Your shipping container home office has potential!

Using a shipping container for a home office is an ingenious idea. You get just the right amount of space, you don’t have to pay an exorbitant rental rate for a larger commercial space, and you get the privacy and professionalism you need away from your actual home. Check out these four tips to consider when setting up your shipping container home office.

1.     Make Sure Containers are Fully Equipped

In order to maximize your efficiency and minimize the amount of time and money you have to spend outfitting your office from scratch, make sure the unit you’re buying is fully equipped with air conditioning, electric heat and electrical outlets. Ask what the optional features are as well, such as desks, a plan table and filing cabinets. Choosing these fully-equipped options now will save you headaches later on.

While you’re at it, make sure you’ll be getting a clean, well-laid-out and on-time delivery of the exact mobile office you want.

2.     Consider Extras Like HVAC and Plumbing Systems

Many vendors offer further customization options to clients, especially when it comes to HVAC system and plumbing system installation. If you want a fully-functioning office that you will be using year-round and for many hours of the day, you’ll need air conditioning for those hot days as well as plumbing.

If you have one home office container, you may be able to get away with a window unit, but some clients purchase several units and link them together. Central AC would come in quite handy in these instances. When it comes to the plumbing system, you may just need a single toilet and a sink – enough to accommodate you and a few workers.

3.     Install Large Windows

Proper lighting is imperative in any work space, especially if you’re working with blueprints, plans and other documents. To maximize your natural light, you may want to ask for extra windows or larger windows from your shipping container modification team. This will not only flood the space with natural light during the day, it will also serve to make the unit more spacious, inviting and cheerful – something you can’t necessarily achieve with a standard unit with one or no windows. Plus, it will help boost the morale and productivity of your employees!

4.     Increase Storage Space

If you are utilizing just one large shipping container, you know that storage space is at a premium. This can become a big problem if you need to store large amounts of documents on-site. You may want to consider adding multiple shelves or overhead cabinets to increase the available floor space instead of choosing space-hogging filing cabinets.

Contact Container King

To learn more about renting or buying a shipping container for home office use, contact us in Sanger, Ross or Dallas, with convenient hours of Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to noon.

If you have a need for a storage, shipping or on-site office container, your first thought may be whether you should rent or buy. Both are great options, but the answer to your question will lie heavily in your budget, specific needs and desired duration. Should you rent or buy a storage container? We will help you come up with a solution.

Rentals

Size reassessment: this is one of the best features of the rental option. Sometimes we are tempted to order a container that is bigger than what we actually end up needing, or maybe the reverse is true for you. By renting first, you can quickly flesh out your exact needs and tweak your rental accordingly without tying yourself down to a big purchase. You can choose from a few different sizes, then reassess later if you need to downsize or upsize.

In a nutshell, rentals are great if you…

• Just need a storage space for a short time and can’t see yourself making use of a storage container in the long run
• Temporarily have surplus items
• Are moving to a new facility
• Need temporary workspace
• Have a short-term project such as construction job and need onsite tool storage
• Are remodeling your office
• Aren’t financially ready for a large expenditure
• Wish to deduct the fees from your taxes

Buy

Purchasing a container also comes with many benefits. When buying a container, you can modify it in any way you want, to fit your unique needs. This customization option is one of the best features of the purchase option. Whatever you need — mobile offices, outside stages, kiosks, multimedia booths, houses or storage spaces – you are not limited to the modifications, accessories and customized features that you can get. When you own the container, you have much more control.

Also, when you own your own container, you can ship it to any location you want without having to return it to its original location, like you do with a rental. Your shipping company will drop off your storage container on site, immobilize it and level it. Buying is a better option for those who will need the container for the long term, as they pay one price up front rather than a monthly payment for a rental.

Purchasing a container also allows you to amortize its cost over many years. Additionally, you have the option to purchase a new or used container, depending on how low you want to keep your costs. But even used containers are in good condition when you buy from a reputable company, costing you less up front.

In a nutshell, buying is great if you…

• Need permanent long-term storage
• Wish to modify
• Want a one-time fixed cost (typically, this is the most cost feasible option if you can afford it)

Contact Container King

For more information on our containers for rent or purchase, please contact us at one of our three locations at 972-290-4600. For your convenience, we are open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to noon.