| Container type |
Most converted homes use 20-foot or 40-foot ISO freight containers. External dimensions are approximately 6.06 m × 2.44 m × 2.59 m for a standard 20-foot unit and 12.19 m × 2.44 m × 2.59 m for a standard 40-foot unit. |
Confirm external and internal measurements, door position, floor height, ceiling height, and whether the unit is standard, high-cube, open-side, or otherwise modified. |
Manufacturer plate, dimensional drawing, photographs with measurement references, and a signed specification sheet. |
Do not rely on the nominal container size alone; insulation, wall finishes, plumbing, and furniture reduce usable floor area. |
| Structural condition |
A used container may have dents, corrosion, repaired corner posts, damaged flooring, or alterations that affect structural performance. |
Inspect corner posts, top and bottom rails, roof, floor, welds, cut-outs, lifting points, and areas around doors and windows. |
Independent inspection report, dated photographs, repair history, and a structural engineer’s opinion where major openings or stacking are involved. |
Use an independent inspector who is not financially connected with the seller or freight intermediary. |
| Material and contamination check |
Older units may contain chemical residues, treated timber, mold, pests, or unknown cargo contamination. Flooring and coatings may also require testing. |
Ask what cargo the container carried, inspect odors and stains, check flooring treatment, and determine whether remediation is required. |
Cargo-use declaration, cleaning certificate, pest-control certificate where applicable, and laboratory reports for suspected hazardous materials. |
Reject units with unexplained chemical odor, visible contamination, extensive mold, or undocumented hazardous-material exposure. |
| Building condition |
Conversion quality depends on insulation, vapor control, windows, doors, roof detailing, ventilation, waterproofing, and thermal-bridge treatment. |
Verify insulation type and thickness, U-values where available, water-tightness, condensation control, ventilation capacity, and fire-rated materials. |
As-built drawings, product data sheets, electrical and plumbing diagrams, waterproofing records, and completion photographs. |
Require a practical leak test and an inspection of concealed areas before the unit is packed or shipped. |
| Utilities and appliances |
Electrical systems, plugs, voltage, frequency, water fittings, drainage, heating, cooling, and appliances must match the destination country. |
Check rated voltage and frequency, circuit protection, earthing, residual-current protection, pipe sizes, drainage outlets, and appliance operating condition. |
Electrical test certificate, wiring diagram, appliance list, commissioning checklist, and serial-number photographs. |
Budget for local rewiring or replacement if the system does not satisfy destination electrical and plumbing codes. |
| Inspection arrangement |
A pre-purchase inspection should occur before the final balance and before loading. A remote video inspection is useful but does not replace an independent physical inspection. |
Use a written checklist covering structure, moisture, utilities, fixtures, dimensions, packaging, and visible defects. |
Signed inspection report with date, location, meter readings, defect photos, and a clear pass, conditional-pass, or fail result. |
Link payment milestones to inspection approval and documented correction of agreed defects. |
| Shipping configuration |
A complete 20-foot unit may fit one standard container only if the home is designed for transport. A complete 40-foot unit may require special handling, open-top transport, flat-rack transport, or break-bulk arrangements. |
Confirm packed dimensions, gross weight, lifting points, center of gravity, lashing plan, and whether the unit can pass port and road clearance limits. |
Packing list, verified gross mass, lifting plan, cargo-securing plan, transport dimensions, and loading photographs. |
Obtain a door-to-door logistics quotation that separately identifies origin, ocean, destination, terminal, storage, demurrage, and inland-delivery charges. |
| Indicative transit planning |
Ocean movement commonly requires several weeks, while door-to-door delivery can take roughly 6–12 weeks depending on origin, destination, transshipment, port congestion, customs, and inland access. |
Confirm sailing schedule, cut-off date, transshipment points, free storage period, seasonal congestion, and final-mile access. |
Booking confirmation, bill of lading instructions, cargo insurance certificate, and a written delivery schedule. |
Treat transit times as estimates rather than guarantees and keep contingency funds for storage, port handling, and re-delivery. |
| Customs classification |
A converted container may be classified differently from an empty steel freight container because it can contain fixtures, appliances, building materials, and completed residential components. |
Confirm the destination tariff classification with a licensed customs broker before shipment, including whether separate classifications apply to bundled contents. |
Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, country-of-origin statement, valuation evidence, and customs power of attorney. |
Do not use an unverified tariff code supplied only by the seller; duty and tax treatment depends on the destination jurisdiction. |
| Import charges |
The landed cost may include purchase price, export handling, freight, insurance, import duty, value-added or sales tax, port fees, customs brokerage, storage, inspection, inland transport, crane service, and foundation work. |
Request a written landed-cost estimate based on the actual destination, declared value, dimensions, weight, and delivery address. |
Broker quotation, tax calculation, port fee schedule, delivery quotation, and payment receipts. |
Keep a contingency reserve because customs valuation, inspections, storage, and local delivery conditions can change the final cost. |
| Planning and zoning approval |
A container home is commonly regulated as a building or dwelling once placed on land, even if it was manufactured or transported as cargo. |
Confirm land-use permission, setbacks, foundation requirements, access, utility connections, flood or fire restrictions, and whether temporary placement is permitted. |
Planning confirmation, zoning approval, site plan, survey, soil or foundation information, and utility-connection approvals. |
Obtain written confirmation from the local authority before ordering; transportability does not guarantee legal habitability. |
| Building-code compliance |
Compliance may cover structural loads, fire safety, emergency escape, insulation, ventilation, accessibility, electrical safety, plumbing, sanitation, energy performance, and weather resistance. |
Have a local architect, engineer, or building-control professional review the design before purchase and identify required modifications. |
Engineering calculations, fire and material certificates, electrical test results, energy information, plumbing drawings, and local compliance statement. |
Separate the seller’s manufacturing warranty from the destination authority’s approval; they are not equivalent. |
| Contract and payment protection |
The contract should define the exact unit, condition, inclusions, delivery term, inspection rights, correction obligations, ownership transfer, insurance responsibility, and cancellation terms. |
Match the contract description to the inspection report, photographs, packing list, invoice, and transport booking. |
Signed sales contract, pro forma invoice, payment schedule, warranty terms, defect-resolution clause, and dispute-resolution clause. |
Avoid full upfront payment before inspection, document verification, and confirmation that the unit is ready for loading. |
| Final delivery and installation |
Installation may require a crane, suitable road access, prepared foundations, utility connections, anchoring, leveling, weather sealing, and local inspections. |
Check turning radius, bridge and road limits, overhead cables, crane reach, ground bearing capacity, foundation dimensions, and installation sequence. |
Site-access survey, foundation drawings, installation method statement, delivery condition report, and final inspection certificate. |
Photograph the unit at unloading and record damage immediately on the carrier’s delivery document before signing acceptance. |
