Buyer Information

If you have decided to pursue the idea of house relocation or buying a relocated house, you’ll want to identify a site on which to locate your new home. You will need to ensure the site is suitable and that…

• No covenants exist on the property that excludes the re-siting of a relocatable home.
• Access to your property is wide enough, and unobstructed at the entrance to the site and along the access roads, to enable a house to be transported to the site.
• The provision of power to the site and drainage and sewerage discharge from the site is achievable and affordable.
• Your site is not located in an extremely high wind zone, or a potential flood zone, or on an area of unstable ground (if so, you can possibly still re-site a house on the land, but you’ll need additional engineering).

PBR consistently holds a stock of quality houses for removal and relocation. We are happy to provide advice for those exploring the option of purchasing a relocatable home. House relocation provides a truly rewarding, cost-effective option for first and subsequent homeownership, developers and landlords.

We also provide a seamless process of support right from the start…

• Assisting our clients in choosing just the right house for their site and purpose.
• Providing full and detailed information about the process.
• Representing our clients in their application for resource and building consents.

One of the first considerations is to ensure the house is structurally sound. PBR stock only quality houses for removal and most are built from strong, native timbers.

You’ll want a house with a layout that can be orientated on your site to take full advantage of the sun. It’s important to know where the sun will rise in the morning and set in the evening in relation to the main living rooms of the house.

As you’re buying an existing home, you’ll possibly want to make alterations to the layout. You may wish to open up an exterior wall with an additional exterior door onto a deck. Or maybe even replace a bathroom.

We will work with you, providing you with approximate costings for your budget. We will work very closely with you to achieve all the requirements of your building consent, compiling and submitting your consent application to Council.

You’ll need…

A geotechnical report.

This report shows your soil stability, which is vital in the house relocation process. Unstable soil could cost you up to $50,000 in additional foundations.

Think of it as part of your due diligence when buying a property suitable for house relocation. If the geotechnical report identifies any concerns, you’ll possibly need an engineer to design your foundations and it may take a few weeks to complete.

Septic & storm water reports

This clarifies what septic systems you will require. The company that does your geotechnical report can also do these. If you have a mains connection, you will not require this report.

A building report

House relocation generally involves a second-hand building report. This report attests that the house is in a sound and suitable condition to be moved. All second-hand dwellings require a second-hand building report, which is required before we can apply for a building consent. Within the Waikato District, the Council will do this for you. Contact them directly to make a booking.

A site inspection

We really look out for the interests of our house relocation clients and will need to come and see your site. We’ll check the access, any concerns around access in the local vicinity or en-route with trees, bridges or other obstructions blocking the route, and any concerns on the site.

It might mean that we need to cut the house, crane or winch it to manoeuvre around obstacles. If there are any additional costs relating to this work, we’ll cover these off with you during the site inspection too. It’s the perfect time to discuss any concerns you might have too.

You’ll also need to…

Indicate and changes you wish to make to the house

We’re happy to consider any alterations you wish to make to the house when we draw up the plans for the building consent. This is the time to consider whether you’ll want to change any details on the floor plan, add decks or verandas or maybe put a shed on the site. There is a chance you will incur some extra charges for the alterations, depending on how major they are. We will make it very clear for you to ensure there are no surprises at the end of the process with last-minute costs arising.

While you can erect sheds and decks at a later date, you’ll need to apply for, and pay for another building consent. So, you’d be wise to do it all at the same time.

Decide where on the site you want the house to go

This can be drawn on your Certificate of Title. It shows exactly where you want to place the house on your property. You’ll need to show its orientation, exactly how many metres from the boundary and any obstructions that may hinder the possible positioning of the house. Typical obstructions are things like power poles, creeks, ponds, driveways.

Our excellent architects will be more than happy to assist you with your house placement on-site.

Consider your finance

Some house relocation clients require second-tier lending or bridging finance. It depends on your situation, but it can sometimes be challenging to obtain finance for a relocatable home. You may wish to consider working with a finance broker as they tend to be more creative in their application.

A resource consent

A resource consent is usually required to bring a second-hand building into an area. And your site may require additional resource consents if you are subdividing or putting a secondary building onto a site. Additional costs will be incurred for preparing these. A resource consent is not always required, but it pays to be prepared for the additional work and charges just in case.

Waiting for your building consent

Your building consent should be through council in approximately 20 working days. If your house has been moved already, it can now be lowered onto its foundations.

Insurance

You will need to arrange insurance for your house throughout the relocation process. You’ll need insurance for the house on its original site from the date of purchase, transit insurance and contract works insurance. We are happy to organise this for you on your behalf, or alternatively you can enquire with your preferred insurance provider.

Moving the house to your site

When it comes to house relocation this is the exciting part. Depending on the size and shape of your relocatable house, it may need to be transported in more than one piece. Once at the new property, it can be re-joined and then lowered onto its new foundations. The process of moving a house is always conducted at night.

A direct relocation from Point A to Point B is obviously the more cost-effective option when moving a house and is, in most situations, achievable, so long as the resource consent application has been completed.

Once your relocatable house has been lowered onto its foundations, you’ll be able to embark on making any alterations.

If it is not possible to move the house directly to your new site, we can arrange storage. This is often required if your site work is held up by any additional Council requirements.

Once the house arrives on site, you’ll need to follow strict safety procedures. You’ll need to arrange safety fencing and abide by all health and safety laws pertaining to a building site.

Foundations

Once you house arrives to its new site the trailer of the truck will be positioned to where the corner pegs are and the correct floor level height. Hydraulic jacks are then positioned to take the overall load of the house along with styes. Once everything is safely in place the trucks trailer is removed and this is where your contract works insurance will kick in.

The next step will begin, the hard work of digging the holes for the foundation piles. This is if the foundation is for a standard pile foundation. Any other type of foundations that need to be engineered are treated different in accordance with what is required. If the piles needed to be rammed or driven this would be completed and inspected prior to the house arriving, then the house will be rolled on.

If you are wanting extra piles, put in for decking around your house it is always good to let us know ahead of time as we can arrange, at an extra cost, for the team to do it when the house foundations are getting done.

The Council Inspection will take place and the inspector will be checking that the size and position of the foundation holes complies with your Building Consent Site Plan and the boundary setbacks. The piles are then concreted, and the house is lowered down on to its foundations.

Sometimes because of delays on resource consents or other factors we might be putting your house down on temporary foundations for the meantime. Until we can move forward, and the piling team can come back and put your house down on to its permanent foundations.