing machine.

Add a decent-sized deck with some outdoor furniture, and there you have it – a lovely granny flat that can also work great as a holiday home, an office, or a rental. Pricing starts at AUD 31,995 ($21,360) plus shipping.