Holiday homes and the problem of stale air
A container that's opened every weekend is a healthier container than one that's locked for a season. When a box sits closed through a Capes winter, the damp air inside has nowhere to go. It condenses under the roof on cold nights, drips, and slowly builds up a musty smell. For holiday homes around Dunsborough, Eagle Bay, Yallingup and Gnarabup, good ventilation matters more than anything else.
Fit vents high on the walls so warm moist air can escape. Put everything on pallets, leave space between goods and walls, and use moisture absorbers — replace them when you visit. Surfboards, wetsuits and camping gear should be dry before they go in. Doing this is the difference between opening the doors to fresh gear and opening them to mildew.
Trees, leaves and branches
Much of the region is framed by peppermints, marri, jarrah and, further south, karri. They're beautiful, but they drop leaves, gumnuts, sap and occasionally limbs. Leaves on a container roof hold water and make a mat that rusts the steel beneath, and a heavy branch can dent the roof. Choose a spot clear of overhanging limbs where you can, and sweep the roof a few times a year.
Clearing vegetation around the container also helps airflow and keeps the base dry. It makes it easier to spot any rust early, and it keeps the doors free to swing.
Winery, vineyard and small-business storage
Around Margaret River, Cowaramup, Wilyabrup and Yallingup, containers get used for vineyard equipment, irrigation parts, marketing gear, cafe and restaurant stock and tools. They're good at secure, dry storage. They're not good at temperature control. A plain steel box in the sun can get hot, so wine, chocolate, wax, cosmetics or anything heat-sensitive needs insulation or a proper cool room rather than a standard container.
If you store chemicals, fuels or sprays, a dangerous goods unit is purpose-built for that. For workspaces, a high cube gives welcome headroom.
Sandy flats and hillside blocks
The ground changes as you go around the bay. Much of Busselton and Dunsborough sits on flat, sandy country where the main job is a firm, level pad under each corner so the frame doesn't twist. Towards Yallingup and up into the hills behind the coast, blocks slope and can be rocky, so building up the low side on solid pads is usually easier than cutting into the hill.
Whichever you have, make sure winter rain runs away from the base and doesn't pool at the door end. A container that stands in water rusts from the bottom rail up.
Grade, paint and the coast
Busselton's foreshore and Geographe Bay's beaches are calmer than the west coast surf, but salt still carries inland on the breeze. Rinse the container occasionally, especially the roof and hinges, and touch up chips as soon as you see them. A light colour stays cooler in summer and blends into a coastal or bush setting better than a dark shipping-line colour.
Choose a cargo-worthy or new single-trip container for anything that needs to stay dry — those are the grades we sell as wind and watertight. As-is units aren't sold watertight and suit rougher uses only. Our maintenance guide has more detail.
Building and renovating down south
With so many homes being built or renovated around Vasse, Dunsborough and Margaret River, containers are often used as a site lockup or to hold furniture while work happens. On a building site, set the container on firm ground well clear of where the trucks and excavators will be working, and leave the doors accessible. Keep timber, plasterboard and flooring off the floor and away from the walls so it doesn't pick up moisture before it's installed.
A container sitting next to a new build also collects dust and grit. Sweep the roof and door area regularly and keep an eye on the seals. When the build is done, the same container can become the garden shed, the surf shed or the storage the new house didn't quite have room for.
Access on bush and rural blocks
A tilt-tray does most 10ft and 20ft drops, but it needs firm ground, a straight approach and clear space overhead — which can be tricky under trees or on winding gravel driveways. A side-loader or crane truck may suit better, and a 40ft needs plenty of room. Wet winter ground can soften, so plan the drop spot somewhere that stays firm. The City of Busselton and the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River each have their own rules on containers, so check with them first.
