5 Tips for Buying Shipping Containers

Are you looking into buying shipping containers to build a house or add ons? There’s more to it than just going to the first junkyard you see and picking out the first shipping containers you see. They can have hidden faults and make it a waste of money fast if you don’t look for these key features.

Here are five tips for buying shipping containers.

1. Look to See If It’s a Shipping or Sea Container

While all sea containers are shipping containers, not all shipping containers are sea containers. Sea containers are those that have crossed the ocean carrying cargo. They meet different criteria to withstand mother nature while out at sea.

Shipping containers can be those that are transported on trains or semi’s across the country. These often face less wear and tear compared to their seafaring counterpart. Out of all the tips for buying shipping containers, this is the first thing you should do.

To find out more about the difference between shipping and sea containers, head over to equipmentmanagementservices.com.

2. Double-Check Integrity

One of the best pieces of advice for buying used shipping containers is to double-check the integrity and outside of the container. Used containers are often used more than once, so they’re bound to have wear and tear.

The first item to check is the structural integrity itself. All shipping containers are rectangles with perfectly straight lines. If you find your container leaning one way or another, this is a sign that the shipping container is no good.

3. Get Inside and Check the Interior

Crack open the door if possible and see what you can notice from the inside. It is often easier to spot holes and other dents from the inside compared to the outside. That is because light can shine in, helping you spot where the holes are.

If the seal on the inside is damaged, this can lead to poor temperature control.

4. Look Into Delivery Fees

Once you’ve found a shipping container that you like, inquire about delivery fees. If you’re going to provide the equipment to get the item from point A to point B, these are going to be minimal.

If you’re going to need to have the company deliver it with everything from a truck to a crane, you’re going to want to know ahead of time what you’re going to be paying.

5. Don’t Believe the Photos

If you’re in an area without any shipping containers, try not to believe all the photos that you find online. Chances are that the photos are stock photos used to represent all the stock they have, rather than the specific one.

Get in contact with the company and see if they can take photos for you of the specific one you’re looking at. It’ll make planning and purchasing all that much easier.

Buying Shipping Containers Will Be Easy With These Tips

Buying shipping containers can be stressful because you never really know what you have until it’s in your hands. But using these tips will ensure that you have the smoothest time possible and be on the way to creating your shipping container home.

If you want to learn more about the different real estate options that are out there, be sure to check out the rest of our blog. If you know someone interested in buying shipping containers, be sure to share this article with them.