Shipping container costs are, obviously, the first factor to consider while calculating the cost of building a container home. Though, it is important to remember that there are still many other factors to consider, such as the cost of the containers’ delivery, site preparation, metal work, insulation, engineering systems installation, etc., the cost of a shipping container is often used as a marker of advantages of building with shipping containers previously used for moving cargo between continents.
Container Home Costs
When we consider container home costs, first it is necessary to mention that such cost may vary depending on a particular geographic location. Most of the used shipping containers are concentrated at the sea ports, where the cost is the lowest. However, purchasing a container from the sea dock one should consider the cost of container’s delivery to the place of construction.
Now it is time to learn the factors, which influence shipping container costs. Basically, the price tag on a used shipping container (not a brand new or a prefabricated one) depends on the following:
- Size of a container (20 feet or 40 feet long)
- Condition of a container (mechanical damages, rust, etc.)
- Age of a container
- Seller of a container
Remember, a container is considered to be “used” after just one oversea trip, so used containers can really vary in quality and price consequently. That is why thorough inspection of a container before purchase is highly recommended. Try to avoid purchasing a container without seeing it with your own eyes first. Yellow pages, eBay, classified ads, as well as specialized web sites, such as portcontainerservices.com.au, shippingcontainers.acrau.com, and others are the good sources to look for a cost of a shipping container at your location.
To give some figures as to the shipping container costs, we have done a little research at eBay Australia, and found that brand new 20 feet shipping containers are offered in Brisbane at a price of AU $ 3900, while the cost of a used shipping container ranges from AU $ 800 for a 20 feet container of poor quality to AU $ 2300 for a 20 feet container of a pretty decent quality. 40 feet long shipping containers offerings are rarer with the price ranging from AU $ 2000 to AU $ 2900.
As you can see shipping containers costs are pretty acceptable. Though the cost of a completed container house will definitely be much higher than the cost of one shipping container, it is still said to be lower in comparison to building with traditional materials and techniques. After all, without decoration and insulation one used shipping container itself can still be a cheap option for a garage, store room, or a workshop.