House Removal and Recycling

Find a House for Removal in Australia with Drake Homes

2011-10-14T15:28:00.000+10:00

Find a House for Removal in Australia with Drake Homes

Housing affordability and development sustainability in Brisbane

2011-08-04T11:58:00.000+10:00

It’s a common theme discussed and reported throughout the community and it is a very important one, but there seems to be little being suggested that could help manage this issue.

Queensland residents living in our cities and towns have traditionally been used to living on big blocks in leafy suburbs close to where work is available and with necessary amenities nearby. This traditional way of life is changing; particularly in Brisbane.

As our population grows; more and more people are forced to live further out on our urban fringes where the more affordable housing is being produced. There is very little affordable housing being produced close to the city centre simply because the land value in and around the city centre rises as this property becomes more scarce and more sought after (a symptom of a growing city).

This urban sprawl has become a major planning problem for our state and local Governments and addressing it, it seems, is very complicated.

One answer to the problem is to allow higher density development within the city. Smart planners are allowing higher density development alongside rail corridors for example making good use of this existing transport infrastructure. The problem of affordability still remains however and developers are finding it increasingly difficult to make projects viable with the ever increasing cost of land and building construction making redevelopment economically prohibitive in many of these areas.

Adding to this problem is the fact that many potential redevelopment sites are off limits because of demolition controls designed to protect older homes in so called character areas. These controls are actually contributing to the loss of our character homes because when these houses deteriorate to a point where it’s not viable to restore them they can then be demolished under the laws designed to protect them. There is little wonder then that in some demolition control areas where redevelopment is popular that lovely old character houses are being left to deteriorate to a stage where a permit can be issued to demolish them, thus freeing up those sites for redevelopment.

When a house has deteriorated to a stage where it’s no longer viable to live in or restore, the only option left is demolition. A better solution would involve allowing those same houses to be removed and reused somewhere more appropriate before they deteriorate to a stage when the only option left is for them to be demolished and lost forever. When a house is removed and resited elsewhere nearly all of its original materials are recycled and used again, plus the house retains its character and a significant portion of its historical value too. A demolished house largely ends up in landfill, with a small amount of material reused or incorporated into other houses during renovation etc. Demolition does nothing to retain the character or historical significance of the houses it occurs to. Changes to the Demolition Controls would need to be made to turn this around because house relocation is treated the same as demolition, despite the fact that the end results are vastly different.

Why not allow our lovely old character homes a chance of a new life at another location for future generations to appreciate and enjoy? Too many are being lost to demolition because of a poorly thought out system designed to protect them, but which is failing them badly.

With so much property locked up and essentially off limits to redevelopment due to the demolition controls, there is little left for developers to choose from making the remaining development sites scarce and more expensive to obtain, adding to the housing affordability problem.

If we want to limit urban sprawl, make better use of existing infrastructure and make our cities more liveable and more affordable in a growing population environment; we need to embrace responsible higher density development and make it easier, not harder to do that. We need to re-look at the laws controlling demolition and house recycling to find better ways to make use of our existing housing stock.

The modern lifestyles and living requirements for those living close to the centre of the city have largely outgrown the modest 2 or 3 bedroom Queenslander home and trying to keep them as and where they were 60 to 100 years ago is short sighted. Trying to keep the city as it once was might just prove too costly in terms of housing affordability, and the social, economical and environmental costs created by urban sprawl.

We have an opportunity to protect our older homes by allowing them to be moved to locations more suited to their use into the future. Many people living on the fringes of pre 1946 areas would love to replace their less desirable existing post war home with a lovely old Queenslander from one of their neighbouring suburbs; and many are doing just that. The problem is that because of the shortage of old Queenslanders available for removal they have become more expensive and harder to obtain, forcing many to abandon the idea and build a new home instead.

The ideal scenario would go like this. An old pre 1946 Queenslander in say Norman Park is bought from a developer and allowed to be moved to a new owner’s site in say Camp Hill which currently has a post war home on it. The post war home is bought by a third person and removed to another site further out. The original site in Norman Park is developed responsibly into a number of dwelling units that are affordable and more in keeping with the use of the area. Camp Hill benefits from the addition of an original old Queenslander and its new owner renovates and improves it to suit his lifestyle whilst retaining its character. Brisbane has retained the historical significance of the character home albeit in another location and two buildings have been recycled and used again.

As the city grows this process could be repeated indefinitely with that same old Queenslander perhaps being moved again at some time in the future when higher density development moves further out into the post war areas.

Multiple story high-rise developments are not the answer to our cities growing pains. It’s time for State and Local Governments to get together and solve problems like this one and promote responsible recycling efforts including house relocation that can help save our planet and save our older homes for future generations.

House Storage Yards, the Good the Bad and the Ugly

2011-02-25T16:47:00.000+10:00

Looking for a house to buy for removal can be a time consuming exercise. One of the ways to see a number of homes in the one place is to visit a House Removal Storage Yard. However, before you jump in the car and head off to your local "Used House Lot" to kick the stumps and tap on the walls, here are a few tips which might help you in your search for your dream home. Lets start with how it all began.

Storing houses became necessary when councils and local authorities began regulating and requiring approval prior to allowing houses to be moved onto residential sites. This meant in many cases houses had to be removed from existing sites before approvals could be obtained for the site they were being moved to, and so they needed somewhere they could be stored until the approvals were granted at the final destination.

Some House Removers realised that instead of just moving houses for their clients, they could buy up old houses, put them in a yard and start selling them like used cars on a dealers lot. Once the word got out and house yards started springing up around the place, particularly in South East Queensland where there was plenty of redevelopment going on in the 1980's and 1990's, House Removal started to become a better known alternative to new construction.

So nowadays there a quite a few house storage yards you can visit with houses just sitting there waiting for a new owner or the required approvals before being moved to their new home site. Is this a good place to start? Here are some things you should consider before you race out the door.

Today we have the wonderful invention of the Internet. This tool is incredibly useful and can save you enormous amounts of time when researching and looking for houses to buy. You will find that nearly every house for sale for removal will be listed on the internet somewhere. Start by searching for homes online, you can find them in all sorts of places and doing a Google search using terms such as Homes for Removal, Removable Homes, Relocatable Homes for example, will give you lots of links to follow. It also helps to refine your search to a specific area, such as trying "Removal Homes Brisbane".

The best sites will give you photos, floor plans and other detail so you can get a very good idea of what is on offer and how the homes compare to each other, so you can narrow down your search to just the ones that interest you, saving you a lot of leg work on the ground. On some websites you can even subscribe to an email notification service that will automatically email you new listings as they are published.

Due to effective marketing through websites these days, many homes are sold before being moved, and most are delivered direct to final site without ever being stored, so to limit your search to homes in yards will limit your choice of available homes.

You will also find that house yards are mostly full of houses already sold that are just transitioning to final site, and that the remaining ones in the yards for sale are the least desirable ones that take a lot longer to sell.

It is not surprising then that the feedback we get from people who have visited house yards almost always includes comments like "none of the houses we inspected are any good" or "the ones for sale are pretty rough and need lots of work".

The best deals and the best homes are to be found not in yards, but still on their original site. Developers are better educated about house removal these days and are allowing more time to have houses removed making it possible to obtain the approvals at the new site before moving the home. This saves everyone involved in the process time and money. The seller gets a better price because the House Remover does not have to factor in a double shift. Some of the savings are usually passed onto the buyer as well to encourage a quicker sale which is in the interests of the seller. Everybody wins, even the House Removal Company because they can sell and move more houses and make more money by not having to move each one twice. Double handling and storage only add to cost and time which ends up being distributed to everyone in the selling chain.

House stock is expensive to hold so most House Removal companies don't like to keep much unsold stock in a yard. They tend not to buy the nicer more expensive homes to put in a yard as they are more costly to buy and then hold. You will find therefore that the better presented, and significantly renovated homes for removal will be found for sale from original sites.

Something else to consider is that most houses were never designed to be moved, and therefore the less a house is moved the better. There is much less chance of damage or other work required when a house is moved just once. Houses due to their size have to be stored out in the open, and anything stored in the open for long periods of time can deteriorate. Its best to move a home straight from its point of origin then place it back on solid and level foundations as soon as possible with completion work started as soon as possible thereafter.

So, the best way to search for and buy a home for removal is to start with a search on the internet, narrow down the ones you want to see, then make appointments with the seller to view them. Remember that many will still be occupied by the original owner or a tenant, so adequate notice prior to inspections may be necessary.

Happy House Hunting.

House Removal and Investing

2010-04-27T14:46:00.002+10:00

The financial benefits to investors buying houses for removal can be significant and investors could benefit in a number of different ways. For example an investor who deals in redevelopment could sell an existing house they no longer need and save the costs of demolition (which can be between $10000 and $20000) plus they might also receive money for the sale of the house as well. Another investor might have a property with an existing house on it that is not ideal for return on investment and by removing the existing one and replacing it with another more suitable house could improve the value of the property potentially increasing capital gain and rental income.

Many investors over the years, particularly in Brisbane, have bought and redeveloped what are referred to as splitter blocks where a house straddles two subdivided lots on a potential development site. The idea is that you either sell the house for removal and put two smaller houses on the two sites or you move the existing house over onto one site and move another house onto the adjacent one.

An investor wishing to obtain a return on investment from a vacant block of land has a choice. Build new or install a used home. When comparing the cost of building a new home to the cost of installing a used Removal Home, the savings can be considerable. Because a removal home is derived mostly of used materials, and used materials sell for significantly less than new (rule of thumb about two thirds of new cost) then it follows that removal home buyers will usually be prepared to pay about two thirds the cost of a similar house built from scratch. Although the removal home buyer has paid only two thirds of the cost of a new replacement, does not mean that his property is now worth any less than a similar property next door with a similar house on it, albeit new. The investor using the used removal home pockets the profit from the project rather than the builder who was employed by the investor next door. Its either that or the investor building a new home is paying a premium for a new house which he is unlikely to ever recover.

It’s true that the investor who used the removal home may have had to project manage the installment and perhaps renovation of the house, but the investor next door had no choice but to employ a builder to build the new house, unless he was a builder himself.

Companies who find houses for investors/buyers and assist them with the removal and installation process provide valuable resources, help and advise to would be investors. Most have a good range of houses available that have been pre priced and pre assessed for removal viability removing uncertainty and saving valuable time in researching suitable houses. They have the contractors available for relocation of the house and installation of the new foundations or stumps required. They usually have access to specialised approval consultants who are helpful in navigating the often complicated council approvals process required at each end of the house relocation project. Others have house storage facilities that are sometimes needed to bridge time periods between approvals.

In any event it pays to have the right advise and be pointed in the right direction by someone in the know, particularly in something as specialised as house removal. Always choose a house removal company that is properly licensed to deal in removal homes. The minimum requirement these days (in Queensland at least) is a company with a builders license, or a builders license restricted to house removal. Operators should be adequately insured for public liability, have transit insurance and contractors all risk insurance. Reputation and length of service in the industry are important too.

Insurance can be difficult to obtain privately for house relocation projects, so it’s important to use companies and contractors who have the necessary types of insurance already arranged. It’s rare for consumers to be charged extra for insurance taken out by operators as its usually included in the overall cost.

The cost of a house removal project can vary considerably between jobs. Factors including the size and condition of the house, how many sections it needs to be transported in, which particular local councils are involved, the materials the house is made from, along with many others factors affect the overall cost and ultimately the viability of a house relocation project. Most houses are priced by removal home companies to include the house as it is, relocation within a specified distance and installation onto foundations to a basic standard and based on delivery to a standard building site with reasonable access. Most houses priced to include these factors cost between $500 and $800 per square meter of floor area. Costs in addition to that will include things like council approval (which could cost several thousand dollars), renovations if required (which can vary), re-connections to services such as water, gas, electricity and phones; and site works. The average house sale would be somewhere in the vicinity of $70,000 delivered and re-stumped within 100klms for a house of about 100 square meters in size.

Dont Demolish! Sell for Removal and Save Instead

2010-04-09T13:46:00.000+10:00

Demolition can be a tremendous waste of resources. Typically when a house is demolished very little is actually recycled and most of it ends up as waste in land fill sites. Not only is it wasteful and potentially harmful to the environment, it can cost a lot of hard earned money to demolish a house. An average house will cost between $10,000 and $20,000 to demolish.

It makes much more sense to recycle a house in a way that maximises the reuse of existing material as well as saving money. When a house is removed from a development site and installed elsewhere to be used as a home again, nearly all the materials are recycled because the whole house is picked up and carried to its new location. If the house is in reasonably good condition to start with then extensive renovations and replacement of fixtures and fittings will not be necessary meaning most of the existing house can be reinstalled as is. Not only is the cost of demolition saved, in most cases a house relocation project will generate a profit if it is approached with some care, attention and with proper research carried out first.

Many hundreds of houses are sold and removed in Australia every year. Some house relocation companies are moving 100 houses or more each year on their own. Experienced developers have been taking advantage of this for a long time and many choose to use professional removal house resellers to find buyers for houses they need removed from their development sites. These resellers either move the houses themselves for their clients (or buyers) or arrange other house relocation contractors to do the removal work for their clients. The developers benefit by receiving money from the sale of the house, or at least by saving demolition costs. Some houses are taken from sites without a buyer having been found first and are stored at house removal depots to be sold and moved to a final destination later.

In any event it simply makes economical and environmental sense to consider house removal as an alternative to demolition.

Trade in Old for New or New for Old

2009-11-26T14:24:00.002+10:00

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.

Remove, Recycle, Renovate

2009-10-02T10:03:00.000+10:00

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.

There is some good information on house renovation at the Renovation Planning Website and the Renovation Australia Website.

Making a Profit

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.

Happy House Recycling.

Choosing the right site for your home

2009-09-03T12:09:00.000+10:00

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.

Asbestos

2009-08-27T15:03:00.000+10:00

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.

Links for further information below.

http://www.nsw.gov.au/fibro/faqs.asp

http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/subjects/asbestos/index.htm

http://www.renovationplanning.com.au/stories/Safe_asbestos_removal-0000000168.html

Council Approvals

2009-08-19T12:05:00.000+10:00

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.

More information about council approvals and the various requirements can be found here http://www.drakehomes.com.au/Page/frequently-asked-questions-about-council-approvals-for-removal-homes-

Why Removal Homes?

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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.

Introduction

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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.

Our website can be viewed at www.drakehomes.com.au

Author - Guy Drake

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.