If you are planning on emigrating, there are two ways to move your home contents – by air or by sea. If you choose to ship your items it will obviously take longer for them to arrive at their final destination although usually it will save you money. When you are trying to decide which option to choose, look at both air and sea options in terms of cost and time and don’t forget to factor in any furnished rentals you may need to pay for in the interim. You can undertake the whole move yourself, or pay an international mover to take care of it for you. Much will depend on your budget but, even if this is comparatively small, it could be worth talking to a professional as there are various options available that mean you can take on some of the process yourself and keep the price down!
If you do decide to move by sea, you will probably use a shipping container. These are available to buy or hire and are made of corten steel. These steel containers are extremely rust resistant and strong and are able to be delivered to your home so that your belongings can be packed inside. Remember that you can either load straight away if you do not have too much stuff, or you can have the container left for a few weeks whilst you pack at your leisure.
If you do decide to buy your own shipping container – and many people do, finding it extremely useful to have as additional storage space or as the basis of a conversion once they have arrived in their new country – then you must make sure that your container is sea worthy. The phrase CSC plated is often used to determine whether the shipping container is suitable for shipping. CSC stands for “Container Safety Convention†and the plate is usually attached to the shipping container doors and acts as the equivalent of a passport for the container. Second hand shipping containers over 5 years old, can be tested and awarded a certificate that needs to be presented to the shipping line that is moving your container. Basically this ensures that your shipping container is strong enough to be lifted safely on and off the ship with your home contents inside.
But how do you decide which size of shipping container will take all the contents of your home? The standard sizes are either 20ft or 40ft and the easiest way to judge the size is to imagine that a 20ft shipping container as the size of a single garage and a 40ft shipping container the size of a double garage. Whilst there are other sizes of shipping containers available generally these would need to go as special cargo and therefore be more expensive to ship. Shipping containers are normally loaded onto the boat as cargo and must fit into the boat’s schematic. Therefore all the 20ft containers are usually stacked together and similarly all the 40fts.
Once you have loaded your container, it should be collected and moved to the port by rail or road where it can be loaded onto the ship. Once your goods have arrived in your new country, the container is then unloaded and must pass through customs. International movers should be able to help you with all the necessary forms and are often responsible for clearing your goods. Don’t forget that depending on which country you have moved to it may be possible to claim back the vat you will have paid on your container.
From there on in you are on the home straight (as it were)! It is simply a matter of getting your shipping container to your new house and unpacking.
Best of luck!
Archive for May, 2009
Steel Containers and Moving Overseas
Sunday, May 31st, 2009Shipping Container Conversions – A Diary
Saturday, May 30th, 2009Shipping Containers are a fantastic start point for all sorts of conversions. They can be converted into so many different things – some of which we have featured in earlier posts.
Site accommodation, offices, classrooms, housing complexes and workshops are but a few of the shipping container conversions that are available.
shipping container conversion - cargo container city
How then, do you go about planning your own bespoke container conversion? The first step obviously involves working out exactly what sort of conversion you require. You should then ring some companies specialising in shipping container conversions and ask them for advice and to help you draw up a final specification. Sometimes drawings are a good idea as it enables you – and them – to know exactly what is required and for you to agree on what you want produced and at what price. Often you can have specific items detailed such as windows, personnel doors etc so that you can decide within budget how many you need or can afford. Don’t forget that containers can be joined together to provide larger spaces.
Our next post will go through some of the modifications you can make to a shipping container that you may like to consider if you are planning turning a shipping container into an office, home or even a series of workshops.
Shipping Container Sizes
Friday, May 29th, 2009When you buy or hire a shipping container usually you do so by size. The size you choose is normally to suit what space you have available or how much you need to store or ship. In fact shipping was responsible for determining shipping container sizes. For what you probably don’t realise as you choose is that the standard sizes of shipping container – either 20ft or 40ft long by 8ft wide and 8ft 6in tall – revolutionised the cost of shipping.
These standard sizes meant that the loading and unloading of shipping containers could be mechanised. Only a few pieces of equipment are needed to move the containers rather than the considerable manpower and different types of machinery that had been needed to move the varying shapes of palletised goods that had up until then been the norm. It also meant that large numbers of shipping containers could be organized on a single ship as they are easily arranged in large stacks.
Of course the standard 20ft and 40ft are not the only sizes of shipping containers available. There is a 20ft and 40ft high cube available which is 9ft 6in tall and is particularly useful for putting taller machinery and equipment in. Smaller sizes of shipping container are also available such as the 8ft and 10ft long containers although these often have to be shipped as “special cargo†rather than going on the main container decks.
But nowadays, shipping containers are not just used for shipping. They are used for secure, dry storage. As such, they can be altered to any length from 40ft downwards. Frequently, people ask for an 8ft or 10ft container believing that they will be cheaper than the 20ft. Yet because a 10ft or and 8ft is usually cut down from a 20ft container, the additional labour means that the 10ft or 8ft is as – if not more – expensive than the standard 20ft size. So, if you have room for the larger size, it is often worth buying as you get more storage space for a similar amount of money.
Shipping Containers UK
Thursday, May 28th, 2009Shipping Containers UK can be either new/once used or second hand. Which you choose depends largely on your budget and importance of the look of the container. For example, a shipping container that is going to be used for storage and placed in front of a commercial premises visited by customers, probably needs to look nicer than a storage container placed out of the way.
New/once used containers are manufactured in China and shipped over with one load in them. As such these shipping containers uk are usually in excellent, almost pristine condition. The paintwork generally tends to be plain and not emblazoned with the shipping lines logo all over them – something which is generally much more aesthetically pleasing. New/once used containers will normally last for 20-30 years.
Second hand shipping containers uk should not be disregarded. They are often guaranteed to be wind and watertight and structurally sound and they shipping lines logo can be obliterated by having the container painted a colour of your choice. Second hand, shipping containers are usually about half the price of a new/once used one and should last 15-20 years.
An important part of the cost of all shipping containers uk is where the dealer’s depot is in relation to where you want them to be delivered to. Haulage is normally by a lorry with a hi-ab crane allowing them to be offloaded on site without any additional expense. Diesel is not cheap and obviously the further the lorry has to travel the more money it is going to cost. If you are buying your shipping container from a dealer always ask whether you are being charge haulage at cost or whether there is some sort of “administration” fee.
Finally, when you are buying your shipping container uk most prices quoted will be ex vat. Shipping containers are commercially rated and if you are not vat registered yourself you will have to allow for this to be added to the cost of the container.
There is a large supply of shipping containers in the uk of all different grades and in all sorts of locations. Spend time looking for a reliable dealer that has a location near you. Ask for the haulage price as well as the cost of the box. Somewhere there will be a box at a price and quality that will suit!
Home Storage Containers
Tuesday, May 26th, 2009Shipping Containers are often chosen as home storage containers over the more traditional wooden sheds. There are a variety of reasons for this other than the fact that shipping containers are generally cheaper and more easily transportable. Perhaps the most important is the fact that the steel containers offer an extremely secure method of storage for personal belongings.
Whether the reason for needing home storage containers is as a result of a delayed house move, a major rennovation project or clearing space in the garage or spare room, there has been an increasing need for additional storage. It has been argued that the recent credit crunch has meant that many people are down sizing or continuing to rent whilst waiting for housing prices fall further, and this has meant increased demand for such storage.
There are a number of advantages to using shipping containers as home storage containers. The containers are made of corten steel -which is extremely strong and weather proof, having been developed to withstand marine conditions. The strength of the iso specification is such that shipping containers can be used to support bridges and therefore this makes them extremely durable and long lasting. The doors are fastened with locking rods that, when coupled with a lock box and a heavy duty container padlock makes illegal access difficult.
Lock boxes are sometimes referred to as lock cowls, lock shrouds or padlock boxes. As far as home storage containers are concerned their function is to protect the padlock from angle grinders or bolt croppers adding to the security aspect.
Shipping containers come in a variety of sizes – both standard and adapted – making them idea for home storage containers. The basic width of a container is 8ft with the height being normally 8ft 6″- although 9ft 6″ high cube containers are available. The length can then be adapted and is usually anything from 8ft to 40ft. The industry standard lengths are 20ft and 40ft (making these the cheapest options) but these can be cut down to any other length to fit into the space available.
Finally, shipping containers are easily transportable. They are often delivered and offloaded by a lorry with a hi-ab crane which makes the placement of the container at your home extremely easy.
Home storage containers that are flexible in size, extremely secure and easily delivered to your home – shipping containers have to be an option worth considering.
Shipping Containers in Disguise
Sunday, May 24th, 2009We have been looking at how shipping containers make good homes and so today I thought that it would be fun if we had a look at some of the more eclectic uses that shipping containers have been put to.
Adam Kalkin’s developed the absolutely amazing concept aboveshowing what can be done with shipping containers. It was originally used in Italy at the 52nd Venice Biennial as a coffee stand by Illy but has subsequently traveled to the USA and elsewhere where it always makes an impact! Not many cargo containers are able to do this at the touch of a button!
At the other end of the scale – at least technologically speaking – we have an example of a high rise building in Zürich which looks exactly like what it is – 17 old and rusty cargo containers.
The company has a strong ecological product ethos and so have used a shipping container conversion to make their 85ft high Freitag Shop. It is connected by staircases and has a viewing platform at the top.
But shipping containers of whatever size don’t have to always be converted into anything quite as spectacular as the examples pictured above. They are often found in much more everyday settings. Our local garage has converted a 40 foot ISO container into a car wash which works very well. Simon, our website guy, was out and about this weekend when he spotted this 20 foot shipping container providing shelter and security for a cash machine. Thank you to him for taking a photo with his mobile!
But let us not forget the more everyday cargo container conversions. These include chemical stores, refrigerated containers, smoking shelters, insulated containers, recording studios, tack rooms, p.e. equipment stores, offices, classrooms, roadside cafes, mess rooms and canteens to name but a few!
So, from the extraordinary to the everyday shipping containers can provide solutions on many different levels as a ecologically friendly, adaptable andhighly transportable option for whatever conversion you are considering.
Condensation in Shipping Containers
Thursday, May 21st, 2009After yesterday’s post, a few of you contacted us concerned about condensation in shipping containers. In an earlier post relating to shipping container housing, we discussed the fact that all shipping containers have vents with pvc baffles inside to help promote air flow and keep water – be it rain or sea water – out of the container itself.
Why, therefore, is there a risk of condensation within a shipping container anyway? Well, when talking about containers used for store, if the doors of the containers are opened regularly there really should not be much of a problem. Where the risk comes in is when you take into consideration the moisture contained within the items being stored in the shipping container itself. All items, from sports equipment to clothes, from mattresses to shoes contain moisture and it is because of this that problems can occur during the autumn and winter months.
It is as a result of the difference in temperature between the night and the day – particularly when the day is sunny. These conditions cause the moisture to come out from the stored items as vapour, and, if no contingency is in place, settle on the ceiling ready to drip down when the temperature cools.
There is, however, a really good and affordable solution in the form of moisture traps which really do help keep the contents of the shipping container dry. These take the extra moisture into the specially PE/PP plastics and salt and lock it away within the moisture trap. One moisture trap will keep a 20ft container dry for 120 days. At under £30 it could very well be the affordable answer to any worries you might have.
Shipping Containers – The Genuine Article
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009Regular readers may remember one of our articles last month depicting shipping containers holding up a bridge in Utah. This demonstrated their incredible strength.
We have been told of a worrying trend in metal boxes that are claiming to be shipping containers and arein fact nothing of the sort. On these boxes only the metal corners are in fact “ISO standard” corners. The rest of the box is just metal and does not have the strong steel frameandcorner posts of a genuine shipping container. Shipping Companies and Logistical Services have issued a warning thatthese boxes”do not have sufficient strength to withstand the same loads as a genuine ISO Container”.
What does this mean to you? Simply that they cannot be shipped normally, that they do not stack safely and that they are not made of the weather resistant Corten steel of ISO shipping Containers.
That does not mean that they do not have a use in the domestic storage market – they do.We just wish that the companies selling these boxeswould point out that they are not shipping containers and therefore cannot be expected to have the same strength and weather resistance as the genuine article. That way everyone would know where they stood and be able to make an informed decision on what they bought based on the facts.
Shipping Container Conversions – Art Gallery Installation
Sunday, May 17th, 2009Theshowpiece at the Singapore Biennale 2008this year is the Containart Pavillion. It is made from 150 Shippng Containers and 35 ten metre recyclable paper tubes.
The 20ft containers were fashioned into this extraordinary pavillion by Japanese Architect Shigeru Ban and now house works of art by over 50 different artists.
The Singapore Biennale runs until the 16th November so anyone wanting to go and see just how amazing shipping containers can look has until then to go and see the Containart Pavillion.
Shipping Containers for Sports Storage
Friday, May 15th, 2009
Having written about the Aces Basketball Team yesterday, we started to think about all the schools and sports clubs that have been ordering shipping containers to use as stores for their sports or ground equipment.
At this time of year, even though it feels as though we haven’t really had a summer, there is a change over in the sports played. Cricketers are looking to pack away bats, stumps, lawnmowers and rollers so that they will be safe and ready to use next year. Bath Ford Cricket Club, for example, took delivery of a 20ft container earlier this month to store their ground equipment in. The fact that it is a steel container means that they can leave it on site knowing that their equipment will be as secure as possible. With the lockbox and security padlock in place they have taken every precaution they can.
Schools too have been ordering shipping container conversions for PE storage. High View School in Barnsley had a container shelved with lighting and electrics and a personnel door so that pupils and staff could use it to store all the PE kit on site. Hindleys Community College had a 25ft container specially made to site alongside a sports pitch for the same reason.
But it doesn’t stop there. In the last month we have taken orders for shipping containers to be used for canoe storage, tackrooms, to house quadbikes as well as for a clubhouse for a football team.
Shipping containers being made of steel, with a secure locking system in the form of the lockbox or shroud which is welded on to the door to make illegal access to the padlock difficult, and the hardened shackle CISA padlocks really do offer a secure answer for sports storage.