If you sell 40 units every quarter, you are no longer testing a side business. You are operating a 160-unit annual sales and delivery system. The opportunity is real, but so are the costs that sit between a Chinese factory price and an Australian customer.
At 160 units per year, every A$1,000 of contribution per house adds A$160,000 to the annual result.
A$5,000
A$800,000 annual contribution
A$10,000
A$1.6 million annual contribution
A$15,000
A$2.4 million annual contribution
These figures are before annual overhead, finance costs and company tax. They also assume the units are actually sold, delivered and paid for.
Can you become rich selling expandable houses?
Possibly. But not because the difference between a Chinese factory price and an Australian retail price automatically belongs to you. The real business is controlling the full chain between purchasing and final delivery.
This article is written for builders, modular building companies, experienced importers and existing expandable house dealers. It is not a beginner’s guide to international trade.
The Australian selling price is real — but so are the differences
Australian advertised prices vary because the products and services are not identical.
This article is written for builders, modular building companies, experienced importers and existing expandable house dealers. It is not a beginner’s guide to international trade.
* Seller terms differ. Some prices are shown plus GST, delivery or other services. Use them as market references, not as proof of a universal dealer margin.
Ceiling height, frame specification, doors and windows, kitchen, bathroom, electrical system, plumbing, local stock, installation and compliance support can change the value of the product substantially.
ReachTop factory prices
20ft
2 units / 40HQ
30ft
1 unit / 40HQ
40ft
1 unit / 40HQ
On 2 July 2026, the Reserve Bank of Australia published an exchange rate of 0.6894 US dollars per Australian dollar, equal to approximately A$1.4505 per US dollar. At that rate, the factory values are approximately A$10,516, A$13,417 and A$15,448.
This is only the beginning of the cost calculation.
The costs between the factory and the customer
- Ocean freight and marine insurance
- Port and terminal charges
- Customs broker and processing costs
- Inspection or quarantine-related costs
- Local transport and unloading
- Crane, forklift and installation labour
- Storage yard and display stock
- Advertising and sales commission
- Transport damage and repairs
- Warranty and spare-parts reserve
- Unsold inventory and discounts
- Staff, vehicles, office and finance
The cheaper factory quotation is not always the more profitable purchase. Missing components, inconsistent dimensions, leaking joints or incorrect local configurations can consume the entire saving made at the purchasing stage.
Import duty and GST in Australia
In Australia, expandable container houses are usually handled under Chapter 94 as prefabricated buildings, depending on the actual configuration and import declaration.
ReachTop expandable container houses are generally declared under HS code 9406.90.00, “Prefabricated buildings – Other”. The general duty rate is 5%. Eligible goods of Chinese origin may qualify for “CA: Free” treatment under the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, provided the origin requirements and supporting documents are satisfied.
Import GST is generally 10% of the value of the taxable importation, which usually includes the customs value, any customs duty payable, international transport and insurance.
For GST-registered Australian businesses, import GST may be recoverable as an input tax credit or may be eligible for deferral, so it may affect cash flow more than the final economic cost.
* Final tariff classification, origin treatment and GST handling should be confirmed with a licensed customs broker or accountant before shipment.
Use a calculator to calculate your true profit.
The default model uses a 20ft house, 40 units per quarter and editable planning assumptions. Replace every freight, local delivery, installation and overhead figure with your own quotation.
Dealer Profit Model
What could your expandable house business return?
Build a realistic Australia-based model using factory price, freight, local delivery, installation, overhead and working capital — not just the visible price difference.
Sales plan
Use your average realised sale price excluding Australian GST.
Import and landed cost
Freight and port figures are planning assumptions. Replace them with your own quotations.
The calculator estimates import GST at 10% of customs value, duty, freight and insurance. Ask your customs broker or accountant to confirm your treatment.
Local delivery and operating cost
Include the costs that usually disappear from a simple factory-versus-retail comparison.
Why some dealers make money and others do not
A dealer can have an attractive margin on paper and still lose money because stock moves too slowly, the wrong layouts were ordered, local delivery was underestimated, customers require more installation work than expected, or defects consume the warranty reserve.
The strongest dealers normally understand their local customer, can organise transport and installation, keep enough stock without filling the yard with slow-moving units, and work with a factory that communicates clearly.
The difficult part is not calculating a possible margin. It is repeating the sale and delivery process every month without turning each order into a new problem.
ReachTop’s job is to make the dealer’s business easier
01
Protect the margin
We focus on structure, waterproofing, doors and windows, electrical and plumbing configuration, component completeness, inspection and loading. Saving a few hundred dollars at the factory is meaningless if the dealer loses thousands after delivery.
02
Build your own product
Layouts, configurations, colours, finishes, product names and dealer series can be developed around your market instead of forcing you to sell the same anonymous house as every other importer.
03
Use real sales material
AI can create a layout. It cannot create your factory footage, production details, loading records, project photos or installation experience. We can support dealer catalogues, product pages, website content and social media with genuine source material.
04
Work with professional sales engineers
Tell us the destination, quantity, layout and configuration. We help confirm the details, identify risks, organise production and coordinate delivery. Clear requirements. Clear pricing. Clear responsibilities.
Business should be simple.
You understand your market. We understand the product and the factory. When both sides do what they are good at, the business becomes easier.
ReachTop is best suited to existing dealers, builders, modular building companies and experienced importers who are ready to develop a repeatable local business.
Source notes
- Reserve Bank of Australia — Exchange Rates
- Australian Border Force — Chapter 94
- Australian Border Force — GST and other taxes when importing
- Expanda Homes
- Ready Homes
- Instant Cabins — 30ft
- Instant Cabins — 40ft
- China 20ft Expandable Container House Price
- China 30ft Expandable Container House Price
- China 40ft Expandable Container House Price
