I live in in Birmingham, and my shed and back garden get regular visitations from scrotes on the nick. We can't prevent access to our garden as adjoining gardens have dodgy fencing and we can't persuade the neighbours to replace it, and we've done what we can ourselves on our own boundaries.

Anyway.

My shed is falling over, having been knocked about in the repeated (both successful and unsuccessful) attempts to break into it. We don't keep anything of value in it following the theft of my Orange Patriot a few years back.

However, keeping three bikes, all the tools and kit in the house is a squeeze.

I don't really see any point in getting a new wooden shed, as I don't think it'll be secure enough.

I was considering whether a 10ft cube shipping container could be a good alternative. Roughly the same size, and if it were clad in tongue n groove not *too* ugly.

Anyone done anything similar? Any idea as to costs? Main problem (and cost) I can see is access, as they'd need a crane to lift it either over trees at the back or the house at the front.

I'd check the height as well – there are planning rules on height of structures within 2(?) metres of a boundary fence.

It might be cheaper to have soemthing solid built in situ than airlifted in?

some on ebay

Keep an eye / ear out for someone getting rid of a prefabricated concrete shed / garage. I got one for my dad for free doing this. People have to pay to get them taken aways so sell them cheap or for free with removal. A few trips with van / trailer, concrete base, good lock and you're done.

Even if they are not the size you want don't worry as the nature of them is that you can leave out a section to make it shorter. Making narrower is more difficult due to the roof trusses,

You'll need to add some trickle vents as they can suffer badly from internal condensation. A couple of people I used to know had shipping containers in their back yards – they were in Cradley though….

A previous partner had a shipping container, probably more like 20ft, for keeping horsey things in (not the horseys!)

Seem to remember it was about 1000 for two fully reconditioned and she had it painted with some sort of rubber paint. Really good quality.

As far as I know, as it was a moveable item, no permissions were required at all. Getting it in place did require some pretty nifty driving skills but went well.

Rachel

You might find 10ft containers more pricy than you'd imagine. Shipping containers are made in 20ft and 40ft flavours. 40ft are the best value used at around £950 plus delivery, 20ft ones, despite being half the size are almost the same price @ £850. The reason is simply that 40 footers are much more expensive to transport and crane so the demand for 20ft cans in higher.

Something to keep in mind is the cost of getting one delivered has to be covered again if you ever want to get shot of it

You'll commonly find 30ft and 10ft versions of containers but these are cut and shut from larger containers, so although there is less of them physically you are paying an extra premium for the labour / added value and the relatively short supply of them.

However the thing to consider with price is that no matter what they have an intrinsic value as scrap, around @£170 per ton (and a 10 footer will weight around a ton). Some suppliers of used containers will also offer a buy back deal – giving a fixed price to buy back the container if you want shot of it in future.

don't need planning for a container as it's a temporary/movable structure – my uncles getting one to use as a garage after the council rejected his previous submission 😐

Proper rough-neighbourhood solution that is, gonna look lovely! But clever idea. Think I'd have to wood-clad it for my own mental health though.

We have a 20ft one at work. The scumbags don't even try to brake into it. Not even once.

Looks fugly though but it'll do the trick.

agree with getting it stone clad or something – it'll look a bit 'industrial' for most peoples taste.

my uncles getting one to use as a garage after the council rejected his previous submission

he must drive a very narrow car

Go for it. Then as a next step consider offering a driveway tarmacing service to your neighbourhood. 😉

he must drive a very narrow car

Used for shipping cars are they not, so there must be room to at least get a car in and get out of it. Probably not far off my garage width 🙂

There's one at Derby BMX track, scrotes peeled off one corned and nicked all the bikes inside. Theyre not invincible, but probbaly enough to put off scrotes if theres just a few bikes in there.

i've always fancied a shipping container…
maybe two forty footers to live in? the side opening ones look nice..

thisisnotaspoon – Member
There's one at Derby BMX track, scrotes peeled off one corned and nicked all the bikes inside. Theyre not invincible, but probbaly enough to put off scrotes if theres just a few bikes in there.

Really?! The ones at the ski slope where I help out would be impossible to 'peel' open. The only way to get into them (short of a welding torch and lots of time?!)is by unlocking a padlock which is itself protected by a massive steel cover – there's a gap underneath to get the key up inside, just… In fact, they can be padlocked in three seperate places but it's never been considered necessary.

Oh you'll get a car in fine, but with only 8" or so to spare either side you'll have fun getting out it yourself out of the car. Fine if you've got a sunroof though. 😐

Derby BMX track is located in Alvaston park though, which is routinely li up by the gentle glow of burning cars (usually to attract the Fire Brigade to receive a bricking…)

I saw the container at the track after the oiks were done with it; what ever they used it was a proper job…

You're thinking of storage containers rather than shipping containers mr removed. Shipping containers are pretty tough but they don't have the protected locks you're talking about. With either though 'just' peeling one open is quite a tall order unless you are pretty well tooled up and have a pretty massive window of opportunity.

hi
ive got one at work 20ft long high roof than normal painted green
soon to be for sale £500 its just off j6 m42 last time i had it moved it cost £200 from worcester

My brother uses a couple as storage for his work kit, but as mentioned they can be very damp, and hot as hell in summer to boot… One of them's wood pannelled inside and out and has a dehumidifier in it to make it more suitable for anything that doesn't like getting soaked then melted, the other one's just grim tbh. But it's still cheap secure storage, sure you could get in but name me a shed you couldn't.

Anyone prepared to carve their way into a container will get into anything.

Sometimes known as ISO freight containers (International Standards Organisation).

My neighbours have one:

Bit bigger than 10ft though! I can't see it thankfully or I think it could be a bit annoying! Hopefully going this year though 🙂

maybe two forty footers to live in? the side opening ones look nice..

Welcome to the Port-a-bach:

And if it's anywhere liftable from the road you have only to wait until you're gone from home before someone collects it 😀