Off-Grid Getaway With Sleek Shipping Container Home and Historic Log Cabin Makes the Perfect Vacation Home for $258K

It’s rare to find a property that includes a shipping container transformed into a modern dwelling and an adorable and well-preserved historic structure.

But a 20-acre property for sale in Northern Wisconsin features both: a sleek converted shipping container and a vintage log cabin. Each is painted black for a contemporary aesthetic.

With an asking price of $258,000, this property would make for an ideal vacation home, says listing agent Mark Hoglund of Re/Max. He sold it several years ago to the current sellers, who are now trying to find a new steward to continue their vision of an off-grid getaway.

"The cabin needed some work. [The seller] was going to move out there but was more comfortable in town," says Hoglund.

To modernize the cabin, the sellers updated the living room, kitchen, bath, and deck. The cabin also features a wood-burning stove.

Two years ago, the sellers moved a shipping container onto the property. It is a separate structure that expands the livable space.

In that shipping container are two bedrooms, a full bath, an outdoor shower, and outdoor decks. Hardwood floors and lots of windows make the interior feel cozy, light, and bright. In the bathroom is a freestanding soaking tub in a space that artfully frames a view of the outdoors.

Both structures are powered by solar, an investment that includes a 10-year warranty and truly means living off the grid.

As the listing reads, this is a place to "enjoy complete privacy, energy independence, and the freedom of off-grid living in a beautiful three-season setting."

While Hoglund doesn’t know the exact year the cabin was constructed, he does know about its history.

"There were other cabins in that general area. I’m guessing the same person built all of them," he says. These were built during the 1920s or 1930s.

Most of the inquiries so far have been about living on the property part time and renting it out to vacationers the rest of the year. To do so, a permit would be needed.

"It would be a great spot for a vacation rental," says Hoglund. "It’s so peaceful and with a nice view of the Marengo River. You can put a kayak in, too. It’s private and you can’t see the house from the river."

"Within a few miles, there’s second homes and year-round residences,” says Hoglund, which makes the community feel lively.

Considered a popular area for hunting, the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, accessible through the city of Bayfield, is only a 50-minute drive north, and the 1.5-million-acre Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest is also nearby.

"There’s endless acres to explore," says Hoglund about the forested land.

The closest commercial airports are in Ironwood, MI, about an hour's drive, or Duluth, MN, which takes about 90 minutes to reach by car.