Hi Chookchook. I relation to your question about reproduction Murano Glass that is flooding the market, almost 99% of them originate from China. You will also find that almost ALL Chandeliers that claim to be Murano Glass that originate from China are hand painted and baked PYREX (a glass substitute) which is then sold off as MURANO GLASS. It is ILLEGAL to call a product that does not originate from or has not been made in Venice MURANO GLASS. You can call it "MURANO STYLE" but nothing else. Unfortunately, there are thousands of Chinese knockoffs claiming to be murano glass that are simply PYREX which has been spray painted then baked. This is why when you see a product advertised as MURANO GLASSf that seems to cheap to be true - this is why. Also, they MASS PRODUCE each and every Chandelier as almost every segment is blown into a mold, not mouth blown. If you look at a true piece of mouth blown glass, you will see what we call RIPPLE LINES which is where the glass expands and grows during the blowing process, very similar to ripples on a pond when a stone hits the waters surface. Also, you may see irregular randomly placed air bubbles in the glass which is not a defect, but a sure sign that what you are buying is indeed mouth blown. You will also find that the Chinese NEVER use REAL GOLD in their Chandeliers or any other item, only genuine MURANO GLASS used 24 Kt gold leaf which is rolled into the glass in the very initial stages of production. You will however find that Chinese do you a technqiue called AVVENTURINE which is where copious amount of Copper flecks are blown into the glass. The MURANO masters also use this technique but the quaility if EXCEPTIONAL, unlike the Chinese knock-offs. ALL products that we make originate in Venice and carry one or more of the following to assure you of its authenticity 1. An acid etched or diamond point signature of either the furnace or the Maestro or both 2. An attached lablel which will be either a Vetro Artistico Murano (VAM) label of the furnace or a PROMOVETRO CONSORZIO MURANO label 3. Depending on the furnace, an embossed Glass seal with each arm of the Chandelier signed an numbered 4. A certificate of Authenticity signed by and issued by the furnace who produced the Chandelier or any other item for that matter. As you can see, purchasing from any organisation who does not have a thorough understanding of and intimate knowledge of the furnaces in Venice, the techniques used by the Maestros and the various components and producton techniquesf that have been handed down through the centuries is leaving themselves open to huge financial risk If an item is being sold that is claiming to be AUTHENTIC MURANO GLASS, then the person you are purchasing MUST be able to provide you with a written legally enforacable guarantee, that certifies that what they are claiming to be murano glass can be traced back to a furnace and its origin confirmed. The Chinese WILL NOT do this as their products are PYREX, NOT glass so BUYER BEWARE. There is only 1 glass artist operating in China that has actually been trained in the use of just some of the techniques used by the Masters in Venice. Even he is not allowed to call his products MURANO GLASS but "MURANO IN STYLE". I trust this helps you understand exactly what you are dealing with when it comes to companies or individuals offering MURANO GLASS for sale. If they cannot prove it is indeed authentic and can provide backup documentation to support this, then DO NOT buy unless you really love it purely for its asthetic value. Being the largest Murano Glass delaer in the world, your only safety net when purchasing anything claiming to be MURANO GLASS is to do so through someone like us who provides you with a 100% ironclad guarantee of what has been mentioned above. Best regards Dean

No cheaper, at this stage. You save in one part spend more on others. They are quite narrow as well which can make rooms tight. Good design would be essential initially to make the most of the narrow spaces. Fit out is an issue as they need framing inside and insulating to comply with building codes which makes them even narrower, even having two together is ok but they then need the openings cut, joined probably by welding then finishing off. Steelwork is a lot more difficult to work with than timber from drilling or cutting a hole to sticking it together. Unless you're a boilermaker or have other metal trades up your sleeve..... As time goes on more and more will be used as housing so a builder will then know whats required. In the meantime, they and the trades would bump up estimates to cover the unknown drama's. Council may or may not look upon the dwellings favourably either..... Australia's construction codes and planning laws are in many cases quite stringent when compared to overseas (some, not all...). Almost everything we do has an Australian Standard attached to it and these must be identified before construction. As container houses are relatively 'new' the council may require professional clarification on the methods used through the works such as complete construction drawings and documentation. These aren't usually needed in full detail on bog standard housing projects.

Hi Susan, My husband and I have just completed a tiny house build, and I can definitely recommend it. The price works out much cheaper than a shipping container house according to my research ($60,000 as compared to close to $100,000 fully finished) and you can easily enough rent a parcel of land to live on rather than buying to build on, at least initially. Obviously you need to carefully research council restrictions for wherever you decide to live, but this could be a much easier and cheaper option for you. Depending on the size, setup and local zoning, tiny houses generally don't need DA approval. Instead you register it as a caravan and if you rent a parcel on someone else's land where there already is a permanent dwelling, you're generally fine to live there (though I'm certainly not an expert on the legalities). Then if, in the future, you're able to buy your own block, you can hitch it up to a ute or 4WD and move it with you. Something to consider anyway, and starting from scratch with a tiny house on wheels can actually work out a lot easier than retrofitting a shipping container with internal framing and walls, insulation, windows, doors, etc. But as everyone else has suggested, make sure you do your research properly and do what will work best for you in the long run.

Save big money on importing one from the UK and spend it on design to make the space work for you without the need for such an impractical solution. There are some cute, tiny wall mounted hand basins which would be a neater solution. https://www.reece.com.au/product/basins-c448/wall-mounted-basins-c452/axa-cento-mini-wall-basin-right-hand-with-fixing-1-9505814 If there is no other option here is another type of toilet/handwash product, but I don't think it looks any better than the Caromo design, although overcomes some of the impracticalities mentioned in the previous comments. https://www.reece.com.au/product/basins-c448/wall-mounted-basins-c452/roca-w-w-integrated-washbasin-white-5-star-9505427 Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls/Dr Retro Virtual Visits