[Sam B]

We love old houses. The more beams, coving, panelling the better. We also like to live in the hills with no neighbours... We thought we'd have to compromise because there don't seem to be old houses outside the towns.

However! I am very excited because today I have found lots of companies on the web that sell old houses and move them to the land you have bought. Yippee!!

Has anyone else done this and has anyone got any advice?

[Caroline and Dave]

Hi Sam,
We have not moved a house but are involved in building one.Anyhow you may find this very useful
www.consumerbuild.org.nz/publish/reno-movingahouse.php

Hope this helps

Kindest regards

Dave and Caroline

[Nathan]

When I was a construction laborer I used to help move old houses.

You need to plan to replace all of the plaster/drywall after the move. While it might not be needed, you need to have the funds available. That's not a bad thing, because it's easier to insulate if all the studs are bare. Also, it's a good time to replace all the wiring and as much of the plumbing as you need /want. Think of it as a gut and remodel project.

Structurally, as long as the movers do a good job of lifting the house straight up and don't end up twisting it, it's pretty straight forward and doesn't damage the house. Re-roofing is sometimes needed, and I would count on it. I'd want to talk to some of the people who live in the movers projects and the workers who redid the insides to get their opinions of specific movers.

I think it's a great example of recycling! They don't make wood like the wood in someof the old houses. There's nothing like primary growth timber.

[Super_BQ]

I know in Christchurch, there's a guy selling old gutted out houses that is not far from the airport. On state hwy. 1 past the airport heading north. You can see a bunch of these houses on the left side on a paddock.

BQ

[speckythecky]

However! I am very excited because today I have found lots of companies on the web that sell old houses and move them to the land you have bought.

I have seen this on TV and had thought about it myself.

Do you have the web pages of the sellers that you have found?

[Timbo]

Sam. The link is for a company quite local to your area. I am fairly sure that they moved a pub here in Whitianga last year. It took them about 7 hours to get it through town, and had barely enough clearance either side to get it to it`s new location. The whole operation drew a big crowd (for here anyway), and was most impressive. The guy overseeing the job put a new bottle of whiskey on the front doorstep of the building before they started the move, and it was still intact on arrival, until he opened it to celebrate.
http://www.housemovers.co.nz/

[Jo Jo]

I haven't moved a house, but the house we have bought is an old house that was moved from the centre of town to the top of a hill. In fact, it may even have been moved by the company Timbo linked to above.

Anyway, when we looked round it it seemed to be in pretty good nick, and didn't seem to have suffered for having been moved.

I'll have a look through the papers this weekend to see if there's any info on who moved it, and any post-moving inspections.

BTW, Timbo - I went to the pub you mentioned above. I heard that as well as the bottle, a glass of whiskey was put on the table, and not a drop was spilled.