shipping container as outbuilding?

Carer

We've just had a wooden workshop built for a small business to replace an old shed we were using that has reached the end of it's life.

It's about the size of a small shipping container (22 ft by 8ft) has double glazed windows, 2 stable doors. It's completely insulated with top spec kingspan, and then boarded inside and fully wired with striplights and large amount of sockets. It also has small room built inside and 2 built in workbenches.

The whole thing is made from tanalised timber so won't rot or need treating. It has an Onduline roof and has a woodburner fitted for heat - it's warmer than the house now! It's built on solid foundations all dug and filled with concrete and made slightly higher than the rest of the garden (but under planning permission height) so nothing is sitting in water.

Anyway the whole thing, designed by us and built by local handyman cost us £8000.

It's probably worth getting quotes from local builder/handyman for a bespoke building and comparing the cost of getting the container sited and then fitted out.

moneyistooshorttomention

A consideration here is "Would the neighbours and/or passersby be able to see it?".

If so - that rather puts that idea out - as it would be visually very intrusive to them. Add the fact that some neighbours would take it as encouragement to do the same themselves (yep....I've got ones like that and to say their property looks appallingly tatty as it is would be an understatement and I could just see a household like that copying the idea and the area would soon look rather different from a decent residential district).

beaker141

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

A consideration here is "Would the neighbours and/or passersby be able to see it?".

If so - that rather puts that idea out - as it would be visually very intrusive to them. Add the fact that some neighbours would take it as encouragement to do the same themselves (yep....I've got ones like that and to say their property looks appallingly tatty as it is would be an understatement and I could just see a household like that copying the idea and the area would soon look rather different from a decent residential district).

With it being over 2.5m high would it need planning permission or would it not count as it could be classed as portable ( a bit of a stretch!). Thats only if its within a specified distance from the boundary of course - but just something to think about.

"The 48-foot (14.63 m) shipping container is a High Cube container in that it is 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) tall on the exterior. It is 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) wide which makes it 6 inches (15 cm) wider than ISO-standard containers."

Mentioning George Clarke - there was an episode where one of his mates had converted a shipping container into a house, and I think one where 2 large portakabins were converted to residential.

moneyistooshorttomention

I was clearly referring to visual amenity - the way things look.

Planning permission (or otherwise) is a very different issue.

blueorchid_2

thanks Carer - extremely useful.

my site is similar size (12 x 18'-ish) , it already has level concrete base and 2 original walls, the shell of previous Victorian work building/stable.
I've got a plenty orig sleepers & stone too.

I'm getting a green roof installed on my shed, made from to my own design re-using materials (shoddy blankets) and sedum & Mexican fleabane I've been growing, rather than expensive kit. If that's a success, will consider a green roof for on art shed, with a roof window.

Depends on builder costs.