Storing your things in a shipping container
If you're looking to make more room in your house and put things in storage then may I suggest buying or hiring a shipping container as an alternative to traditional self-storage. It seems that there are more and more shipping containers being imported into our country on a daily basis, and shipping container companies are now targeting the general public to sell or hire there access shipping containers to. This is by far a better solution to your storage needs compared to traditional self-storage facilities. This is due to difference in cost - you can hire a shipping container from $2 a day where storage facilities can charge you over $100 a month for the same size storage space. Another advantage is that your shipping container can be delivered to your door where you can pack it at your own pace. You can choose whether to store your container on-site for easy access, or have it transported back to the container depots facility. Most storage facilities do not allow you access to your storage area in certain times of the day, where as a shipping container onsite can be accessed when you want at any time of the day or night.
While researching to buy a shipping container you will be faced with quite a few different options. Firstly, there is a range of standard and specialised shipping container products on the market. The standard shipping container range includes General Purpose storage containers, high cube storage containers - which are an extra foot higher than your standard GP, open top shipping containers - have a removal tarp for a roof for tall cargo, and flat rack shipping containers - which have removable sides for awkward cargo. The specialised ranges are purpose built modified shipping container products that include site offices, dangerous goods storage containers, accommodation units and portable workshops. These specialised products can be custom built to the client's specifications by adding addition shipping container accessories to suit the customers' requirements. You can accessorize your container by adding vents and whirlybirds, shelves and workbenches, even add a kitchenette or ensuite.
It's not just the general public that are searching for shipping containers to use as storage. Other buyers include Councils, The Defence Force, Government departments.
The costs of a shipping container for sale all depend on the containers condition. You will be paying a premium price for a new built container though you also have the option to buy second hand used containers. These used containers come in a variety of grades depending on how much you want to spend. There is also a variety of sizes that you can pick from to suit your application. The standard sizes are 10', 20' and 40' shipping container sizes. As there are a large supply of 20' shipping container being imported into our country you will find them cheaper than the 10' and 40' sizes, which is good as they are normally in demand. If you're not looking to buy a shipping container outright (which usually start from around $2000) you can hire a container for long or short term lease. Hiring a container can cost as less as $15 a week and can save you time and money on alternated self-storage methods.
Other costs include container transport to your location; these prices will depend on how far you are from the shipping container depot and are usually charge on a kilometre rate. There are a few different types of transport used to deliver your shipping container which will depend on your container selection. 10' and 20' shipping containers are usually delivered on a tilt tray or flatbed truck, but if you are placing your container in a low access area a Hiab transporter can be arrange to lift your shipping container into position with a mounted crane. 40' shipping containers are delivered with a side loader transporter due to the sizes and wait of the shipping container. Another thing to note is if you are transporting a shipping container interstate it will probably be more cost effecting to transport your container via rail.
Once you order your shipping container you might want to know how long it will take to receive your container. Usually, if you buy or hire a standard container that is ready in the stack, the shipping container can be dispatched straight away and delivered the next day. If you are ordering a specialised product that may need to be designed and constructed you could be waiting up to 3 to 4 weeks - which is still not bad if you order an accommodation unit - how long does it usually take to build a house or granny flat?
Hopefully this article has given you enough information on the different types of shipping containers for sale out in the market. For more information contact Port Container Services on 1300 793 668.
About the Author
For more information on our shipping containers for sale, or and of our custom made shipping containers, go to our website www.portcontainerservices.com.au.