In the dead of the night

[FlyingKiwiGirl]

....your house could get stolen!

12:30am, out comes the first half-




Follower by the second half


Off she goes, one of the oldest houses on the road, to a life in the country-

[windrider86]

lol, puts on a new meaning doesnt it!

[Rigu]

It amazes me that it's possible to take a house apart, move it, and put it back together in a different location with it becoming structurally unsound.

[FlyingKiwiGirl]

Rigu, I have UK friends on another forum who can't get their heads around it either. It would seem that it's very rare for it too happen there yet here and in the States(I gather) it's a common occurence.

It's not too major a job for these old houses as they've been built on piles so they just saw through them, cut it in two, lever each side up to the right height, back in the trailers and Bob's your uncle! Most get put back down on a concrete pad, repaired and restoration done and they're good to go for another 50 plus years.

We had an old house on our section that we had it moved off to build a new home. It went to a farm(as this one did too) for a young couple, it's a good way to get a cheap house if your already have the land. I think from memory we sold ours for NZ$12,000 to the removal company- they do everything to remove it and leave the section in clean order and then on-sell the house. They were built so solid back then that they are quite sort after as first homes. Most end up in the countryside though as city by-laws prevent old houses from being plonked down in new subdivisions.

In the last photo you can see that the first part has stopped, this is so the linesmen can lift the power & phone lines that string across the road. A power company truck and workmen lead the advance party lifting the lines as they go.

Thanks for commenting Rigu & Windrider.

[NgaiHill]

Shellie, it is not uncommon down this way to have to move over to let half a house go by. Funnily enough, I've only ever seen one half at a time!
A lot of the old Army houses from Burnham Camp (just south of Chch) were sold off a few years ago - just the houses, not the land, so they were moved on. State houses were built to last!

[FlyingKiwiGirl]

I know what you mean Lisa. I travel the Napier-Taupo road frequently(Napier is my home town) and on a couple of occasions I've had to move aside to let a house past. Have you travelled it? It's a very winding, and in places very narrow, "mountainous" road passing over 3 ranges so you can imagine how difficult a house would be to transport(and I would say very expensive). Once we were directed into a paddock to wait it out, there would have been 50 or so cars, boats on trailers, campervans, freight & logging trucks patiently waiting. Both halves were travelling together. Other times you wonder whether they're going to scrape past they come so close Hmmmm...... I have a photo somewhere of one approaching my car, I must see if I can find it.

[FlyingKiwiGirl]

Oh and in case any wonder why would you.....

[NgaiHill]

Originally Posted by FlyingKiwiGirl

I know what you mean Lisa. I travel the Napier-Taupo road frequently(Napier is my home town) and on a couple of occasions I've had to move aside to let a house past. Have you travelled it? It's a very winding, and in places very narrow, "mountainous" road passing over 3 ranges so you can imagine how difficult a house would be to transport(and I would say very expensive). Once we were directed into a paddock to wait it out, there would have been 50 or so cars, boats on trailers, campervans, freight & logging trucks patiently waiting. Both halves were travelling together. Other times you wonder whether they're going to scrape past they come so close Hmmmm...... I have a photo somewhere of one approaching my car, I must see if I can find it.

I think I did an army exercise along that road somewhere back in the late '80s. All I remember is lots of green vehicles, holes in the ground and lack of sleep!
My husband's cousin works for a company down here that specializes in moving houses, we passed one on the road last week, trying to manouevre around a corner.