Most people upon hearing the term "Trade In" would associate that with trading in an old car for a new one or perhaps a better used one. Who would think it could apply to houses also? Well it can and it does.
The continual Gentrification of the inner suburbs of our major cities is driving redevelopment which means old homes are being replaced with newer ones and sometimes even older ones better suited to the changing needs trends and uses in the area. The ability for houses to be relocated allows for the option of selling an existing house for removal from site and buying another one to replace it.
Imagine living in a slightly run down 1950's style house in an area where all the houses around you are being renovated or replaced with much more modern and expensive homes. You could go to a used house reseller or house remover and find a new or used modern home to replace it with and they also might just give you something back for your old home i.e. offer you a trade in.
The reverse is also happening. You might for example live in a 1960's or 70's style home that is in an area dominated by older period style homes. In this case you might trade in your relatively newer home for a much older and more desirable one that is in keeping with the other homes in the area and greatly improve the value of your property by doing so.
In Brisbane its common for homes straddling a subdivision of two blocks to be replaced with two older homes in keeping with the types of homes in the area. Thrifty builders, investors and developers have made good money doing this time and time again.
It helps to change the way you think about your house. Think of it as a portable item that can be moved and replaced rather than as a permanent fixture on your land. Not all homes will be suitable to trade in, but it is certainly worth finding out.
Renovation is a fantastic way to renew a home and save money at the same time, plus it’s environmentally friendly because you are helping to lengthen the life of the building making it more sustainable. Successive renovations could in theory keep a house in use and sustained forever.
There is a way however to take that concept to an even higher level. Consider saving a whole house from certain and total destruction by removing it from a redevelopment site and restoring it at another location; completely recycling the whole lot, kitchen sink and all.
Often referred to as Removal Homes; used houses that have outlived their use at one location can be brought back to active service and reused elsewhere.
It is carried on throughout Australia every day, and becoming increasingly popular. It saves enormous amounts of waste that would otherwise end up in land fill and it provides a green and affordable solution for those who love older style homes but who also want to choose their own site to put one on.
Removing, recycling and renovating a home can be surprisingly easy and profitable, providing you are armed with the right information and have done sufficient research.
Finding a Home
Homes are removed from sites all over the country, mostly from within our larger cities; a smaller number from regional areas. Most are from redevelopment sites, some from road construction projects and others due to various changes going on in their local area. South East Queensland is a hot spot for house removal due to the fact that many homes there lend themselves to easy removal, and there is much redevelopment going on with a large selection of homes available.
The best way to find a selection of available homes is to search the web. You can find private sellers looking to have an old house removed to make way for a new one, and there are house removers and removal home brokers who sell and deal in removal homes.
Some companies have house storage yards where you can see a selection of homes in one place. Some even have email notification services to advise their customers when new listings become available. Being subscribed to these is a good way to research the types of homes that become available over time, and when you are ready to proceed you can get onto hot new listings as soon as they become available.
Sourcing through a professional dealer or house remover who can also arrange removal of the home can have its advantages because they will usually have assessed the viability and removability of the home, and may be able to provide a package including a range of required services including council approval.
Aim to find a home within a distance of up to 400klms from your house site to keep transport costs to a reasonable level. Within 100klms is ideal because for most moves the price will be the same or similar for any distance up to 100klms. An extra charge rate per klm beyond 100klms is common.
Houses on concrete slabs on ground are generally not viable and are very rarely moved in Australia. Fortunately many homes built prior to slabs becoming dominant in the 1970’s and 80’s were built on timber platform floors which are relatively easy to move. Avoid solid brick construction but it might be worth considering brick veneer houses (brick over a framed wall) as the bricks can be demolished and then replaced afterwards or reclad with another product, for example, weather board.
Getting Approval
Council approval is required in most areas to put a used home on another site, and may also be required to remove a house off its existing site, meaning that two different council areas could be involved with two different types of applications.
Get professional advice or use a consultant with experience in removal home applications as they are quite different and more complex than a new home building application. Normally the seller of the house will be responsible to obtain removal approval for the existing site, but check to make sure it’s being done or it may delay or even prevent you from taking delivery of your house.
Getting Finance
Finance for removal homes can be difficult to arrange because banks prefer to lend against assets already bolted down to the land that provides the security for their mortgage. It is helpful if you can fund the purchase and removal costs yourself, then if need be, borrow to complete the home once it’s fixed to its new site on permanent foundations.
Fortunately there are specialist mortgage brokers familiar with the special lending requirements for Removal Homes and there are ways around having to fund purchase and removal costs out of your own pocket. For more information on finance for Removal Homes go to the Transportable Homes Finance Website.
Moving the Home
Make sure you are comfortable with the company or contractor who will be moving your house, and check that they have sufficient experience, insurance, and the appropriate license to operate. The building licensing authority in each state usually regulates and licenses house removers.
The best way to move a house is direct from its existing site to its new site. This reduces the likelihood of damage during transport, saves storage and double handling costs and the house will be more secure throughout the process. To do this you will need to negotiate sufficient time for the house to remain at its existing site so the approvals to move it to its new site can be obtained before you have to move it.
Some homes are moved in one piece. Some need to be cut into two or more sections then rejoined, and some may need the roof lowered or removed for transport and re-erected later.
House relocation contractors will usually carry out the necessary structural rejoining work required, however be aware that most will not complete the cosmetic parts of rejoining such as repairing a cut made through plasterboard linings or sealing and repainting a section that has been cut, to hide the join. You should discuss such matters with your contractor so you know what finishing work you will be left with to do yourself, or employ others to do for you. You may find that renovation work carried out after a house is moved will easily incorporate these sorts of cosmetic fixes anyway.
Reconnecting Services
Once the house arrives at the new site it will need to be re-stumped (posts installed to support the floor) and have power, water, gas, telephone services and so on connected.
Most house moving contractors will move and restump, or arrange others to restump, but generally they do not get involved in connecting services, or rejoining cut plumbing pipes and wiring etc, so this will probably be up to you.
Always employ properly licensed and insured plumbing and electrical contractors for this work. Do not attempt to do it yourself, unless of course you have those qualifications.
Renovating
A common perception about houses for removal is that they need major renovation and are mostly in poor condition. That is not always the case and in fact many houses that are moved are in excellent condition, some with recent and extensive renovations already done.
When assessing a home to move, assess it for its renovation potential in just the same way you would an established house. When buying any home whether for removal, renovation or otherwise, its important to have the structure checked by a qualified professional builder or building inspector to make sure its sound and to alert you to any costly areas that may need attention.
Each person’s idea of what a profit means is different. For some, a profit is selling the completed project for more than what it cost them. Others might consider a profit to be obtaining their dream home for less than could be achieved by other means. Others might consider the profit to be the fact that they obtained a home and saved an acre of forest and tonnes of green house gasses in the process.
Regardless of what profit means to you, it is important to make one, and you should be able to with a Removal Home. There will be some houses that are simply not viable due to the costs to move, to renovate or to obtain in the first place. Sometimes homes are even offered free to take away, and you need to be aware that some of them will simply not be worth it. Most house removal projects however will produce a significant return for the effort and money put into them if approached with some due care and attention.
Research is the key to making a profit. Learn about the types and styles of homes available and for what price. Find out which homes are easier and therefore cheaper to move. Consider the difference in costs of buying and moving an already renovated home compared to one that needs a lot of renovation.
Whatever you do, make sure you get enough information to be able to make informed decisions about your project. The rest will be experience.
Over the years we have often been asked questions like, "How do we select the right block of land to suit moving a house to?" or "What are the things we need to consider when buying land to suit a removal home?"
There are some myths surrounding the answers to these questions so it might be helpful here to dispel a few of the common ones.
Myth 1. The site needs to be level. Fact - It can be helpful to have a level site, but its certainly not essential. Very steep sites can pose some problems, but there are ways to overcome even moderately steep situations. Removal homes normally have a timber platform floor supported by posts or stumps. This foundation system is very flexible and does not require a level building pad as post heights can be varied across the building. The main concern usually revolves around how to get the building into the position you want on the slope. This usually means creating a road up to, down to or within reach of the chosen site to allow the house transport vehicles to drive or reverse into position. Most modern day house transport vehicles have hydraulic raising and leveling systems incorporated into them to allow the load (i.e. the house) to be driven, up, down or even across, a slope.
Myth 2. You can't put a removal home in a new estate. Fact - The local council needs to approve the project and as part of that process they assess how well the house will fit into its surroundings. Many new estates have had houses moved in to them and some have even been completely populated with removed houses. The exceptions are housing estates in newly developing suburban areas intended for the brick and tile stereotype housing development. In those areas the council could argue that a used house moved there would be in conflict with its surroundings. Some estates have covenants that will not allow development involving the use of used products which will preclude a used Removal Home, but not necessarily a new Transportable Home. For most sites, particularly rural ones, as long as there is no particular existing consistent style of development on the surrounding sites that visually conflicts with what you intend to do, then you should be allowed to do it. If council refuse an application you think is reasonable, there are inexpensive and informal tribunals you can access to lodge an appeal and many inappropriate council decisions have been reversed in this way.
Myth 3. All houses are cut into sections for transport. Fact - Many homes are moved without being cut for transport, in fact in Queensland about half of all houses moved are moved whole in one go without being cut. The biggest factor in determining whether the house needs to be cut is the route available to get it to its new site. The roads need to be wide enough to allow it without major physical obstructions in the way. Another consideration might be obstructions on your own intended house site, but these can usually be dealt with easily given you own the site and can make the necessary improvements to access if required.
So here are some things you could consider when looking for an ideal site.
1. Look for a site with reasonably wide roads leading to it without particularly tight corners, overhanging trees or other obstructions. 2. The site itself can be sloping, but a loaded house transporter will need to be able to drive into position or close by the final position, so in some cases a road may need to be cut with an earth moving machine to allow that to happen. 3. Consider whether cutting a level pad for the house might suit your own requirements better, or whether it is more desirable to stump the house on the natural slope. 4. Consider the orientation of your site to catch prevailing breezes, and take advantage of views etc. 5. Consider the position and number of potential on site obstructions to moving a house into the ideal position on the site. 6. Have a look at surrounding properties to see if they are likely to be reasonably compatable with the type of house you intend to move to your site. 7. Talk to your local council about your intended site to see if there are any particular requirements relating to moving a house to the area. 8. Ask the seller of the land if there are any development covenants on the site that might prevent you from moving a house to the site. 9. Some house relocation contractors will inspect properties for you to give you specific advice on an intended site before you decide on one, however it is helpful to have the particular house you intend to move available because relocation considerations will be slightly different for each individual house. You may be charged for this service.
The above is by no means a comprehensive list, but keep in mind that most sites that suit construction of a new home will generally suit a removal home providing the house can physically be moved there. It can be a very environmentally freindly, practical and cost effective way to obtain a home even if the home needs to be cut into sections and rejoined again to overcome road access and on-site obstructions if necessary.
Chances are, if you live in a home built before 1990, it will contain some asbestos. Some homes have more than others. Asbestos was widely used in the manufacture of building materials for wall linings, soffits (eaves), roofing, pipes, and insulation for decades leading up to the early 80's when it began to be outlawed. Most of us have been living around asbestos for a long time.
Asbestos can be harmful, but like many harmful things only if it is handled incorrectly. Most people would not be overly concerned about asbestos contained in their home, and rightly so because if it is in good condition there is no need to worry. Most people would not even know if their house actually did contain asbestos or not.
It’s a good idea to know if your home does contain asbestos, because you can then assess if there is any risk posed by it. For example you might find that the wall sheeting in your house was made from an asbestos containing product (found in older types of Fibro). You may find that some of the wall sheets are cracked, broken or deteriorating. If that is the case you might want to consider having those particular sheets replaced, because there could be some risk of fibres contained within the damaged fibro escaping into the atmosphere and that's where it can pose some risk, albeit in most cases very minor risk. Undamaged, painted (or otherwise sealed) asbestos sheeting in good condition left undisturbed poses negligible risk if any at all.
There are National Codes of Practice that deal with the use, removal and disposal of asbestos containing products, and most states in Australia have legislation that requires people to abide by them although those codes generally relate to workplaces rather than domestic housing situations.
It is important to remember that the process of removing it can be risky in itself, and for that reason there is no legislated mandatory requirement to remove asbestos from homes that currently contain it. It makes more sense to leave it right where it is providing it’s regularly checked and maintained in good condition.
Some local councils make it a condition of approval for renovation or relocation projects that all asbestos be identified, removed and disposed off regardless of its condition or whether it is to be disturbed or not. Naive council polices like that place unnecessary costs on renovation projects and can make many homes simply not viable for relocation resulting in wasteful demolition, not to mention the unnecessary additional risk posed by removal and disposal of the asbestos itself.
Inappropriate council decisions can be reversed on appeal to a tribunal, but fortunately common sense generally prevails and most local councils around Australia do not require asbestos containing products to be removed during house renovation or relocation, unless it is disturbed in the process.
Its worth a short discussion about council approvals and how they are relevant or otherwise when relocating a house or building.
Council approval is generally required whenever a building is to be permanently fixed to a site. For portable buildings used for temporary accommodation, or site offices etc, council approval may not be required.
Removal Homes (i.e. used conventional housing being relocated or removed) usually require approval to be removed from the existing site (in addition to approval to place on a new site). The owner of the site is usually responsible to obtain such approval, and its normally the same type of approval required to demolish a house.
The approvals process for putting a used house on a new site is similar to the process used for a new home application, but there is usually a lot of extra information needed by council to assess the application. For this reason it is a good idea to employ a consultant to help you who is familiar with the requirements and thereby avoid delays and problems.
For many people the idea of a whole house being recycled is a foreign concept and hard to imagine other than as a demolition project. The fact is houses have been recycled in this way for a very long time (since primitive man came out of caves and decided to built semi permanent accommodation) but still even today is a rarely witnessed event.
Removal and relocation of homes offers significant benefits in environmental terms as well as economical terms. Demolition of homes goes some way to helping the environment because some material is recycled and used again, but an awful lot is wasted too. Demolition is not only wasteful, it costs money which is never fully recovered.
When recycling a home by moving it whole or in sections, nearly everything is recycled. In most cases 95 percent of a home can be recycled by relocating it. The only thing that is not routinely recycled in a house relocation project are the foundations. The beauty is that everything else can be left in situ as it is and be carried to its new location and used again, kitchen sink and all!
Houses are removed and reused because it is often economical to do so. Not all houses have the potential to be economically recycled, however a huge proportion do. Only a very small percentage of homes that are potentially viable to recycle are actually recycled in this way. Many are wasted due to factors such as ignorance, project time constraints and barriers created by naive Government policy.
It is part of a solution to the housing affordability problem. The cost of moving a house and resiting it (for suitable homes) is significantly less than the cost to build a similar home from scratch using new materials. The industry has set a benchmark all by itself for the saleability of used homes for removal, by law of supply and demand and by comparison to the cost of building a new home. In most industries second hand products sell for between a half and two thirds of the cost of a similar new product. A used home for removal will be attractive to a buyer when it can be delivered and sited upon new foundations and connected to services at no more than about 65% of a similar home built new. Many projects are completed for much less than that.
Another benefit is the saving of time. Construction periods are significantly less compared to building new, simply because the house structure already exists with only new foundations and connections required to complete ready to live in. If the house requires complete renovation then construction times can be longer of course, but are rarely as long as a new construction project.
This blog is about House Removal in Australia, and it has nothing to do with moving your stuff when you move house. Its about moving or recycling whole houses, the benefits of doing so and other interesting stuff about this unique industry.
We have been involved in this industry for over 40 years and we think we have a lot of useful information we can share with anyone considering a project in House Removal, Recycling or Renovation. So we will be posting our thoughts, advise, tips and other useful information here. Thank you for joining us, we hope you will continue to come back for more.
Guy is a Builder and House Remover with the family business Drake Homes which for over 40 years has been removing, recycling and relocating homes in Australia.
