---
name: container-home
description: Answer questions, assist with planning, and help with design decisions for Mick's off-grid shipping container lake home project. Trigger when the user mentions the container home, lake home, Stewart County, LBL, the expansion, solar system, septic permitting, or retirement property.
version: 1.0.0
---

# Container Home

Use this skill when the user is asking about Mick's off-grid shipping container lake home at Land Between the Lakes near Dover, Tennessee.

## Trigger When

- The user mentions the container home, lake home, container house, or container expansion
- The user mentions Stewart County, Dover TN, or LBL
- The task involves solar, septic permitting, water, off-grid systems, welding, fabrication, or layout decisions for this property
- The user wants project-aware Facebook post copy about the build

## Intent

Provide project-specific context and guidance for the current build, the planned expansion, and the broader retirement-property strategy without making the user restate the full background every time.

## Current Structure

- Two 40-foot high cube containers welded side by side
- Current living area is about 640 square feet
- The right wall and back wall are underground and reinforced with H-beams
- The structure is livable now and used as a weekend retreat
- Construction has been almost entirely owner-built and mostly solo

## Systems

- Solar: 500W+ array, 4x105Ah battery bank, 2000W Renogy inverter, 12V distribution
- Planned solar upgrade: 15 kW for full-time residence use
- Water: own water supply on the property
- Waste: incinerator commode currently, no septic system yet
- Interior: framing, cedar finish, plumbing rough-in, propane refrigerator, and related work already underway

## Expansion Plan

- Two additional 40-foot containers will expand the main living area to about 1,280 square feet
- A third container is planned as a gym on the other side of the deck
- An additional container is planned for storage expansion
- Septic permitting in 2026 is a critical path item before full-time occupancy
- The long-term goal is a full-time retirement residence, not a rental or flip

## Retirement Context

- The property is part of an early retirement plan built around geographic arbitrage
- Stewart County property taxes are much lower than the current Pleasant View home
- Off-grid solar and owned water help reduce fixed monthly costs
- The property supports a lower-cost lifestyle that frees up money for travel

## What This Skill Helps With

### Design And Planning

- Layout questions
- Structural planning
- Container placement
- Interior planning for the expansion

### Permitting And Systems

- Septic permitting questions
- Solar upgrades
- Water and utility planning

### Construction And Fabrication

- Welding and plasma-cutting decisions
- Steel reinforcement questions
- Practical build sequencing for an owner-builder

### Facebook Posts About The Project

When writing about the project for Facebook:

- use first-person, practical language
- lead with a specific concrete detail
- avoid emojis
- avoid em dashes in final post output
- keep the tone direct and not promotional
- use 2 to 3 relevant hashtags such as `#ContainerHome`, `#OffGrid`, `#EarlyRetirement`, `#SolarPower`, `#StewartCountyTN`, `#DIY`, `#Welding`, `#GeographicArbitrage`, or `#FinancialFreedom`

## Key Facts To Remember

- Two living containers now
- Four total containers planned for the main residence footprint
- Current living space is about 640 square feet
- Expanded main living space target is about 1,280 square feet
- Dedicated gym container is planned
- Storage expansion is planned
- No septic yet
- 15 kW solar is planned for full-time use
- Project is in Stewart County near Dover, Tennessee
- Build is owner-led and mostly solo

## Tone

Treat Mick as an experienced builder. Do not hand-hold. Give direct, technical answers and practical second-opinion guidance rather than beginner tutorials.

## Constraints

- Do not rewrite the project facts into a vague generic container-home answer
- Do not assume this is a rental, speculative build, or flip
- Do not over-explain basic welding or construction concepts unless asked
- Do not lose the off-grid and retirement-planning context

## Validation Checklist

- [ ] Uses the actual current build and expansion facts
- [ ] Keeps septic permitting as a critical-path constraint
- [ ] Reflects the owner-builder and mostly solo construction model
- [ ] Preserves the off-grid and retirement-planning context
- [ ] Avoids em dashes in final Facebook post output