I Built a Container Home on a Clifftop That Grosses $100,000 a Year—and It’s For Sale

When Airbnb made a big push to promote homes that fit within unique categories—caves, treehouses, windmills—investor Ryan Duffy, 41, knew he had to capitalize on the moment.He didn’t have a cave or the right spot to build a treehouse at the time—but a container house seemed most within reach.He already owned half an acre 20 minutes outside Branson, MO, in Lake View, AR. It overlooked Table Rock Lake–but even more important was that the land was unrestricted. He could build anything, so long as it complied with septic regulations.And that’s exactly what he did. Thinking inside the boxIn February 2022, he started. It took seven months to build the 1,300-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-bathroom home in the steel container. The total cost was $300,000, not including the pool, added later. At $260 per square foot, the build was not any cheaper than traditional construction. In fact, Duffy, who worked in construction, was building homes closer to $160 a foot in that area.“People are assuming container home builds will be cheaper—it’s already framed in, so they think you just drop in the containers and cut doors and windows,” he says.Not so. Steel is notorious for very quickly transferr...