How to Build Container Home Plans with a 3D Floor Planner?

Use 3D to create an optimized Home container interior
Visit virtually and show your ideas in 4K
Be sure everything is flawless before launching the work

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Shipping containers offer unlimited potential for designing a home. Find out how to convert these empty steel shells into beautiful, practical dwellings with the help of 3D design software.

More people are seeking out ways to live sustainably and affordably, which is why container home plans are in greater demand. Aside from being cheap to build with, steel containers offer a blank slate and unlimited potential for designing a home.

They can be placed, stacked, and joined together in numerous ways to expand the square footage with multiple levels. Of course, working with an empty steel shell requires a thoughtful, well-designed layout to make the structure not only practical and comfortable, but also safe.

Whether you’re planning a DIY project or designing a container home for a client, a 3D home design planner will give you the tools to develop a comprehensive floor plan using powerful 3D imagery.

It’s an effective way to illustrate custom designs, demonstrate ideas with clients or builders, and ultimately, ensure the end result aligns with your client’s vision.

See how easy it is to use 3D software to draw professional container home plans below.

How to Make Container Home Plans with 3D Design Software?

3D floor planners let you create container home plans with confidence. User-friendly and intuitive, this powerful software makes it easy to build 2D floor plans and decorate them in 3D.

Choose from a diverse mix of materials and real brand-name products to capture the right look and vibe.

1 Build the Floor Plan

Begin in 2D mode and build out the floor plan. Use the digital tools in the planner to position each segment of the container home, including the walls, doors, and windows.

Move and manipulate the structure as you wish to explore different concepts to see what makes sense and what doesn’t.

Set icons or labels in the 2D layout to reference the location of different rooms and other features.

2 Furnish, Decorate, and Edit

Switch to 3D mode to see the layout in greater detail and start composing the design.

Refer to the catalog to add paint colors, furniture, and accessories.

The filtered search option makes it quick and simple to find distinct styles and materials.

Adjust any items instantly to fit in the floor plan or delete them with a click.

Whether it’s hardwood flooring, appliances, tiling, or tables, find everything needed to construct a thorough, high-quality container home rendering to present to clients.

3 Visualize and Share

Capture realistic, panoramic images of the design to save in a portfolio, showcase, or refer to when it’s time to begin building the container home.

Designs can also be shared and experienced virtually.

Just switch to first-person mode or explore the Live Floor Plan option to take a virtual walkthrough, and share a link so others can do the same.

Shipping Container Home Plans

Looking for inspiration for your shipping container home plans? We highlight some strategic designs that show you how to think outside the box when building a layout.

Top view of a container home living room

Contemporary Container Design: 2 Bed, 2 Bath

This layout follows a semi-stacked design, with multiple containers set on the ground for the garage and storage. Meanwhile, on the upper level, the kitchen, dining, and living room share the left side of the home.

Wall-to-wall glass doors lead out to a generously sized patio that stretches the entire length of the lower container. On the right side, two baths are set towards the front of the property with a storage closet in between.

The master and secondary bed are at the rear portion of the home. This is an excellent example of a sleek and spacious design that feels far from cramped.

Winged Container Design: 3 Bed, 2 Bath

For a ‘winged’ inspired design, this floor plan utilizes two steel containers, with a fully constructed great room in the center to connect them. It also features a sizeable front porch to extend the livable space.

Entering inside, a vaulted ceiling and large open-concept layout showcase a bright living and dining area with the kitchen set at the back. Two secondary bedrooms and a bathroom are set in one wing.

The other wing is reserved solely for the large master bedroom with a connected ensuite for extra privacy.

Kitchen and dining area of a home container

Bump Out Studio Container Design

For those planning to go minimal with a single shipping container, adding a slight bump out to extend the width of the floor plan can make a huge difference in elevating the functionality and comfort.

Placing the front entrance on one side of the container also leaves more livable space to use efficiently. Stepping in, the dining area and kitchen are set on the left. A closet and sofa bed are on the right side. A rear door beside the kitchen leads to a bathroom and an area for laundry facilities. Consider this simple and highly efficient example to expand space for a single container design.

With a carefully planned layout, steel containers can be transformed into stunning homes that are fully equipped for comfortable, year-round living. Let your ideas and imagination run wild with a 3D home design planner. Use it to draft plans, compare unique concepts, and find the right fit for your client’s lifestyle. Get started today with HomeByMe’s 3D planner to produce professional, high-quality designs.