So what’s the best portable housing option for my project? When we’re still in the totally theoretical stage, it’s hard to say. What I’d really like to do is get a big team together and try all of them — rent a bunch of RVs to start, and as each home is set up, take the RVs back and have the team members move into the new structures. I bet I could do it for a couple million bucks. But while you’re making that happen for me…

I keep changing my mind, and it really does depend on the circumstances.

The perfect property and a big budget: If I was to find myself in this unlikely scenario, I can’t think of a cooler and more exciting way to do the move than building a barge house and taking it through the Panama Canal. It’s a pipe dream but it’s fun to think about.

On a tighter budget, I’m leaning toward the idea of building out the inside of one or more shipping containers without making any protrusions; each unit would have an entryway just inside the container doors, with utility hookups; this roughly 8×8 foot wall would have the only windows in the unit, which seems like a bad idea until I consider the fact that I keep all my windows blacked out anyway, because if I’m inside, I’m sleeping, watching TV, or working with a computer or tablet, not looking out the window. If I want to see outside, I go outside.

This container concept gives me a few advantages over other types of home: first, it’s probably the cheapest option; second, the units can be moved as many times as necessary, by truck, train, or ship, or even just moved around the property with a forklift; third, I can make the structures rodent-proof; finally, I can also make them very secure when I’m not home by closing and padlocking the container doors (after disconnecting utilities). The biggest flaw in this idea is the lack of a second door or escape window, so each unit would have to be equipped with a fire extinguisher at the non-opening end; in truth, it’s not much different than my travel trailer, which has only one door, and windows that aren’t exactly made for someone to crawl through. The trade-off here is having container houses that don’t lose their certification to be transported on container ships. The other two issues with container homes are the toxins used in their manufacture, and the fact that transporting one means shipping all the empty space inside it; toxins can be largely sealed up by the interior finishes, and as for the issue of shipping, the low cost and quick, easy setup make up for the added shipping expense.

Another budget option is a semi trailer; I can get one for about the same price as a shipping container, but I’d have a lot more options for the buildout. I could even have slide-outs, allowing me to have features like a king-size bed, a full kitchen, a big bathtub. Costs could add up, but if money’s tight the project is going to take a long time anyway. Another advantage of using a semi trailer is that a generator and fuel tank can be mounted on the underside. A trailer would have to be shipped abroad by Ro-Ro instead of container ship, and can’t be hauled with a pickup.

With multiple people involved, some of the options from the tent article could be best, allowing for the setup of private quarters and larger, communal spaces. One of the nice things about the tents is that they lend themselves to being rented out to tourists or used for volunteers later on. This is also the only option that doesn’t necessarily require any heavy equipment for transport or setup. To be clear, I’m including the Dom’Up in this list, along with army tents, Pacific Yurts, Sweetwater Bungalows, and Escape Nomade villas.

Honorable mentions: Boxabl, vintage Airstream

In any case, what makes all of these options appealing is that they make it possible to spend some time living on the land before making any decisions that permanently alter it. Where to build is as important a decision and what to build and how to build it.

In my next entry, I’ll talk about the other structures involved in this sort of relocation — outbuildings.