Jilly Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 Not sure where best to post this, but I am toying with the idea of getting a shipping container for our site to store furniture and stuff for the build. I'm in a conservation area, should I just do, hoping that it's part of our project (full planning to convert stable)? Or might I need further permission? I'm of course hoping that we can convert it to a garden room/studio in the future, but that's another story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 Static caravan might be a bit better, at least it has a little bit of insulation, and would better convert to a garden room / studio. I argued with the planners and got the usual "temporary" planning condition on the caravan removed, so ours is staying to become a studio / work room / storage shed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 I have a container on site for storage and it’s great and secure. I think @ProDave is right about a caravan, if it’s not got a bathroom or kitchen (I.e. not fir living in as a separate accommodation) you don’t need planning permission (it has wheels) but the council will probably tell you it does (argue with them). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
recoveringbuilder Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 We had a shipping container on hire in our last build and it was great having everything belonging you where you could access it, 18 months we had it and everything was fine and dry, couldn’t get one this time as overhead wires prevented it being offloaded so everything was in storage and we couldn’t get it and we struggled with storing stuff for the build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roundtuit Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 Sounds good in principle, but perhaps consider: - combined furniture store and site store wouldn't have worked for me; too much smelly, dirty, dusty stuff. If you're storing furniture, probably best to put it in dry, keep the doors shut and use something to absorb atmospheric moisture (like a dampstick). We hired one container off-site for furniture etc, and one on- site for building stuff (now it's ours, but I should have bought it 2 years ago...) - containers are great for secure storage, but don't easily lend themselves to other uses without a load of extra work as a) they're a steel box, and b) they're a fugly steel box. - containers hold their value well. If the cash flow can accommodate it, buy with a view to selling at the end, and spend the money on the garden room you really want! I'm pretty sure that generally no permissions are needed for a temporary site storage container. You could just ask the question of your planning authority to be sure, but I'd be inclined to find a sensible position for it where it's unlikely to offend anyone and just do it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epsilonGreedy Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 (edited) I am also in a conservation zone and had a visit last week following a complaint about the static caravan that arrived on site in September. The building control inspector was apologetic and said they had to investigate complaints even though he reassured me there was no problem because I was obviously making progress as a hands-on self builder entitled to live on site. He took a few photos and said he would no doubt see me again when the next complaint made. We considered a 20ft container but thought that would be pushing our luck with a small plot in a central village location not far from an historic monument. Edited December 14, 2018 by epsilonGreedy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Davies Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 Left a lot of my stuff in a container practically within sight of the north coast of Scotland for at least two winters. Mostly fine, no visible moisture any time I visited, but I would suggest stacking carefully to allow good air circulation against the walls and floor as one mattress up against the wall was a bit musty and some boxes and things stacked directly on the floor were black underneath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thedreamer Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 We're using a storage container to store materials and provide a base for our tradesman during our self build. It's very useful and because the container faces south it actually heats up during the day, if it had furniture in it would stored this just fine. One of the benefits of a container compared to a caravan is that you might struggle to get the furniture into a caravan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 8 hours ago, Jilly said: Not sure where best to post this, but I am toying with the idea of getting a shipping container for our site to store furniture and stuff for the build. I'm in a conservation area, should I just do, hoping that it's part of our project (full planning to convert stable)? Or might I need further permission? I'm of course hoping that we can convert it to a garden room/studio in the future, but that's another story. Hi Gilly. This has been discussed at length from time to time, if you dig - perhaps via Google with the site:buildhub.org.uk parameter. A further option is a site office type Portakabin, as those come insulated (to a degree) and wired. If you are able to connect it to the drains, then that can also be your builder-loo and kitchen, potentially. Ferdinand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triassic Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 We’re self building in a National Park, we have two 20 foot containers. When they arrived (second hand) they were blue and red and stood out like a sore thumb! I positioned them behind some bushed to screen them from the road, I also painted them Olive Green Drab. I have all our stuff stored in them and each one has a dehumidifier to keep them dry. The green colour is so good that I’ve had visitors onto site and although they’ve parked next to them, have not noticed they’re there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 I thought I would suffer from condensation with my container but have had none in the last two years, I did make sure nothing was stacked against the sides in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 i just put a container on site without asking and I live in a conservation area and nothing was ever said about it. I did suffer from condensation but I only stored tools and non perishable things inside it. The guy who bought the building plot of me also bought the container and has put a de-humidifier inside to keep it dry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bitpipe Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 I bought a 25 ft container / site office off eBay - was bout £1500 plus £300 delivery on a hiab. I lined the roof with 50mm EPS which prevented condensation (could have done walls if I could have been bothered) and also used damp sticks. Stored lots of boxed possessions in there and they all came out fine after 2 years. Planning did ask me to get it shifted once the build was complete (it was at front of house) after a neighbour complained. Managed to sell it on eBay for £1700 so was quite pleased with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Square Feet Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 There is a lot of difference between old single-skin containers and some of the newer twin walled ones. I rent one of each at the moment - the twin walled one is dry (good rubber seals on the doors help with that too) so it has furniture and personal items in, and the rusty old single skin one isn't (it suffers from condensation on the inside of the roof), so it has tools inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted December 14, 2018 Share Posted December 14, 2018 (edited) And you can of course get refrigerated ones, which are well insulated already. Dad dad one that came on its own wheels (ie artic trailer) for its last journey - like a pint-sized HMS Belfast to the Pool of London. Saves all that buggering about with Hiabs. Edited December 14, 2018 by Ferdinand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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