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“It started this summer, but it really started about five years ago when she started bugging me to come home,” Whitley said, traveling from Georgia to Ohio. He talked about the Lions returning to the Southwest. “But when I came here, it was to teach her. Teach my nieces how to do things that don’t have to be done by a man. I just want them to be independent. So I wanted to show it to them.”
The idea for what would eventually become House in a Box was inspired by Whitley while working for a company that was creating affordable housing for average Americans. But they didn’t do that anymore,” which made housing prices prohibitive.
“The average American can’t afford a home,” she says.
According to a study by real estate and analytics firm CoreLogic, home prices are expected to rise across the United States in 2024. “This continued strength remains notable amid the nation’s affordability crunch, but the pent-up demand that is driving up home prices continues to rise,” CoreLogic chief economist Thelma Hepp said in the study. “It speaks to the demand.”
Whitley and Lyons’ first step was to test the concept to see if they could actually create an affordable product. Both co-owners have experience in the construction industry. Mr. Whitley has nearly a quarter of a century of experience in the construction field and is a former U.S. Air Force jet engine mechanic. Mr. Lyons has 20 years of combined experience in training, marketing and social media for the construction and public safety technology industries.
Proof of concept had been proven with Jackson’s single-wide model prototype. Mr Whitley’s nephew-in-law, real estate agent Ian Lovers, has joined the House in a Box team as an investor and is looking for a buyer. They’ve got some leads thanks to some of Whitley’s construction folks, and there are about a dozen interested companies spread out across the country.
Single-wide and double-wide container homes are part of the original “Staff and Ship” concept. We carry out the rough finishing touches to the interior, including the frame, electrical and plumbing work, and then pack up everything we need, including covers for the kitchen shingles and switch plates. Anyone with even the slightest bit of DIY commitment can follow the set of instructions and complete it. interior. This saves him over $30,000 in labor costs.
Or, for an additional fee, you can have our staff finish it on-site.
The shipping container home business is expected to grow into a more than $67 billion industry this year, according to The Business Research Company, a market research firm that provides actionable market insights. The company says this growth is due to “sustainability and green construction, affordable housing solutions, urban and population density, architectural trends and aesthetics, and speed and efficiency of construction.”
They say the container housing market is “expected to see strong growth” in the coming years, predicting it to be a more than $84 billion industry by 2028.
Before considering purchasing a container home, prospective buyers should check local zoning laws. This is because in some areas it is not allowed, and in other areas, like the city of Fairfield, there are no special rules and it may be difficult.
“That would be difficult to do under current zoning regulations,” said Development Services Director Greg Cassman. “We have minimum size requirements and infill design standards that may limit the feasibility of that type of housing in Fairfield at this time.”
It may be difficult, but it’s not a clear “no”. Whitley and Lyons say multiple shipping containers can be used side by side or stacked.
Liz Hayden, Planning Director for the City of Hamilton, said the city’s zoning code does not have any specific provisions regarding shipping containers, so the containers would be allowed. However, the materials must meet city design standards, including veneers such as siding and brick, and may require a planning commission variance.
Lyons said it can install a variety of facades on newly purchased 9-foot steel containers. Their prototype was converted from a used shipping container.
As far as they know, House in a Box is only one of two companies in Ohio that convert shipping containers into homes, including those designed for evacuated families and emergency response housing. , has made several designs. All are named after Whitley’s grandchildren. More models will be designed and named after Lyons’ two children.
The ultimate goal is to move out of a rented barn built on Joe Nuxhall Way in Fairfield and find a headquarters large enough that up to three projects can be done simultaneously and that trucks can unload and load. is. It’s under the cover. The company already has a logistics company that can handle its nationwide delivery needs for low-maintenance, durable, and safe products.
We would like to sell the prototype and return the proceeds to the company, but we are looking for investors. At the moment, they are a lean business whose only goal is to make the American dream of homeownership more attainable.
“It has everything you need to live here, whether you’re a single man or woman, or a financially smart young couple,” Mr Whitley said.
Lyons further added, “We know our costs, we know our profit margins, we know our labor, and that’s it. If we mess something up, it comes out of our pocket. We know (more) We’re not going to go to customers to ask for money.”
The women said they wanted to make the business more relationship-oriented, as Lyons said today’s companies tend to be more transactional. “They’re not relational, they’re not personal,” Lyons said.
For more information
For more information about House in a Box, visit www.houseinaboxllc.com.
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