Find relocatable homes for sale in NZ

There are two ways to search for relocatable houses near you on Trade me Property and it’s worth trying both:

• Visit Trademe.co.nz’s residential sale search page. 
• Input location details and hit search. There are extra costs associated with moving relocatable homes further than 50-100km so searching in your region is a good idea. 

• Click sort at the top of the results and select lowest price. 

Using this method, all the nearby removable houses for sale will be sorted to the top of the search results. Depending on where you live, you may also find some super cheap leasehold properties. 

The second way to search is to type keywords into the search bar after step one and two. Those keywords could include phrases like relocatable house, removable home or transportable home.

The super low prices of some of the relocatable homes on Trade Me Property can be very tempting. But it’s important to know that the cost of buying a removable house is just the beginning. 

After you’ve bought the removable home you also have to pay for:

• Transport to site: $25,000 to $50,000+.

• Renovations to get the home back into habitable condition: $50,000-$100,000+. This may include the cost of builders, plasterers, tilers and more. 

• Service connections such as water, electricity and internet: $25,000+.

• Surveying and geotechnical reports: $5,000+.

• Draftsperson: $3,000+.

• Consents: starting at $5,000. 

In total, you’ll need to spend $170,000 or more to move a home, prepare a section and get the property ready for habitation, according to Genius Homes. Add on the cost of purchasing the home and suddenly you’re looking at $300,000-plus for a three bedroom house. 

Costs may also be higher if the home has to be disassembled for transportation then reassembled on site, or if your land isn’t level. 

As well as the extra costs there are a few things you’ll need to know before you buy:

• You may not be able to get finance until the house is sited on the property and connected to foundations. Speak to your lender before committing to anything. 

• Relocatable homes that are cheaper up front may be more expensive in the long run. Older, larger homes in particular can be expensive to relocate and renovate. 

• The land you buy is important. It must be the right size and shape to suit the layout of your home and when the property is installed it must comply with council regulations and zoning laws. 

• It may be best to speak to an expert before purchasing a relocatable home to ensure you can get building consent.

• You’ll need to buy insurance for your house relocation project. Speak to an insurance broker to make sure you have the right cover. 

Because of the complexity of relocating a home, it’s always best to speak to an insurance broker, an expert on council consents such as a surveyor, a builder and a relocation expert before you buy a home. It may also be a good idea to get a builder and a relocation company to inspect the home you buy before you put money down (or to buy directly from a home relocation specialist). 

That way, you’ll get a rough idea of the costs of relocation and installation on site before you buy.