House relocation: Council's expert warns of pitfalls

Bob DeLeur, a building expert with the Auckland City Council, says pitfalls exist for people who have not done their homework on relocating houses.

Before doing anything, he says, talk to the council for the area to which you are planning to move a house. There are all kinds of constraints you need to know about - and for good reason.

For example, a haulage company might remove the building but in the process create a lot of damage along the way.

A building consent must be obtained so the council can check the site, see if there are trees that could be destroyed, check the route and check that services such as sewerage can be sealed.

"There are a lot of things that we really need to look at," says Mr DeLeur. "The process is relatively simple, but there are things to consider along the way."

Many people get caught out.

Sometimes a house is moved to a site and the council finds it is too large for the property. The house may have to be reduced in size (an expensive undertaking) or the owners may have to undergo long resource consent procedures.

The house may need a Secondhand Dwelling Report to check for borer and termites, and may need to be fumigated.

Relocation to any of the Hauraki Gulf islands involves the Auckland Regional Council's biosecurity unit, to ensure vermin and the like are not transported with the house.

Most problems are resolved, says Mr DeLeur, but the process can lead to heartache and unexpected extra costs.

A final warning: do not enter into a contract to buy a secondhand house if you do not have a section to put it on - even if it is the deal of a lifetime.