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Why buy a house for removal?

House removal is a quick (quicker than a new build) and relatively easy process, not only can you capture a piece of history, you can transform an old building into something spectacular, letting the house live on for another 100 years or so. You are also recycling on the grandest scale,  you are not using new products and you are saving on landfill should the developer decide to bulldoze the house. (shudder) All in all, it is a cleaner, greener way to go.

What makes us different?

Our staff have years of experience in the industry – this ensures we know what we are talking about. Over the years we have built strong relationships with our suppliers and developers ensuring your house purchase is as efficient and painless as possible.

  • We listen to you, and we will give you an honest opinion in return
  • We pay attention to the details – this gives you a better-finished house
  • We list quality homes
  • All work is fully insured
  • Houses are insured when in transit
  • We have $10,000,000 Public Liability Insurance
  • All engineering certification and approvals can be arranged for you
  • First home buyers can purchase a removal home under the present scheme

*Disclaimer: Subject to change by the Australian Federal Government: at the time of our website publication the scheme is in place.

The team at HRQ are committed to making your House Removal experience as painless as possible. That is why we have developed checklists and flowcharts for you to see what is next in the process.

For a simple ‘process at a glance’ view download here
For a more detailed checklist download here

and please, if you have any questions or queries, don’t hesitate to Get in Touch

What is the first step?

If you have your land already and are keen to look at houses for removal, there are a few things to think about first. We recommend you do plenty of research in the early stages so that you know what you are looking for in a house, so when you find the house, you know it is the one for you. We specialise in matching houses to you, rather than having a holding yard full of houses and make you choose one, we want you to understand why the house is right for your block.

Firstly, you need a site map for your block, this will show where North faces.

Secondly, grab your deck chair and sit on the block for an hour or so in the morning and in the afternoon.

You will soon see where the sun moves over the block, where the breezes come from and what (if any) road noises you are going to live with. 
This may sound completely bizarre but bare with me. Now picture getting home after a long day at work, you just want to sit on the verandah and have a cuppa… but the verandah faces West, there are no trees to protect you, it’s really hot – do you really want to sit out there now? That would be a big NO from me. Even worse, your bedroom facing west – you’ve sweated through the day, now you are going to sweat through the night.

So while it is really important to find a house that pleases you visually, it is also equally important to find one that suits your block and your living needs. House Relocation Qld want you to love the house you buy long after the relocation.

So my big tip is research, know what you want, know what you need – and have a chat to us if you need some guidance – we can steer you in the right direction.

Get in touch

    Experience

    We have been buying, selling and relocating houses for over 20 years. Our quality customer service along with experienced workmanship keeps us ahead in a competitive market and we listen.

    Where do you start?

    Budget

    What is your budget? Generally, a removal home delivered and stumped will take approx 50%-75% of the budget. This includes purchase, delivery and stumping. This may vary depending on the condition of the house.

    House

    Start to research the style and type of house you may be interested in. Look at lots of photos and you will soon see what style you are drawn to. We recommend you go for floor space over ‘pretty things’ as these can always be added at a later date, it is much harder to add under roof space.

    Land

    Get your land checked for its suitability to have a removal home placed there. There are many factors that can deem land unsuitable – overhead wires, trees, buildings to name a few. We will come to your block to give you an honest appraisal – this is a free service in most areas.

    For our complete house removal process sheet request a Purchase Checklist from the office.

    What’s next?

    Condition of House

    The house you are purchasing is second-hand, in most cases you are purchasing from the bearer up. Whilst House Relocation Qld takes all care and consideration, no warranty is given as to the safety and condition of the house. For your own peace of mind we recommend that you have the house inspected by a registered builder or a qualified engineer.

    Bonds

    Most council’s will ask for a bond. This is refundable on completion although some council’s refund it in stages. This can also be financed with a bank guarantee rather than putting up cash. Check with your local council for requirements.

    The bond is in most cases purely for amenities and aesthetics – many many years ago there was a trend to deliver houses and they were never finished off by the purchaser (occupancy certificates not achieved) making them unsightly from the street and unliveable for the most part (and therefore unsaleable). The bond serves as an incentive to finish the house quickly.

    Finance

    Banks in general do not place much security on removal homes until they are stumped and tied down on your land. The most successful way to obtain finance is to operate with a line of credit from your bank – to do this you must have suitable equity available to draw against, once the house is delivered, stumped and services connected you can then re-finance as a home loan to complete your renovations.

    Transport

    Before a move starts we take the time to establish a detailed route, mapping out any obstacles like power/cable/phone lines, bridges, railways, footpaths, etc. The house will take some time to prepare for transport, a vast majority of them will have to be cut into sections due to Road transport regulations.

    Painting and Renovating

    Prices will vary depending on how much you can do yourself and how much you want to contract out. While spray painting is quicker, we don’t recommend it for VJ walls. VJ’s are designed to expand and contract with weather conditions – you could be looking at ugly unpainted parts if you spray paint at the wrong time of year.

    Electrical

    We recommend that you use a qualified electrician for a thorough inspect of the wiring in the house to advise you on what will be required for rewiring. Most councils will require a minimum standard of electrical work.

    Plumbing

    Plumbing will vary depending on the type of system your house utilises (eg. septic, enviro or sewage). Do your homework and always try to gain 3 comparative quotes (there can be large variations in plumbing quotes).