November 7, 2014

Tour a tiny cargo container cottage

Image courtesy of Montainer [enlarge]

Montainer, a Montana company that transforms recycled cargo containers into backyard cottages, will show off one of its units in downtown Seattle starting tomorrow.

The 200-square-foot home will be on display at Second Avenue and Pike Street from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Dec. 7.

The containers can be used as guest homes, offices or rental units.

They're produced in the company's plant in Missoula, and are shipped completely finished, including the appliances. Units are furnished with a full bathroom, kitchen and washer-dryer combo.

They can also be stacked or snapped together to form larger buildings.

“We can add living space without dramatically increasing cost,” said CEO Patrick Collins. “It works kind of like Legos.”

Installation can take as little as a day. The company said the units exceed all residential code requirements and can be installed in local backyards as permitted, rentable accessory dwelling units.

Seattle passed an ordinance in 2009 that allows backyard cottages in single-family neighborhoods.

The company said it assists with related project details such as design, permitting, site planning and cost analysis.

“We pull it all together into one package, giving the client the information they need to make a decision,” Collins said.

A basic unit costs $65,000. Additional modules are $20,000 to $30,000 each. Throw in another $10,000 to $20,000 for installation.