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How much does a container home cost in July 2025? - La Nación Propiedades
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¿Cuánto cuesta una casa contenedor en julio 2025?
Un modelo de casa que está ganando popularidad, es transportable y recicla materiales
www.lanacion.com.ar
July 10, 2025
A house model that is gaining popularity, is transportable and recycles materials.
By María Josefina Lanzi
How much does a container home cost in July 2025? Dice Containers.
In a world where everything is just a click away and where environmental awareness is growing, the real estate market doesn't want to be left out. In this context, new housing models are emerging and gaining popularity, combining recycling with housing solutions.
This is the case of "container houses," homes built by reusing shipping containers —that is, recycling the containers that travel on ships transporting merchandise—to give them a new purpose: as a family home, office space, or any other real estate use. And one of the most striking factors is that they can be purchased through the platform created by Argentine businessman Marcos Galperín; although it's worth clarifying that Mercado Libre isn't the only real estate portal that offers them, as Amazon also has prefabricated homes of this type.
Among the notable advantages of these properties are their short delivery times, as they can be ready in six months or even less. Also noteworthy is the fact that they are recycled structures , which reduce environmental pollution by giving a second use to an existing structure that would otherwise be discarded. Furthermore, their durability, as they are made of steel, is prepared to withstand inclement weather during sea voyages, and their transportability . No less notable is the fact that other modules can be added to the original, making it possible to expand the home when needed; and that they weigh less than a normal concrete or steel house.
Shipping containers converted into short-term housing for Airbnb. BNB Breeze.
However, industry experts warn that the container was designed to transport products on a ship, not to live in. "It's a metal shell that reflects the sun, allows water to enter, and accumulates heat. It's not structurally approved or verified by calculation standards, so using it as a home is not a good option ," warns Lucas Salvatore, president of Idero.
However, other industry specialists, such as Dice Containers, an Argentine container home construction company , explain that many do not comply with urban planning codes, but there are some players in the sector that do. "If the container is used thin and long as it comes from the port, the minimum interior dimensions are not met. In our case, we comply with all Argentine municipal regulations , therefore, Dice homes are suitable for municipal development," explains engineer José A. Vives, owner of the factory.
How much does it cost to build a container house?
Currently, listings on Mercado Libre range from $13,000,000 to $35,000,000, and listings in dollars range from $18,000 (27 m²) to $108,000 (60 m² with three rooms).There are other options, as detailed by Dice Containers: a standard 90 m² house with four rooms and two bathrooms is selling for US$65,381. The home comes with glass wool thermal insulation, built-in electrical wiring, water connections, and more.
Container homes. Shutterstock.
There are also more affordable options: a slightly smaller 60 m² container home with three rooms and one bathroom sells for US$44,465. Another 30 m² model with one room and one bathroom sells for US$26,740. Finally, another standard model, 15 m² studio apartment, is offered for US$18,369.
It's also worth noting that these homes can be purchased with financing, suitable for a mortgage loan from Banco Hipotecario. Another interesting fact is that the manufacturers offer the option of contracting the transport and installation of the container on the land where the house will be located.
A distant cousin: modular homes
Other properties that are built in modules, although specifically designed for housing and offering some major advantages, are modular homes. In a context where the possibility of owning a home is once again on the agenda for Argentines, given the resurgence of mortgage lending, many are wondering what type of home is worth purchasing. Furthermore, at a time when construction costs have increased by 126% since October 2023, according to the latest figures from Zonaprop, there is a growing concern about what can be purchased or built at affordable prices while maintaining quality.
Modular homes are built through mass production, just as they are in the automotive industry. Idero.
Modular homes are movable. Icon +.
In this scenario, modular homes (but not those based on a shipping container) are once again gaining prominence . These homes are built through mass production, similar to the automotive industry. In other words, instead of going to the site and gradually building the house, almost everything is built in a factory, with different processes ranging from the creation and assembly of the structure to the final finishes. Once finished, it is transported in parts, by trucks and carts, to the site where it will be located.
According to specialists consulted by LA NACION , the costs of building a house using modular technology are on par with traditional construction. However, given the volume they can acquire when mass-produced, in some cases their cost is 20% to 25% lower than a traditional, budget-friendly house , while offering all the advantages of this technology.
Although there is a wide variety of options, models, and prices within the modular home universe, many of their advantages are shared: they offer more controlled quality , since they are manufactured in-house, allowing for a precision of 2 mm; they are faster to build; they use a more sustainable process with a lower environmental impact ; and they can be made with almost entirely recyclable materials . In this case, unlike container homes, they have walls designed to achieve good thermal insulation and are sized to be inhabited.
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