New or Used Shipping Container?

What "new" actually means

Containers described as new are one-trip units. They are built at the factory, loaded once and shipped to the UK, so they arrive with marine grade paint, new rubber door seals, a dry floor and a factory-fitted lock box. They are not showroom-perfect - a single voyage leaves the odd scuff - but they are as close to new as a shipping container gets, and the doors open the way doors should.

Buy new when the container is going somewhere visible, when you want the longest possible life before repainting, when you are converting it, or when a customer or landlord expects a tidy unit. Full specifications are on the new containers page, with detail by size for 6, 8 and 10ft, 20ft and 40ft units.

The used grades we sell

Wind and watertight

Our standard used grade. These containers have worked for a living, so expect surface rust, dents and patchy paint, but the structure is sound, the doors work and the inside stays dry. For general storage this is the sensible buy: you are paying for a dry steel box rather than for paintwork.

As-is

As-is units are a basic, pre-loved form of shelter. They are neither wind nor water tight, and they are priced accordingly. They suit people who need a rough store for things that do not mind weather, a site barrier, or a shell for their own repair work. Do not buy as-is for anything you need to keep dry.

Everything used is inspected on our yard before it goes out, and grading is described honestly on the used containers page.

Cost over the life of the unit

Compare the whole life, not just the invoice. A one-trip container typically goes many years before it needs any paint attention. A used wind and watertight container may want a coat of paint sooner and the occasional touch-up on rust spots, which is straightforward maintenance but is still your time or someone else's day rate.

Resale matters too. Containers hold value better than most yard equipment, and a one-trip unit that has been kept dry and painted usually comes back to us in good condition. We buy containers back, so if your storage need is temporary the difference in price between new and used narrows once you factor in what the unit is worth at the end. See selling us your container.

Which one for which job

• Site storage and tools: used wind and watertight. Dry, secure and hard-wearing.
• Domestic garden or allotment: either, but new looks better over a fence line and neighbours notice.
• Stock, documents and anything moisture-sensitive: new, or a good used unit with added ventilation - see preventing condensation.
• Conversion into an office, kiosk or workshop: new, every time. You do not want to build a fit-out onto tired steel.
• Rough shelter or a repair project: as-is.

Things that are the same either way

Size options, security fittings on new units, delivery method and access requirements do not change with condition. Whichever you choose, the container arrives on a lorry-mounted crane and needs the same clearances, and it should sit on firm, level ground with support at the corners. Read the delivery access checklist and ground preparation guide before delivery day, and see container sizes explained if you are still deciding between a 20ft and a 40ft.

How to decide in two minutes

1. Will people see it every day? If yes, lean new.
2. Does the contents need to stay dry? If yes, new or wind and watertight, never as-is.
3. Is this permanent or a couple of seasons? Short term favours used.
4. Are you converting or lining it? Buy new.
5. Is budget the hard constraint? Used wind and watertight is the value buy.

Stock changes weekly, so the honest answer to "which is better value this week" is a phone call. Tell us the job and the delivery postcode and we will quote both options delivered, or come and compare them side by side on the yard - see visiting our depot.