40' Storage Containers For Sale

40 foot storage containers are one of the most common sights for anyone living in a port city. Most people assume they are simply designed for the world of freight and have no other purpose- but this is where those people are wrong!

The humble 40 foot shipping container is actually super versatile. From offering a simple home storage solution to becoming the home itself, the possibilities are endless when a creative mind and a shipping container come together!

Uses for 40 foot storage containers

The '40 foot' in the shipping containers' name refers to its length. Almost all shipping containers come in a standardized height of 8'6", though it is also possible to purchase 'high cube' shipping containers which stand at 9'6". Shipping containers come in a variety of lengths, though the 40 foot model is usually the favorite when it comes to using containers for home building purposes.

You may hear shipping containers be called a number of things, including 'ISO container', which simply reflects the fact that shipping container sizes are regulated by the International Organization for Standardization.

Portable Storage

If you're looking for a large, portable storage solution, the 40 foot shipping container is a great option. Whether you're a nomad who moves homes frequently or require storage for your business needs, the 40 foot container for storage is a great idea.

At their tare weight (when they're empty), a 40 foot shipping container comes in at around 3.8 tonnes. This means they can easily be transported around the country by semi or train, making your storage solution highly movable.

They're also surprisingly secure; you can easily fit a security lock box to a storage container, making it incredibly difficult for anybody to break in.

Homes

One of the hottest new uses for storage containers is for housing. People are turning away from traditional housing for a number of reasons- the unreliability of the housing market and the cost associated with building a traditional house. After all, why spend 6 figures on a house when you could spend 5 building a home out of shipping containers in great condition?

Workplaces

Similarly to the rise of shipping container homes, shipping container offices and workspaces are having a moment.

I know what you're thinking- those ugly containers, stacked upon one another, have been used as offices on building sites since the dawn of time.

This may be true, but that's not the kind of offices we're talking about. Nowadays, people are turning traditional shipping containers into quirky barista bars and Google HQ-esque offices. This is largely down to their cheap cost- to buy, renovate, and run- as well as their versatility to be turned into literally anything you could imagine.

They're also easy to make secure, much to most people's surprise. As with using shipping containers for storage container purposes, you can easily add a security lock box to each container to ensure your business remains yours.

With 40 foot containers for sale being as cheap as $2100, shipping containers seems like a no-brainer to anybody wanting to build their own office or workplace in the current environment!

Shipping Container Homes

Let's revisit shipping container homes. Their popularity is soaring recently, given their cheap alternative to building your own home or even buying a pre-existing one in the current housing market.

40 foot shipping containers are perfect for a home. They can be stacked on top of each other, welded together, arranged however you want.

Whether you're looking to go minimalist and live out of one shipping container, or you're just looking for an inexpensive way to build your forever home, buying or making a shipping container home is never a bad idea.

Are shipping container houses cheap?

Shipping container houses aren't exactly cheap, particularly if you're looking to stack quite a few together. The average shipping container house is estimated to cost around $33,000; this figure includes the initial purchase of the containers, as well as their refurbishment to become livable spaces.

The cost of shipping container homes doesn't necessarily come from the purchasing of the 40 foot shipping containers themselves, but more so from the amount of renovation you conduct with them. If you're looking to build a large, grand house out of shipping containers that includes other built elements or highly refined interior design, then naturally it's going to cost more.

Don't forget to factor in other upfront costs such as delivery charges- something you won't have to worry about if you shop at Container One, where we offer free delivery on all 40 foot shipping containers.

Essentially, the ball is in your court when it comes to the price of a shipping container house. It can easily be made cheap, or it can easily be made expensive.

How long do shipping container homes last?

This question is also one that has a dependable answer, unfortunately. How long your 40 foot shipping container home lasts is up to the condition of the shipping containers when they were initially for sale, how you renovate them, and how well you keep them maintained.

On average, a shipping container home should last you approximately 25 years. After this point, the rusting often starts to damage the exterior of the shipping container to an irreparable stage, and the containers begin failing on being wind and water tight.

No one wants their home to start leaking or deteriorating, so be sure that you're committed to the maintenance of you shipping containers in order for them to continue working as a functional forever home.

Planning

When building a home from 40 foot shipping containers, one thing to keep in mind is the planning stage. This refers to both the planning permissions required to place a storage container on your land or to build a home from shipping containers on your land, as well as planning the architecture and arrangement of your shipping containers.

Shipping container dimensions, for a standard 40 foot container, are 40 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 8'6 feet tall. That is unless you buy a high cube container, in which case the dimensions are the same, except it stands at 9'6" tall. High cube shipping containers are ideal for homes as they provide a slightly higher ceiling, something people are often slightly concerned about when it comes to building homes from shipping containers.

When it comes to the design and construction of the house, you can obviously do this yourself if you're willing and able, but most people usually hire in architects and/or laborers to build homes from 40 foot shipping containers for them. It makes the process easier, particularly if you're not familiar with shipping containers.

Homes made from shipping containers are incredibly modifiable in terms of decor, as long as they're in good condition to begin with. Usually, the more worn a container is, the harder it is to stop it looking like a home built from shipping containers and make it look like a quirky alternative to traditional housing.

Are Shipping Container homes eco-friendly?

This seems to be the burning question for most of those interested in the shipping container home; and the answer is largely yes. Shipping containers are considered more eco-friendly than traditional homes as they often don't physically damage or alter the land they lay on as much as a brick-and-mortar home. They're also generally smaller in size, meaning they use less water/gas/electricity.

Outside of these initial points, much like with other facets of the shipping container house, how eco-friendly it is is purely up to you. If you choose to renovate and build around it with sustainable materials and power it with renewable energy, it can easily become an environmentally sustainable haven for those looking to take strides in that direction.

Many people find the concept of the shipping container home through searches on how to make their houses more sustainable, which in and of itself would suggest that they're a good option for anyone interested in that lifestyle. They're a great concept for those looking into 'tiny houses' or minimalist living, as they encourage you to be hyper aware about your consumer habits and the things you own.

It ought to be noted, however, that shipping container homes aren't automatically 'eco-friendly'- you have to put the work in to ensure that they are, much the same as you would in a traditional home.

Where to Buy Shipping Containers

Ready to get started in your venture for shipping containers for sale? Great! Look no further than Container One. All you need to do is input your zip code to our website, and you'll instantly see a variety of new and used shipping containers for sale in your area. All of our 40 foot shipping containers for sale come with free delivery, as well as the friendliest customer service in the industry. There's a 40 foot shipping container for sale out there for everybody, regardless of how you'll use it.