How to Choose and Use a Knock-Down Unit That Suits Your Needs

What is a knock-down unit, or prefabricated container unit?

In the past, knock-down units were mostly seen used as temporary offices, with little attention to function or decoration — just an empty container unit with a door, or at best windows and an air-conditioner, plus desks, chairs and document shelves for the staff stationed in that temporary office. Today, with growing popularity and strong influence from European design, prefabricated container units are being designed and decorated attractively and given more functions: one-storey or two-storey versions, a wide choice of widths and lengths, and built-in bathrooms or bedrooms. Importantly, they are lower-priced and can be completed much faster than traditional construction with timber, brick and cement.

Advantages of a container unit / knock-down unit

Completed quickly, in just 2-4 weeks: This depends on the extra functions or finishes you want; the more detail, the longer construction may take. Even so, it is still much faster than conventional construction.

Ready to move in or use straight away: Because it is a prefabricated container unit, the electrical and plumbing systems are already in place. If you buy a prefabricated knock-down house, some suppliers may even fit the air-conditioning and partition the bathroom and bedroom for you, with nothing more to do.

Lower total cost: Most knock-down units are priced from the high tens of thousands to the low hundreds of thousands of baht, depending on the style, size and functions you choose. Compared with building a house of the same size and function using traditional brick and plaster, or buying a house in a housing estate, the price you pay could rise into the millions.

No hassle finding builders and no construction waste: When you buy a prefabricated container unit as a house, office or shop, you can choose a finished design and have it lifted onto your land. This saves you finding trustworthy tradespeople or contractors and negotiating with them, and you don't have to calculate quantities or run around buying materials. Poor calculations can leave plenty of leftover construction materials, which are not only wasteful but also need space to store.

Fits limited space and is easy to move: For a house, shop or office on limited land, choosing a knock-down unit to match the size of the plot works very well. Not only do you get usable space that fits the area available, but if it is a temporary office that has to change location often, a prefabricated container unit is a worthwhile investment, because it can be lifted and moved to the new office location straight away.

Disadvantages of a container unit / knock-down unit

Shorter service life and durability than a house with a traditional brick-and-cement structure: Although a knock-down unit has a strong, durable steel structure, it does not have cast concrete columns or driven piles like an ordinary house. If you do not prepare and compact the ground where the unit will stand firmly enough, the building may settle after some time in use.

Harder to decorate and extend later: Drilling or hammering nails can damage the walls and structure of a prefabricated container unit, because the whole structure is designed from the start to support the functions planned. Any extension may cause the structure to fail and put users in danger.

How to choose and use a container unit / knock-down unit appropriately

• If you want to build a house from a prefabricated container unit or a container unit / knock-down unit, it suits people who already own land, and the ground must be levelled and compacted firmly enough before the unit is placed on it. If you want a stronger structure, piles can also be added.
• It suits temporary shops or offices that need to be up and running quickly.
  It suits people with a budget of tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of baht, or with limited space who just want to add a small building on their own land — for a small shop in front of the house, or a living room or guest room separate from the main house, for example.
• It suits small households, because knock-down units or prefabricated container units are usually small, and with many people using them they may feel cramped.
  It suits business owners who want to build a shop, office or small home office on their property, or run a resort or daily-rental accommodation business, because the investment is modest yet the style and design are attractive and modern.

What to consider before buying a container unit / knock-down unit

• Purpose of use: Whether it is a small house, an office, a restaurant or a coffee shop, knowing the purpose lets you choose the style, size and functions that are most suitable and offer the best value.
• Is the site suitable?: If the land where you want to place the knock-down unit is wet or prone to flooding, the ground should be compacted and strengthened first; otherwise your knock-down unit may settle or fail sooner than its real service life. You also need to know the size of the area so you can choose a unit size that fits it.
• Number of users: The number of users affects how the space in a knock-down container unit works. If you choose one that is too small, users may feel too cramped or have less usable space.
• Choose strong materials that withstand all weather: Although the main material of a prefabricated container unit is strong steel, ask first whether the steel has an anti-rust coating and whether it is lined with foam that does not ignite easily and insulates well against outside heat, for long-term value in use.
• Buy your knock-down unit from a reputable company that meets standards: This makes things easy and gives you confidence that you will get a knock-down container unit built to standard, safe and long-lasting, for the best possible value from your investment.