Trailblazing container house in Titirangi listed for first time

This stunning small home built from two containers was the first such house to get an 8 Homestar rating.

It was also a prototype home for owner Brenda Kelly who established IQ Container Homes. And this means it has all the nifty storage options, which Kelly demonstrated for Stuff when she moved into the house in 2017 - you can see them in the video below.

While Kelly used the two-bedroom container home as an eco display home for three years, for the past seven years she has successfully tenanted the house. But now that she is winding down her Taupō-based business, her Titirangi, Auckland property has to go.

Kelly built the house on a steep 2427m² bush-clad site, positioning it at the top to maximise the outlook. At the time she told Stuff she had always had a passion for small spaces. "Even as a teenager I would draw little rooms and work out where to put the furniture."

She spent a long time planning the design of the 45m² house, which features two containers (one 40ft and one 20ft) positioned at right-angles and mounted on deep piles.

At the rear there is a 30m² deck that is effectively an entertaining space. It is covered with a clear, arched pergola, and plastic sheeting can be pulled down to keep the wind away. Kelly says even in winter, it's a warm spot to relax.

The 40ft container accommodates the entry, sitting area, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom, while the second 20ft container houses an office and guest bedroom.

Kelly has made “every inch count” inside the house. She can even accommodate guests to stay. She has made the second bedroom an adaptable space - it can be an office or a guest room. There is a lift-down bed on the wall, and the desk folds out to form a bed. A portable wardrobe can become a room divider.

But that’s not all. The corner sofa in the lounge, which provides a lot of storage, can also be opened out to create a double bed - Kelly says it’s possible to sleep seven people inside the house.

As implied by the 8 Homestar rating, the small home demonstrates exceptional energy efficiency and sustainability. Kelly says she was motivated by the desire for a sustainable home with minimal environmental impact and low running costs.

The house is fully insulated with UPVC double-glazed joinery, and features a 2Kw grid-tiered solar system - there are panels on the roof.

Eco principles include the use of standard size plywood, low-VOC paints and glues, and insulation that exceeds building code requirements. The Smart Plank timber flooring is 100 per cent recyclable. "There was also hardly any wasted materials in the build, which no-one could believe," Kelly says.

Rainwater is harvested, and used in the laundry and toilet, which she says saves up to 45% of water costs. And another more unusual feature is the vermiculture waste system. A large green tank absorbs the building's wastewater, while tiger worms within the tank break it down. "These are Mother Nature's little miracle workers." says Kelly. "They hibernate when they have to, and breed according to whether they have a food source."

A second large black water tank handles waste from the dishwasher, as the salts used in cleaning would harm the worms.

The house is Healthy Home compliant, and has previously been tenanted for $510 a week.

Kelly says she is closing her container home business due to tighter council requirements that are making it too difficult to sustain. “And with upcoming changes to the building code it’s only going to get harder - or certainly more expensive.

“I’ve had a good 12 years however; it's been fun and I've managed to deliver several projects over that time.”

She has listed the property, at 19 Rauhuia Cres, Titirangi, Auckland with Bronwyn Scott-Woods of Ray White Titirangi, with a deadline sale date of October 8, 2025. The property has an RV of $635,000, but Scott-Woods notes that while the improvements value of that figure is $65k, the replacement cost of the house would be $280k plus.