Background
So I'm an Australian that was travelling around my back yard in a van. I stopped in a place called Gayndah in Queensland and purchased some cheap land, despite my lack of experience in everything to do with being an adult. Now I plan on building a basic container home that;
- I can afford
- Complies with building codes for the area
Plan
Because the area is flood prone and because the council (understandably) doesn't want ugly rusting metal boxes in residential zones there are a few sea container specific criteria that have to be met. They are;
- Tiedown details (unless you want to design a house boat, I shudder at the thought of whats required)
- Amenities and aesthetics (as I understand it, its policy saying "make sure you have an angled roof and ensure it looks good from the road)
I chose the design above because it is the simplest design that's compliant (from what I've been told). Because I know nothing about building stuff or council regulations, I have been in constant contact with people who know stuff. I trust these people have other things to do with their time then make my life hard so I have been keeping council in the loop, against the advice of many people.
I have found if your honest and upfront about your project & don't attempt to hide anything, people tend to go out of their way to help you. Because in a way they now have a stake in your project and want to see it to completion (not to mention the council wants people paying them rates). That being said, I think I have it easier with this council then some of the horror stories I have heard!