Second hand cabins for sale
Second hand cabins, second hand site offices, welfare units and containers, sourced to what you actually need and delivered across mainland Britain on our own lorries.
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Buying second hand is a different job from buying new
When you buy a new cabin you choose a specification and wait. When you buy second hand you are choosing between units that already exist, each with its own history, and the skill is in reading which history matters and which does not.
That is the whole difference. A second hand cabin with a scuffed exterior and a straight frame is a good buy. A smart-looking one that has been lifted badly is not, and no amount of paint changes that. Most of what follows on this page is about telling those two apart.
We buy second hand units in every week and sell them on, which means we look at this problem from both ends. It also means we will tell you when a unit is not what you want, because we would rather sell you the right one than have it come back.
Terminology
Second hand, used, ex-hire, refurbished — what each one really means
These words get used loosely in adverts and they are not interchangeable. Knowing which is which tells you what questions to ask.
| Term | What it tells you | What to ask next |
|---|---|---|
| Second hand / used / pre-owned | Only that somebody had it before you. No information about condition at all. | Where has it been, and for how long? |
| Ex-hire | Came off a hire fleet, so it has been serviced on a schedule and repaired between hires. | How many hires, and what was replaced? |
| Ex-site | Stood on one contract, often for years. Could be barely touched or thoroughly abused. | What was it used as — office, drying room, canteen? |
| Refurbished | Work has been done since it came in. The amount varies enormously between sellers. | Which parts, specifically? Ask for the list. |
| Repainted | Cosmetic only. Sometimes hides a sound unit, sometimes hides a tired one. | Can I see it before the paint went on? |
| 2nd hand bargain | Usually a unit somebody else has already turned down. | Why is it cheap? There is always a reason. |
On our own stock the honest position is this: most units are refurbished, how much work a particular one has had varies, and the electrical installation is tested and certified with paperwork on everything that goes out. We will describe the specific cabin rather than making a claim about all of them.
Before you buy
Six checks that separate a good second hand cabin from an expensive one
The frame, not the paint
Stand at each corner and sight down the long side. A unit that has been lifted from the wrong points racks out of square, and the first sign is doors and windows that no longer shut cleanly.
The roof, from above
Take a ladder or ask for a photograph taken from one. Standing water, patched felt and rust along the roof edge are the difference between a cheap unit and a costly one.
The lifting points
Corner castings or welded eyes, and whether they have been distorted. A cabin that cannot be lifted safely is not a cabin, it is a shed with a disposal bill attached.
The floor, walked slowly
Soft spots near the door, under any sink, and along the edges. Floor problems are the ones that turn a cosmetic job into a structural one.
The electrics and the paperwork
Working and certified are two different things. Ask what test certification exists. Everything we sell is tested and certified and the paperwork comes with it, which matters the day the unit lands on somebody else's site.
What it will cost to move
The unit is one figure and the haulage is another. Distance and access decide the second one, and it is worth knowing both before you commit rather than after.
Every type, second hand
What we source
All of it used. Tell us the type, the size and the postcode and we will tell you what is realistic.
Portable cabins
10, 12, 16, 20, 24 and 32ft. Open plan or partitioned.
Have a look →Site cabins
Construction spec, built to be lifted and moved repeatedly.
Have a look →Site offices
Carpeted, heated and wired. Second hand portable offices from 12ft up.
Have a look →Welfare units
Static units with canteen, drying room and WC in one shell.
Have a look →Anti-vandal units
Full steel with shuttered windows, for exposed or unmanned sites.
Have a look →Jackleg cabins
Adjustable legs, so the unit sits level without a prepared base.
Have a look →Sleeper units
Portable sleeping accommodation for remote and long-running jobs.
Have a look →Shipping containers
8 or 10ft, 20, 24, 32 and 40ft, plus high cube and conversions.
Have a look →No catalogue — a conversation
Tell us what you are looking for
Used stock turns over too fast for a price list to be honest for long. Give us the shape of what you need and we will tell you what we can put our hands on, what condition it is in and what it costs, with the transport priced separately.
If you have a unit to trade in against it, tick the box — part exchange usually improves the number in both directions.
- We will say if we cannot source it, rather than string you along
- Cabin and transport priced separately, so you can see both figures
- Refurbishment to your spec is usually possible before delivery
Questions about buying second hand
Is there a difference between second hand, used and pre-owned?
No. They are the same thing described three ways, and the trade uses all of them interchangeably. Where the words do start to matter is ex-hire and refurbished, because those describe a history and a level of work rather than simply an age.
Is a second hand cabin actually cheaper than a new one?
Usually by a wide margin, and the gap is widest on units that are structurally sound but cosmetically tired. What you give up is the choice of specification down to the last detail, and the wait. A second hand unit is whatever it already is, and it can normally be moved a great deal sooner than something that has to be built.
What condition should I expect?
It varies unit by unit, and we would rather describe the actual cabin than talk in general terms. Most of our stock is refurbished, and everything is electrically tested and certified with the paperwork supplied. Beyond that we will tell you what a particular unit is really like, marks and all.
Can I buy a second hand cabin as a private individual?
Yes. A good share of what we sell goes to people who are not in construction at all — a workshop, a store, an office at the bottom of a yard. There is no trade account and no minimum order.
Do you have a list of second hand cabins with prices on it?
No, and any dealer who publishes one is either not selling used stock or not keeping the page up to date. Used units turn over too quickly. Tell us the size, the layout and roughly what you want to spend and we will tell you what we can actually put our hands on.
Will you take my old cabin in part exchange?
Often, yes, and it usually improves the numbers in both directions. Tell us what you have when you enquire and send a couple of photographs of it.
Looking for a second hand cabin, or selling one?
Tell us the size, the layout and the postcode and we will say what we can source. Selling instead? Send photographs and we will price the unit and the haulage separately.