Shipping Containers for Onsite Home Storage in NZ
A shipping container on your own section gives you lockable, ground-level storage for furniture, renovation materials or garage overflow. This page covers sizes, prices, placement, consent basics, security and keeping contents dry, using figures from our October 2026 NZ price index.
Backed by the team behind Shipping-Containers.com.au
Household uses
Why NZ households put a container on the section
Renovations
Storage while the house is being worked on
Sanding floors or replacing a kitchen means the furniture has to go somewhere for weeks. A container on the driveway keeps it on site and locked, without moving everything twice. For a job with a clear end date, shipping container hire is often simpler, because the supplier collects the unit afterwards.
Moving house
Packing ahead of a move
Some people load a container before settlement and empty it at the new address. Not every supplier will relocate a loaded container, and the truck must lift the box and contents together, so ask before you book.
Long-term storage
Garage overflow and seasonal gear
When bikes, camping gear and garden tools fill the garage, a container frees it up for the car again. For storage measured in years, buying usually works out cheaper than hiring, and the container keeps a resale value.
Which size suits household storage
Most households choose between a 10ft and a 20ft. A 10ft container fits a room or two of furniture plus bikes and garden gear, and suits smaller sections and townhouse driveways. A 20ft container is the usual pick for the furniture of a family home. A 40ft needs a long, open delivery area that few urban sections have.
Small containers are not cheaper: in October 2026 a new 10ft had a higher median asking price than a new 20ft. If you have the room, a 20ft gives more storage for the money.
| Size | External footprint | Household fit | Asking price, Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10ft | 2.99 m x 2.44 m, about 7.3 m² | One or two rooms, bikes, outdoor gear | Median $4,995 incl. GST (new) |
| 20ft | 6.06 m x 2.44 m, about 14.8 m² | Contents of a family home | Median $4,830 incl. GST new; $3,680 incl. GST used |
| 40ft | 12.19 m x 2.44 m, about 29.7 m² | Large households, boats, vehicles | Used $3,000 to $6,595 incl. GST |
Placement
Placing a storage container on your section
Delivery
Check the truck can get there
Containers arrive on a HIAB crane truck, a swinglift or a tilt tray. A HIAB can lift over a fence, while a swinglift or tilt tray needs a long, level area. Allow an access width of around 3.5 to 4 m and look up for power lines and branches. Our guide to container delivery and site access explains what the driver needs.
Ground
Set it level so the doors keep working
A storage container does not need a slab. Timber sleepers, concrete pads under the corner castings or compacted gravel work on firm ground. It must sit level: if the frame twists, the doors bind and the seals stop closing. The container foundations guide compares the options.
Rules
Consent and district plan rules
The Invercargill City Council shipping container guide says placing a container for storage is not building work, and MBIE Determination 2014/030 took the same view. Consent becomes relevant once you add fixed foundations, services, a fit-out or an occupied use. District plan rules on yards, coverage and screening still apply. See the NZ container consent guide.
Dry and secure
Keeping household contents dry and secure
Ventilation
Steel cools quickly on clear nights and moisture in the air condenses on the inside of the roof. Factory vents help, but many households add extra vents when storing furniture, bedding and clothing. Vents, lock boxes and shelving are on our container accessories page.
Moisture control
NIWA records average 9 am humidity of about 79 to 88 percent across Auckland climate stations. Load only dry items, stand furniture on pallets, leave a gap along the walls and hang moisture absorbers near the doors. See stopping container condensation.
Locks
Use a closed shackle padlock inside a steel lock box welded over the handles, so bolt cutters cannot reach it. Many suppliers fit a lock box before delivery. Face the doors where they can be seen from the house or street.
Hire or buy for household storage
Published hire rates for a 20ft on your own site ranged from $90 to $276 a month in October 2026, with a median of about $145 a month excl. GST, plus delivery and collection. A used wind and watertight 20ft had a median asking price of $3,680 incl. GST. At the median rate, hire charges pass the price of a used 20ft after roughly two years. Current figures are in the Shipping-Containers.co.nz NZ price index, October 2026.
Storage containers in your area
People search for storage containers Auckland, storage containers Hamilton or storage containers Napier. Price and delivery depend mainly on the distance from the nearest depot, so include your suburb when you request storage container quotes. See local notes for storage containers in Auckland or find your region on the shipping containers near me page.
Container types
Browse your container options
Get storage container quotes for your address
Tell us the size, buy or hire, and what access to your section is like. Suppliers who deliver to your area quote you directly.
Get a free quoteFAQ
Household storage container questions
For storage longer than a few months, an onsite storage container on your own section usually costs less than renting a storage unit across town, and you can reach your things at any time. A shipping container for home storage in NZ can be hired monthly or bought outright. Check the drop zone, council rules and access before delivery.
Generally not, if the container is simply placed on the ground or on sleepers and used for storage. Council guides from Invercargill and Grey District say placing a container is not building work. Consent becomes relevant once you add a fixed foundation, power, plumbing, a fit-out or use it as a room. District plan rules still apply, so check your zone with the council.
In the October 2026 price index, a used wind and watertight 20ft had a median asking price of $3,680 incl. GST, and a new one-trip 20ft $4,830 incl. GST. A new 10ft had a median of $4,995 incl. GST. Delivery is extra and quoted per address.
It can, if the container is not managed. Condensation forms on the inside of the steel roof when it cools at night. Store only dry items, keep furniture on pallets and away from the walls, add vents and use moisture absorbers. Leather, mattresses and paper are the most sensitive.
A driveway is a common spot if the truck can reach it and the doors can open. Keep shared rights of way clear. On the road or berm you need approval first, for example through an Auckland Transport corridor access request or a council permit elsewhere. Permits are usually limited to short periods such as 14 days.