A couple in their 30s have said they have 'no regrets' after giving up their entire home in Las Vegas to buy a shipping container on a plot of land in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico.
Like many other American residents, Miriam Guiterrez, 31, and her husband, Eric, 32, were just living their lives in a rental home when the high cost of living in the US started to take its toll.
Initially, they had plans to 'move out to Las Vegas permanently', but by the time the couple had lived in the popular tourist city for nine years, spending around $2,000 a month on rent, they 'got tired' of the area.
Miriam explained: "The house prices were too high and I wanted to move back closer to family."
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The couple already had a home in Tijuana, which they'd bought for $40k in 2017 as an investment project, but it was more than two hours away from Miriam's family.
Looking for a solution that wouldn't break the bank, the couple decided to put their love of renovation videos to good use.
Miriam said: "My husband and I always watch YouTube videos of people building homes from containers. It was always something we were interested in."
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Together, the pair decided to buy a 200-square-metre plot of land just five minutes from Miriam's family and use it as a base for a new home made out of a shipping container, which they're hoping to build and renovate for a total of around $35,000.
Eric, who works as an auto paint technician, and Miriam, a talent manager, have spent the last six months converting the container into a two-bedroom home with a bathroom, with plans to complete the project 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 $400k 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."
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Once it's complete, the couple plan to use the container as a second home when Miriam visits her family, and list it as an Airbnb when it is not in use.
So far, Miriam and Eric have built a metal fence around the property and installed water and electricity.
They did reach one stumbling block, as their container didn't include a roof, but they've since managed to fit an overhead cover while also extending the walls of the container.
Miriam said: "I can't wait [until it's done]. The living room and kitchen will be one open space at the bottom.
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"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."
While Miriam has admitted that some people might think the container is a 'waste of money', she insisted she has a 'vision'.
"And hopefully, we can inspire others to pursue different projects, no matter how bizarre they seem," she added.
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Check out a full breakdown of Miriam and Eric's container home costs so far below:
- Land: $8,108
- Deed to land: £800
- Clean/flatten land: $80
- Fence: $3,552
- Container: $2,500
- Electricity: $600
- Water: $650
- Address: $32
- Roof/shade: $3,600
- Walls: $200
- Labour: $164
- Window/door frames: $0
- Total: $20,286
Emily Brown