shipping container as a storage building? Pro/Con

[aaronrkelly]

Ive got a 32x32 garage at my house I work out of and a 32x20 metal building we park in. Also have 2 storage sheds (14x30 for mowers and such and a little 10x10 for kids bikes so they have their own space).

And Ive still run out of space.

What I need.....off season storage. During the winter we literally STACK stuff in corners to get it out of the weather......fire pits, golf cart, outside chairs etc.

I also have an additional property, about 2.5 acres, that Ive yet to do anything with - thinking self-storage income property at SOME point.

For now.....I just mow it.

What Im thinking. Instead of spending another 5 or 6 K on another building on my main property - toss a 40ft shipping containter in the back at my other property. Its about 2 or 3 blocks away from my house.

I could use IT for off season storage and to put a piece of equipment or two in (mowers etc). Leaves my place less crowded......and looking better.

Anyone here have advice for or against using these shipping containers?

 

[kd3pc]

A used, but tight container here is $2500 and up, plus delivery at $2 per mile - both ways.

Just bought one for a move and it was $2750 put in place and works well.

It is HOTTER than all this time of day - high today was 96 and humidity galore, 5pm EST, and you could only stand about 40 minutes in it. Early morning is easy to work in and retrieve items needed from the move.

No need for a footer or concrete pad, as they are designed to sit on the 4 corners. But they are an eyesore to most folks and your local zoning may prohibit them.

hope this helps

 

[rayra]

They've got a flat corrugated roof and despite being coated to protect against seawater they WILL rust. If you are in a wet snowy climate you will want to put some sort of canted roof on the top to shed that water. And if you aren't, you'll want a similar top cover to keep them shaded, because they are ovens in the summer. So you'll want ventilation, too.

Other than those considerations, I think they are a good solution for your purposes. And you'll go far towards forestallign complaints if you give it a nice bland paintjob to match your buildings.

 

[bad_idea]

High heat and humidity are the biggest issues with them. We use them for storage of material at work. Mold can be an issue in them. Will be hotter than your attic. Punching a large vent grate in the door and a exhaust fan in the back wall can address both issues. Easy to do with a small MIG welder. The boxes are close to 1/8" steel, not too bad to weld. Just about every one I have modified had lead paint (we test all paint before grinding), so wear a respirator.

The boxes are designed to be supported at the four corners. Some concrete blocks on a firm base at the corners will keep it high and dry. You want a gap underneath to allow circulation. The floors are wood and the bottom side of the wood is exposed.

 

[kbs2244]

If you are thinking of a self-storage set up on the lot, think about negotiating a quantity buy of the containers.
Multi sizes
Use them as the self-storage units.

 

[Fluelikesymptoms]

Here I am trying to decide if I have enough room left to stuff specialty/occasional tools under my bed lol

 

[k1rodeoboater]

You need some sort of ventilation in them or your stuff will quickly get destroyed. Inspect them carefuly for leaks.

 

[BruceMc]

A lot of the newer ones have ventilation aleady built in, but they can still present problems with condensation, in part because the ventilation also means you have a constant flow of ambient air and can't dry them out after shutting them up.It can get really bad in the spring time if you have snow on top.

 

[Jarwop]

Have to consider the possibility of neighood rats. The two legged type.

 

[bottom feeder]

We use several of them at work for storage. They've been modified so that each one has two turbine style roof vents. Thanks to those and the desert climate here we haven't had any mold or humidity issues, but they do get hot as blazes in the summer. Wasps like to make nests in all the nooks and crannies on the doors, so you have to check carefully before opening them or you risk unleashing a swarm.

Plan B would be to get rid of some of the excess stuff so you don't need the extra storage.

 

[denis4x4]

See my avatar....these are twenty footers with an 8’ space between them.

 

[rockettgpw]

A few observations from one who has worked in them as site sheds and has three 20' cons with my stuff in transit.
Use 2x20' cons so your stuff is easier to access and doesn't get lost in the far back of the 40'
Set cons on a raised foundation to provide ventilation and reduce moisture inside
Build false roof spaced about 6" above con to reduce heat inside and keep water from puddling on con and rusting.
Install turbine vents.
It seems most cons are made of Corten steel now but they'll still rust through if water if trapped.
Great quick economical storage and easy to move and sell when you're done with it.

Last weekend I was at a self store facility built with 20' cons. They were elevated about 18" high on steel square tube frames in sets of four. There were no modifications or extras on the cons, just clean single trip units.

 

[bdbecker]

If you do decide to purchase a container or two, shoot me a PM. We've purchased and modified a number of them for a customer and have had no trouble getting good quality "one trip" containers from a vendor here in Des Moines.

 

[aaronrkelly]

Thanks everyone for all the insight.

We have zero zoning or building permit issues in my tiny town....theres none of that going on so that is of no concern.

Neighbors....well its a property at the end of two dead end roads equals about 2.5 acres and the container would be located nowhere near anyone that cares.

Ventilation concerns brought up are on point though....as I would be storing several thousands of dollars of equipment - so definitely would want to address that with some vents.

Still havent decided this is the way I want to go.....but for the money it seems like hell of an option. There is someone nearby with a 2 year old storage building they are trying to sell, just needs moved. I may go look at that as well. If I could get it moved reasonably it would be about the same cost. Of course its smaller......but also has windows, side doors etc.

 

[casmurbax]

If it is that isolated area, consider a trail camera just in case, stake out the rats. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Perrorojo]

As a guy dealing with 9 full semi trailers buried in the dirt, I would say they're great for hoarding and lousy for things you want access to. We're trying to replace them with a big pole barn.

Sent from my SM-G970U using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[A**holes Garage]

I know a local fab shop that uses a couple for storage. He cut doors in the side of them, for roll up style garage doors. Has good side access with a fork truck, no issues of items getting buried in the back.
He also added a mini split A/C unit to keep things cool.

 

[ttloadcells]

great for storage in CA not much humidity here.