You need to consider several factors before you purchase a shipping container to use during your move from one home to another. This article discusses some of those important factors that you should base your selection on.

Pay Attention to the Grade

Shipping containers are categorised into different grades depending on their condition. For example, new shipping containers may refer to shipping containers that have only made one trip from the country where they were manufactured to a destination country. These containers are usually in excellent condition because they have had limited exposure to the rigours of frequent shipping by sea. Some shipping containers may be described as "as is". Such containers may not have been inspected to verify their structural integrity. Thus, you need to research how shipping containers are classified in your area so that you buy one whose grade will meet your needs.

Establish What the Container Transported

Why is it important to find out what was transported in the shipping container before you buy that container? Some goods may have a very distinctive odor, such as hides. It may be very expensive for you to remove that odor so that it does not linger on the things that you transport or store in that shipping container.

Pick a Material

Some shipping containers are made from aluminium. Others are made from steel. Each of these materials has its strong points and weak points. For example, steel shipping containers are very strong. They can be converted into housing after you have transported your belongings in them. However, they need regular maintenance (painting, for instance) in order to protect them from corrosion. Alumimium shipping containers do not corrode. However, they are not as strong as steel containers. Buy an aluminium shipping container if you wish to use it temporarily.

Pay Attention to Size

Many people only think of shipping containers as being 20-feet or 40-feet long. However, there are shipping containers that are longer than that, such as the 53-feet containers. Additionally, some containers are described as high cubed containers. This refers to containers that may be the same length and width as other containers (such as the 40-foot containers). However, the high cubed container is one foot taller than ordinary shipping containers. This added height can give you more space to store extra belongings or create a ceiling when you convert the unit into a living space. Size also has implications on how easy it will be to move or offload that shipping container. For example, you may have to incur a high cost to hire a crane to position a 53-foot container.