Funny how the universe unfolds itself sometimes…
Originally built in the 60s, we did a quick cosmetic renovation on our old home back in 2014 prior to moving in. When we purchased the land we had always planned to subdivide, so we didn’t go over the top with the reno but we certainly made it comfortable for our growing family.
We have absolutely loved living in this home and have made some of our best memories in this house. I personally also have a major soft spot for old character homes and the stories they live to tell, so the thought of sending it off to become landfill to pursue our planned subdivision seemed like a devastating waste… especially when considering it could hopefully provide a beautiful home for another family!
No doubt many homeowners end up demolishing old homes because either have no choice or are simply unaware of the other options that exist. But for us it was a no brainer! Demolition can hit the back pocket hard! We would have been looking at around 20K in demo costs, not to mention the sheer waste!
Early on, we decided we would list the house on gumtree (for free) and simply request that the new owners cover the removal costs and clearing of the block. We figured it would be a win-win! But after posting the house on gumtree for free we were inundated with interest. In fact, the very first weekend we had an open home we had five couples come through who fell in love with the place and were super keen. But here comes the irony… out of the five couples, four of them had land on nearby islands. Located on the fringe of Moreton Bay, a stone throw away from some of the most beautiful islands in the world it’s a no wonder island living is so popular here on the on the Bayside. That being said, never had we actually considered that it would be possible to relocate and transport a house to an island?!?!
To put everything in context I need to take you back one step. In our early 20’s, Darren and I had purchased a block of land on the water over on one of the islands and if I am being totally honest it was the single most terrible investment we ever made. It has literally just sat there vacant for years. Until now…
So, after a lot of research into relocating homes (over to the the islands), talking with several different specialist companies and budgeting it all out, we decided to relocate our old girl over to our vacant land on the island. Given we had never relocated a house we certainly did our home work and wanted to ensure it would be worth it so we reached out to removalists, real estate agents, even the barge driver that takes the homes to the islands. In the end we decided to do it and we engaged the guys from Queensland House Removals to guide us through the entire process. And thank goodness we did! Never could we have ever imagined the amount of actual work that goes into it. It was one hell of a process!
New block on the island prepped and ready
To give you a summary of exactly what is involved, and the order of milestones through the process we thought we would share all the steps with you.
Here is a run down of the process –
- Contacted house removal company to get the ball rolling
- House removal company confirms house is able to be removed and ensures the route to new location can be achieved – our was touch
- Consult with Draftsman on placement of existing house onto new block
- Contact a surveyor to survey the new block on the island
- Organise a Geotech / soil test report for new block
- Once preliminary plans are ready, send them and the Geotech report to the engineer
- Organised waste management plans for the septic system
- Initial council inspection or contact a private building certifier
- Comply to all directions from the certifier
- Certifier release’s building approval
- Organise power abolishment from power retailer, cap the sewer (house removal company can do this) and disconnect the water and telcom lines
- House Removalists step in to control the process from here on in
- House is relocated, stumped, joined and tied down
- Council bond payable depends on the value of the work to be undertaken or a flat rate before house is delivered to the island (Tip – always try and negotiate the price down if you can)
- Complete the necessary renovations – we needed to do a new bathroom, patch, paint, reinstall kitchen etc
- Council final inspection
- Certificate of Occupancy granted and bond money refunded
The big day….
After a lot of prep work, some demo and asbestos removal, the house was finally ready to cut into two and was lifted onto two separate semi trailers ready for relocation.
The house was split into two pieces
That same afternoon several escort vehicles arrived to begin to clear the street, then by 11pm the Police escort had arrived to do their checks and lead the way. We were good to go!
Holding our breath for what felt like the entire time, it took over 2 hours to get the house off our actual block and down our street and then another 2 hours to get through Main Road of the Wellington Point Village (anyone that knows Wellington Point, knows that Main St is lined with low hanging poinciana trees). The guys literally walked alongside the trucks down the streets removing all street signs and lifting any obstructing power lines 0ut of the way. Finally by 5.00am the second (last) part of the house was on the barge and it was ready to be sent off to it’s new home.
Here’s some snippets of what happens whilst everyone else is sleeping…
And here she is, all ready to be sent off to her new home….
Arrived at the barge
Not going to lie, between moving house, planning and designing our own new build, having three kids in three different schools and of course running a business – the last few months have been absolute chaos! But you know what, I wouldn’t change a thing. I just feel so grateful that we were able to give the old girl a new home and we can’t wait to make her look all pretty again and get her on the market for a another family to enjoy!
Meanwhile, the planning for the new build Bayview ONE ís in full swing and we can’t wait to share what’s next!
Darren & Elissa x
