“We wanted a place that people could come to, be themselves, feel comfortable, and share life with us.”

Today, I’m happy to interview Libby, a wife, mother, and a business owner who at first thought her husband, Regan, was crazy for wanting to build a house out of shipping containers. Yet through determination, persistence, and thinking big, they accomplished their goal. But it wasn’t easy.

In the interview, Libby opens up about the challenges of their project, even sharing the personal struggles of taking on a big project as a couple. You’ll hear how stressful and demanding the project was but ultimately how they came out of it stronger than ever.

Listen in as we dive into their story and hear how ups and downs, lessons learned, and tips to help you design and build a custom home.

Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon / The Denver Post

Key Takeaways

1. Find people to work with who are just as passionate as you are about the project. In Regan and Libby’s case, they interviewed nine architects until they found one that they thought was a good fit.
2. Just because it’s different, doesn’t mean its wrong or won’t work. When you’re building something so unique, of course, there will be people who don’t get it. But that doesn’t mean it’s not possible. It just means they don’t understand or aren’t willing to understand. Keep persisting until you show them it IS possible.
3. If you’re going to be an owner-builder, try not to have another full-time job. The process is long and grueling and hard to manage on top of another job.
4. When you hear “no”, it just means “not yet”. Don’t get discouraged when someone tells you no. If you want to do this project bad enough you’ll find a way. Keep searching, keep asking for help, keep your head up. In Regan and Libby’s case, they had to speak to 10 banks before one would give them a construction loan. It IS possible, you just have to have the determination and never give up.
5. Don’t pay subcontractors upfront. Or at least, hold some money back until the end so that they finish the job.
6. In the end, the little things don’t really matter. What matters most is that you’re with the ones you love. As long as you get the big picture right, you can compromise on the other non-essentials if it comes down to it. The important thing is getting the overall vision right.
7. Don’t forget about your personal relationships during the home building journey. Be open, honest, and present with your partner during the process.

Resources

• AirBnB Listing
• Blue Sky Studio – Architect Joe Simmons’ firm
• Dwell magazine article – A Colorado Firefighter Built His Own Shipping Container Home, and Found a New Calling Along the Way
• Denver Post article – Couple builds Denver dream house from nine steel shipping containers
• YouTube video – Unique Shipping Container Home built from 9 Shipping Containers
• YouTube video – Unique Denver Shipping Container Home The Around Zuni Park in Northwest Denver

Photos

All photos courtesy Libby & Regan Foster. Professional Photo Credit: Chris Boylen.

Special thanks to Libby for joining me for the interview.

And thank YOU for listening. To share your thoughts, leave a note in the comments section below.