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What to Know and Where to Go: Tips on Buying a Used Portable Office
Buy a Used Portable Office
To many people, the term “portable office” (also known as an office trailer), probably conjures up images of the portable office trailer at a construction site. While this is a very common use for a portable office trailer it is also a temporary use for the portable office. There are also many other uses for a portable office trailer that are more permanent, such as for permanent storage, as portable classrooms for schools and churches, or even as a permanent home for a small business. When a portable office is needed for a longer time period (three years or more) or even permanently, a business might want to consider purchasing a portable office instead of leasing it. When it comes to purchasing a portable office for your business, just like purchasing a vehicle, you can save money by purchasing a used portable office.
What are the Benefits of a Used Portable Office?
The obvious benefit of purchasing a previously occupied portable office is the same as purchasing a used car over new: the price. You can easily save up to 50% off the purchase price of a new portable office with a used one. Also, like a used car, a used portable office gets a cull checkup and makeover before it is sold to you. So while it may be ten years old, the dealer will make sure that all the hookups and electrical outlets work, and they also clean it up nice so that you would never know that the previous home of your portable office was at a construction site. Another benefit of buying a used portable office is that once you find one, it can most likely be delivered to your site and set up pretty quickly, instead of having to wait for the dealer to get a shipment from the manufacturer.
Questions to Consider in Your Used Portable Office Search
How do you plan to use your portable office? Portable offices come with many different configurations and amenities. Some have AC, some have bathrooms, others have individual enclosed offices or space for storage. Knowing which amenities your business will need will help in your search.
Will it be a customer-facing office? If your used portable office will be frequented by your customers or if it will be in plain view, for aesthetic purposes, you might want to consider a new portable office over used, because while nothing is wrong with a used portable office, it might look 10 or twenty years old, just like an older car.
How many people will be occupying the portable office? A loose rule of thumb is that you will need 100 to 150 square feet per person occupying the portable office, for basic office work, and when you add individual offices and multiple bathrooms, the square footage will go up.
Where are you going to put your portable office? You will need to make sure that you have enough room for your used portable office and plenty of space for it to be delivered. You will need to make sure that a large delivery truck can access your site.
Tips on Buying a Used Portable Office
If at all possible, go check out your used portable office in person and check for wear and tear or signs of damage (that you can to get the dealer to fix for you). You also need to ask the dealer about other fees associated with your portable office. There might be extra fees for set up, and you will want to find out if they hook up your electricity and plumbing for you or do you have to get someone on your own? Lastly, as with any major purchase, you will want to check out the supplier you are purchasing your portable office from. The Better Business Bureau is always good place to look.
The best way to find a good price on a used portable office is to have suppliers compete for your business. Just fill out our simple portable office form requesting quotes and up to four vendors will call you with a bid. This helps you make the best of your time and helps you get a great deal!