Because of the nature of the construction of many of the houses here in North Queensland it is not uncommon to actually see houses relocated from one location to another. This is what actually happened to our old house that was purchased by Castletown. Because they were really only after the land so that they could expand the shopping complex they sold off most of the houses that they had purchased for removal. You can see our old house before and after the house removal in my previous article Where did the House Go?.
Having the houses built on stumps actually makes it quite an easy process to transport a Queenslander or similarly styled house. All they need to do is back a flatbed trailer under the house and lower the house onto the trailer. They even have specially designed trailers for this sort of work that can raise up to meet the house, making it even easier to remove the stumps. I have even seen one of these trailers driving down a narrow road actually raise up one side of the house to go over a parked car! I sure wouldn’t want to have been the owner of the car looking out the window and seeing that.
There is quite a bit involved in actually organizing for the removal of a house. Our old house would have been relatively easy to relocated as it was only 6 metres (about 20 feet) wide with the front enclosed varanda removed. If a house is bigger than 8.5 metres wide from what I have read it actually has be to be cut in half for transport. We had toyed with the idea of relocating our house to the area that we live in now, but decided against it as there is very few empty blocks of land around here to put it in.
There is a really good discussion about the removal and relocation of a house over at Cracker Classifieds, Removable Houses?. Some of the people participating in the discussion have actually gone through the process of relocating their house and it has fairly up to date information.
Here are some more links for information on the removal and relocating of a house:
- Drake Homes
- House Removal and Recycling Blog
- Mackay & Sons House Removals
- Dalby Removal Homes
- Real Estate Advisor: Relocating a house rarely a smooth move
Probably my only real disapointment with the whole process is that I didn’t get to see it happen with our old house. I think that I would have liked to see it go and to know what’s actually become of it…
i am trying to find out what other costs to expect once the relocated house has been tied down and the removal trucks have departed. Water, sewerage, and electricity/gas would be the starters. what else? perhaps somebody who has done this could post?
Dear Sir/Madam
Hi i am just wondering if there is any company that have a supply or stock of relocated houses for sale that i can choose from in Queensland i’d like an older style of house not a new one and if i then decide to buy land i can then buy a house to put on it?
Krgds
Peter Heagney
To AJM, re costs to expect after a house is relocated and tied down to foundations. The rule of thumb we use is that the cost of the house moved and restumped is usually between 55% to 65% of the completed cost. For example if the cost of purchase, removal and restumping of the house is say $60,000 then you should be able to connect it to services and complete it if for around $100,000 all up, not including the land. There will be variations on this of course, but its pretty right most of the time providing you select the right house without too much work required for renovations. There is more information on our website http://www.drakehomes.com.au and at http://houseremovalandrecycling.blogspot.com/
enjoyed the read and learning more about this process.
My parents bought and relocated a brick home in 3 pieces in victoria in the early 80’s, quite a process.
Where is the best place to find homes like yours that are moved because of the change in land use?
Thanks for all the info.
Thanks Guy, the 55-65% rule is a huge help! Would that be much different if we chose to do the cosmetic stuff ourselves, eg. paint, floor coverings? What exactly would be need to use tradies for once the house is rejoined.
The best places to find houses for removal are the areas within our capital cities that are redeveloping, i.e. where developers are replacing older buildings with new townhouses and units, or high rise buildings. To answer Leisa’s question, after removal and rejoining you will usually need trades such as plumbers to reconnect water and sewerage, electricians to reconnect power and rejoin wiring, carpenters for new steps, decks and renovation work, and painters etc. You need to treat a house removal project much like a renovation project as the requirements are essentially the same after the house is moved.
We own a property in Sydney. Have lived here for over 30 years. The property has always been zoned for development. We are considering selling and i would like to look into the possibility of selling to developers but retaining the house for removal. Would like to know where to look for information,re cost etc. Cheers Shar
To Shar Deane, suggest start researching at http://www.drakehomes.com.au/ and the blog site http://houseremovalandrecycling.blogspot.com/
There are house relocators in and around Sydney and a search on Yellow Pages online for House Relocation Contractors is a good start. If you find you would rather sell it, we can help you do that using our free listing service for houses for removal.
am in the process of moving a house.will let you know and keep updated.was wondering what qualifications and equipment is needed to become a house mover?
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