A couple in their 30s have expressed their satisfaction after leaving their home in Las Vegas to invest in a shipping container on a piece of land in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico.
Like many others in the United States, Miriam Gutierrez, 31, and her husband, Eric, 32, were living in a rental property when they began to feel the strain of the high cost of living.
Originally, they considered relocating to Las Vegas for good, but after residing in the bustling city for nine years and shelling out around $2,000 monthly on rent, they found themselves disillusioned with the place.
Miriam explained: “The house prices were too high and I wanted to move back closer to family.”
The couple already owned a house in Tijuana, purchased for $40,000 in 2017 as an investment, but it was over two hours away from Miriam’s relatives.
Seeking an affordable alternative, the couple decided to channel their passion for renovation videos into a practical project.
Miriam stated: “My husband and I always watch YouTube videos of people building homes from containers. It was always something we were interested in.”
The couple bought a 200-square-meter plot of land just five minutes away from Miriam’s family and planned to construct a home using a shipping container, aiming to complete the project for approximately $35,000.
Eric, an auto paint technician, and Miriam, a talent manager, have dedicated the past six months to transforming the container into a two-bedroom residence with a bathroom, with a goal to finish by April.
“After moving back to Mexico to escape high US costs, it seemed like the perfect decision,” Miriam said. “And so far, we have no regrets. We’ve saved well over $400,000 if we were to buy a home back in Nevada – and it’s like our own little city. It also never fails to get people’s attention.”
Once the project is complete, the couple intends to use the container as a secondary residence when visiting family and list it as an Airbnb when not in use.
To date, Miriam and Eric have constructed a metal fence around the property and set up water and electricity.
They encountered a challenge when the container arrived without a roof, but they have since installed an overhead cover and extended the container’s walls.
Miriam commented: “I can’t wait [until it’s done]. The living room and kitchen will be one open space at the bottom.”
“And we’ll have a separate room for the bathroom and bedroom too. We hope that in the roof area we can also install a loft for a second bedroom. “We would really love to have a pool. And to get a BBQ too for when we have family over.”
Although some might view the container as a poor investment, Miriam is confident in her ‘vision.’
“And hopefully, we can inspire others to pursue different projects, no matter how bizarre they seem,” she added.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of Miriam and Eric’s shipping container home expenses so far: