Going places

By Polly Nichols

Even with winter’s frosts, the housing market is still hot. If there seems to be any sort of slowdown, it’s because the demand for housing is greater than the supply which in turn increases prices. Adapting to the housing climate, home buyers are finding creative ways to get on the property ladder. In May, REINZ reported that the median number of days to sell a house in New Zealand was about 30. Looking at the South Island, Canterbury was middle of the road compared to other regions with a median house price of $582,000 – a record increase for Canterbury according to REINZ. Swirling in a sea of numbers and looking for solid ground, home buyers are getting creative with how they get into their first home, and this includes home relocations.

NZ Building Removals director Angela Campbell says in the last six months or so her business has had a lot more enquiries from people considering home relocations as a result of the current housing market. Different to what you’d expect in a traditional home purchase, Angela says the first step in home relocation is finding a section to place a house on and then finding a house that fits that section.

Once the appropriate home is acquired, homeowners must provide plans and submit them to their local council.

Still, drawing up plans is different to putting them into action. Home relocations don’t only include portable homes, but also homes that were never designed to be transported in the first place. Nevertheless, if there’s a will, there’s a way. Some homes you could never imagine moving from its foundations are moved.

Understanding the realities of home relocations, Angela says you have some houses that can be relocated in one piece and larger homes in multiple pieces. With larger homes in multiple pieces, they will require extra finishing work. Doing a relocatable you should be able to achieve it at approximately 50 percent less cost than a new build according to Angela. “So, I always make them aware if the house needs to be cut up for transportation, then there will be some extra work to be done. It’s not going to turn up looking like it looked initially ready to move in.”

As intimidating as it might seem, Angela says it can be done and is frequently done for various reasons.

One reason these homes are sold separate from their original sites is because the previous homeowner didn’t want to go through the demolition process. Some prospective home buyers seek out houses for removal because they like the idea of saving a home from being unnecessarily demolished. The colder months are usually the slower months in real estate. However, REINZ reported that the median number of days to sell a house in New Zealand was 30 days in May. In the South Island, regions ranged in median house prices with the West Coast’s median house price at $295,000 and the Tasman region boasting a median house price of $850,000.

According to BRANZ, construction and demolition waste can make up about 50 percent of all waste generated in New Zealand.

Others like the charm of older homes that’s harder to replicate in a new build – especially those with historical heritage. Whatever your reason might be, it’s good to know all of your options when it comes to getting on that property ladder.

The logistics involved in transporting homes takes forethought and preparation.