What Can You Do With a Used Shipping Container? 6 Ideas for Home & Business
While not often a first thought in building or storage materials, shipping containers offer versatile, budget-friendly solutions for businesses and homeowners alike. Many times, a single 20ft unit is all you need for safe storage, a cool workspace, or a range of entrepreneurial endeavors.
If you’re planning a summer festival and you’re on the lookout for onsite storage, or you’re moving to a new home across the state and you have a ton of stuff to relocate, renting a shipping container is a great way to get the job done. Use it as required, then send it back.
But if what you’re planning involves commitment - say, a cool backyard studio, a tiki bar by the swimming pool, or a mobile office for construction jobs, buying a shipping container is the way to go. And one of the best ways to get the biggest bang for your buck is buying a used container. Most of the time, a 20ft container provides all the space you’ll need.
Why “Used” Doesn’t Mean “Second-Best”
Associates at Conexwest note that used shipping containers undergo rigorous testing to meet stringent industry certification requirements, ensuring doors seal tight, floors support heavy loads, and walls remain wind- and water-tight. In other words, you get the same rugged Corten-steel shell worthy of ocean and nationwide travel minus the brand-new sticker price. Sure, there may be a few cosmetic scuffs or shipping-line logos, but that only adds to their rustic character.
Want a more monochromatic look with your own branding? You can have your shipping container painted. Look for a supplier that offers this service in-house, and you’re in business.
One Rectangle, Endless Possibilities
Think of a 20-foot shipping container as a storm-proof blank canvas. If you can dream it up, the shipping container can oblige. Here are some ways today’s consumers, entrepreneurs, and businesses are making the most of shipping container utility:
- Yoga Space or Home Gym – Add full-length mirrors, proper flooring, and a Bluetooth speaker system, and your Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward-facing dog), or sets of bicep reps will be a delight.
- Backyard Office or Studio – Ditch the kitchen table piled high with books for Zoom calls. Buy a shipping container, have it insulated and outfitted with windows, and voilà: private workspace or art studio with a commute measured in flip-flops.
- On-Site Contractor Office – Keep blueprints out of the rain, lock things up securely overnight, and move the whole unit to the next job when you’re done.
- Pop-Up Retail – Vintage clothing shop one month, sneaker drop the next. Roll-up doors or push-out windows become storefront magic wherever foot traffic happens.
- Tiki Bar, Anyone? – Ask for a long serving window, string up Edison bulbs, add some coconut vases and mix up some piña coladas - now you’ve got instant seaside vibes.
- Commercial Bistro or Bar – Starbucks famously leaned into container architecture; the company now boasts more than 45 stores made at least partly from repurposed shipping containers, proving big brands see shipping containers as eco-friendly building blocks, not just cargo carriers.
Stay California Cool or Take a Bite of the Big Apple - Containers Travel Well
Because containers are standardized, they load easily onto flatbeds, rail cars, or ships. Moving from L.A. to Portland or even New York? Pack everything into a shipping container and meet it on the other side. Whether you're relocating a home, office, or workshop, the built-in mobility makes for a streamlined, stress-reduced experience. Regulations vary by location, but the key advantage remains: your investment isn’t locked into one place—literally or figuratively.
Built Tough, Tweaked to Order
A used 20-footer offers roughly 1,170 cubic feet of interior space—enough for household storage, a micro-brewery fermenting room, or a portable bike-repair shop. Add insulation and ventilation to prevent condensation. Install solar panels for off-grid power. Paint the exterior to match company branding or let the original ocean-going patina broadcast its well-traveled charm.
A Seacan That Delivers
When you weigh part-time rental against purchase permanence, remember that containers survive ocean saltwater, forklift bumps, and thirty-ton loads. They’re tough. So whether you’re an entrepreneur innovating the next pop-up trend or a homeowner in need of an affordable backyard escape, a single 20-foot shipping container can shape-shift into just about anything your imagination (and local zoning) will allow – proving that great ideas can surely begin inside a box.
