The Best Storage Stratgies

3 Factors To Consider Before Your Storage Shipping Container Is Delivered

by Elaine Johnson

Whether you choose to rent or purchase a shipping container, it is an ideal vessel to use for storage when you wish to keep your belongings on your property rather than putting them into a storage facility. However, before the shipping container is delivered to your residence, there are several preparatory steps you need to take. As someone who is considering renting a shipping container for storage, these are the factors you should consider before you sign the rental contract.

1. Container Placement

The first question you need to ask yourself is where you want to place the shipping container on your property. Do you intend to put it on your front lawn? Or do you wish to have it sitting in the back garden? Secondly, do you need council approval to have a shipping container on your property? For council approval, the length of time you wish to use the container is the factor which answers this question. Logan City Council in Queensland, for example, states that you need building approval if the container is remaining on your property for more than 30 days. Think carefully about the length of time and the location of where the shipping container will go.

2. Truck Access

Your shipping container is delivered on the back of a truck, and from there, it is placed into your property using a crane or large forklift. Once you have decided on where the shipping container is going, then you can answer the access questions. These include:

  • Can the truck easily get close to where you want to locate the shipping container?
  • Does the crane or forklift have access to where you wish to locate the shipping container?
  • Are there any trees or power lines which could be damaged during the delivery of the shipping container?

The answer to these questions helps you to determine where the container can be placed.

3. Landing Pad

Finally, once you have determined the location which can be accessed by truck and crane/forklift, then you need to decide what you're going to place the shipping container on. Since you are not permanently keeping the container, then you could set it on a temporary foundation made of solid wood logs or concrete blocks. Alternatively, if you plan to use the container for a year or more, then having a concrete slab laid before the container's arrival means that groundwater cannot seep into the container and damage your possessions. Plus, it's imperative that whatever landing pad you use for your shipping container is flat and level.

Finding the answer to these three factors means you are well on your way to having a successful spot to put your shipping container once it arrives.

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