Some things to consider before hiring or buying a storage container
July 31, 2019
There are benefits in having a shipping or storage container parked on your premises full of all the equipment, chattels and goods that you don’t require now but may require sometime in the future. You may even be tempted to buy a container for that reason. That’s not a silly idea necessarily, but keep in mind that most businesses - and it’s mostly businesses that use containers - prefer to rent than buy. And with good reason. It’s their container not yours. If your circumstances change and you no longer need a container on your premises they take it away for you. If it’s yours, then you need to get rid of it and that’s not as simple a proposition as you might think.
Having said that, many businesses see the benefits and have the space to own one or more shipping containers. Some companies have a rent to purchase option which allows you to discern between a temporary or permanent need. Betta Storage can fit your container for purpose. That could mean for purpose as an on-site office or a container with in-built shelving.
Whether you’re renting a storage container or buying, these are the issues you need to be conscious of.
Permits
Size and location has a huge bearing on whether you buy or rent. In residential areas, regulations will be more stringent than they are in industrial or rural areas. In some places and cases, they may not be less stringent by way of regulation but in the way they are enforced. In city locations you can expect a temporary permit for a container that needs to be located a certain distance from the boundary line of the property.
But in industrial areas the regulations will differ. Check your council requirements before you take delivery. If you are in the inner city, that probably quashes the buy or rent question unless you have somewhere else that the container can reside when you’re done with it. That’s not the case if you are located away from the city in a light industrial location, for instance.
The devil is in the detail
Ask about insurance and if the care and maintenance of the container is your responsibility. Find out when the responsibility begins and ends. And talk to multiple suppliers. See how and where their conditions differ. Inspect your container and record any of the following problems before you take delivery:
- Construction (what is the container made of)?
- Age and history?
- Dents, holes, corrosion and rust?
- Were chemicals used on the container for shipping purposes?
- How secure is it - do the locks work effectively?
Delivery and delivery fees
Shipping container delivery fees can vary depending on where you are and where the container is being transferred from. Most companies have a flat fee for a certain radius; say 50 kms and then you pay a per kilometre fee thereafter. Not necessarily though, so be sure to clarify.
When your container is delivered, make sure it is positioned on level ground and ideally on a concrete surface. One of the major issues with an uneven location is security and the opening and closing of the door.
Security
The door is the most vulnerable area of a shipping container. The avoid unauthorised entry hire a shipping container with a lockbox, or have one fitted before delivery. A lockbox can be welded onto the container doors to protect the padlock from being tampered with. A high security padlock will give you some added peace of mind.
Betta Storage are the storage and shipping container supplier with plans and options for every use and every type of business. If it’s storage containers for hire in NSW or purchase, talk to us. Our contracts and terms are transparent and industry best practice, and our containers can be adapted and fitted to purpose. Call today for an obligation free quote.
