Tiny House and Container House living are on the rise as many people are downsizing and living the 'minimalistic' lifestyle. One of the most attractive features to a Tiny House or Container House is the little to no debt with purchasing one. There are many advantages with Tiny Houses and Container Houses With the smaller size house comes less maintenance, less expensive and fewer home bills, less clutter, less cleaning, less carbon footprint, etc. and more time for people to focus on their favorite past-times.
http://www.trueactivist.com/a-shipping-container-costs-about-2000-what-these-15-people-did-with-that-is-beyond-epic/
Shipping Containers are often only used once, usually because it is too costly to ship them back to the starting destination. Many unused shipping containers are now being purchased and turned into living spaces, however it is not as easy of a process as it may seem. The shipping containers first have to be stripped of the lead based paints and pesticides used in the containers. Although the steel walls are very sturdy, this makes it more difficult to cut window and door frames. Another thing that need to be considered is the insulation. With the structure being primarily metal, there needs to be appropriate and sufficient insulation to keep the container cool in the summer, and warmer in the winter. Several containers can be combined and stacked on top of each other to make larger and two story homes. After the design and materials come into play, the total could be around $150,000 (which, depending on where you live, could be as much as a house).
http://www.goodshomedesign.com/house-wheels-beautiful-tiny-house-ynez-design/
Tiny Houses can be permanent structures or built on trailer platforms. Tiny Houses often (but not always) cost less than Container Homes because of the size and the process (no removal of hazardous wastes). Because of their popularity, kits are now being sold complete with instructions and plans to build your own.
Container Houses in some cases are popular among senior citizens because of the lower cost, simple living, and easy accessibility as a one-story dwelling. Tiny Houses are also becoming more popular among Habitat workers, since 2 tiny houses can be built for the cost of one average size house. In roughly 2 weeks, a Tiny House can be built from start to finish. Tiny House community are popping up around the U.S., and people have built Tiny Homes for the homeless.
See video below about a container home in Utah: