Buy a cheap shipping container

Looking to buy a cheap shipping container? Here’s our brief guide with our top 10 pointers for you to consider if you are wondering how and where to buy a cheap shipping container.

1. Go Used. Used shipping containers will be a lot cheaper overall then new or refurbished options.
2. Professional seller vs. private seller. A professional seller should be selling you shipping containers that have been professionally checked over and come with a good guarantee and / or warranty. If you are using your buying from a private seller you likely get none of these guarantees.
3. Consider real term value. If a used shipping container sourced from a professional seller will last 10-20 years and cost circa £1500 Inc vat and delivery, and a used container that they have previously purchased used and had on his site for nearly 10 years but gives you a £300 saving, which option best fits your needs and offers you best overall value? This answer will be different for different people and their circumstances, and indeed depending on your use. Take care to consider value as well as total price when looking for our cheap shipping container.
4. Buy from a depot or professional seller (as opposed to from a site). Shipping containers that come from a professional containers yard and are sold with a wind and watertight guarantee will have been checked over and repaired (all ours do, we wouldn’t want to comment on our competitors).
5. If buying a cheap shipping container from a site make sure to view the container in person
   Many older containers purchased from a site may have issues with worn or failing door gaskets, rot or rust at the floor line if it’s been sat in mud or may be starting to rust away at the roof line. Many of these can make the container unsafe to move or unfit for long term storage use. If you’re out to buy a cheap shipping container make extra sure you’re not buying a pile of scrap.
6. Buy a cheap shipping container that has been sourced directly from shipping use. Containers sourced direct from import & export use will typically last a lot longer than containers that have been previously purchased used and then stood outside at someone’s site for many years.
7. Age is not necessarily an indicator of quality. Age may be a fair indicator of average quality when assessing containers by the hundreds, but for individual buyers there may be the odd gem to be found. Containers that have lived indoors for a long time, containers that were purchased new and have sat static on a site (rather than being used for import and export use) will often last a lot longer as they have picked up less wear or damage.
8. Has the underside been checked?At the very least if buying direct from a site, has the container been sitting in mud for a few years or has it been raised up from the ground. The undersides of containers that have been sat in mud or come into contact with water more frequently. If the floor is rusting away the lifespan of your cheap shipping container will be very short.
9. Is the roof starting to rust away? A small one off hole that’s rusted into the roof may not be a huge issue, but it may also be the start of the roof rusting away. If this happens you may be chasing small repairs on a frequent basis for the remaining life of the container. Make sure you check the roof carefully for signs of pooling water and rust.
10. Find an expert you can trust. Funnily enough you’re already on the website for a company that checks every container sold prior to sale, that provides you with guarantees and typically only sells shipping containers sourced directly from shipping use, (we will make it very clear to you if we have purchased the container back from a site instead – and these units we sell at a discount to our normal prices).

Budgetshippingcontainers.co.uk offer the UK’s largest online range of shipping containers for sale with a nationwide network of storage and conversion yards and crane equipped delivery vehicles.

If you need a shipping container feel free to browse our online range of shipping containers for sale. You can also call us on freephone 0808 1234 215 any time 9am – 5pm weekdays and our team will be happy to discuss your requirements. Alternatively, you can use our online shipping container quote form or request a telephone callback. In both cases we aim to get back to you within 1-2 working hours (may take longer for more detailed quotes).