Affordable alternatives; turning containers into comfortable homes

For the ones open to seemingly unconventional ideas, the trailer home can be transitional. A good way to avoid renting, live affordably, as one constructs a more permanent home.

The dream started in their Architecture class in Makerere University. Brian Ssentongo and Aaron Aroriza were preparing for an exam but instead, the harrowing statisitics about the state of Uganda’s housing sector gnawed at them.

“Our lecturer, Dr. Arch. Mukiibi Stephan had told us that Kampala had a shortage of 325,000 housing units and that the rate of population growth was much higher than that of people building,” Aroriza remembers. This was amongst a host of other bizarre figures about people who do not have toilets and how bleak the future was.

The duo started thinking up ideas that would answer this dilemma, “and that is how Flexi Homes was born,” Aroriza remarks referring to their architectural firm that is yet to be registered.
“We are in the business of innovating affordable housing solutions through experimentation, designing and construction.”

One of the affordable housing solutions they have come up with is making homes out of containers; homes which they have dubbed “Flexi Homes.”
A visit to a flexi home

Each of these homes is well-ventilated and insulated on the inside against the elements of weather to make it comfortable and livable and it comes ready to be used. It is partitioned into a toilet, bathroom, kitchenette, bedroom and an installed living room that has sofa bed to create more sleeping space.
They have designed and sold off two so far but they are in the final stages of setting up one which Aroriza calls ‘luxurious’ compared to a typical one, that is going to be his bachelor pad.
Located in Kyaliwajjala, this flexi home is suspended on thick rectangular concrete poles and has unique wooden stairs leading up to the living room.

The lounge can seat about five or six people and it is upholstered with black velvet cloth and underneath the seats are wooden drawers in which you can keep your paper work.
But the back of these seats can be raised to make a suspended bed for a visitor while another person can still sleep on the seats below (although it could be uncomfortable because it is a little narrow)
Parts of the metallic container have been cut out to make glass windows and when finished, this 3m X 6m container will have a bedroom.

Though small, to Aroriza, this space is enough for a bachelor who does not want to pay rent but yet has a little money that may not be enough to build a dream home at the time.
“The idea is that when you get Shs30m, it is not enough to achieve your dream home yet you would probably want to own something or do something constructive with your money. In this situation, young people usually end up buying cars and drinking when they feel their money is too little.”
How about families? These can purchase two or more containers that can be designed and suited to their needs like bedrooms for the rest of the family.

Advantages of the flexi homes
“As compared to when you have to build, deal with builders, worry about your materials stolen, or ending up with a house you do not like because the builder messed it up, here you buy what you see and you will stay in it that very day and even flush your toilet as long as you have a water system and a septic tank to connect to on the location,” Aroriza says.

Low-income earners can also utilize this opportunity to own a home, so after purchasing your land and feeling like you would need a lot of money before you can get the baggage of rent off your back buying a flexi home instead may be a better option.
And most importantly, when you have saved up and built, you can decide to re-sell this home back to Flexi Homes.

This kind of ready-to-live-in home costs Shs 18m but when buying it back, they refuse to name the price saying it would all depend on how well the owner has looked after it the same with it is with cars.
If you are looking to add a guest wing to your home, if you hve leased land and would not want to invest in a permanent structure, still, a flexi home can work since you can move it thereafter or re-sell it. It is from this flexibility that the company derives its ‘flexi’ name.
On the downside, they may get very hot, so be prepared to deal with that by having fans or have a very good air conditioning system