The relocation of a house is a controlled activity and councils have strict regulations to ensure relocated houses are quickly brought up to standard.

Applying for a permit

If you are wishing to relocate a house you must apply for a permit, which involves supplying full information about your intentions to the council.

Firstly, you must supply the council with a completed resource consent application form, which is essentially a cover sheet for your application and available from the planning services section.
Then you will also require a site plan with a 1:100 scale, showing how the house is to be positioned on the new site.
The house's positioning must comply with the conditions, which apply in that area, including heights and distance from boundaries.
Note: There is a brochure available from the council's planning service counter, showing bulk and location conditions.
You will need a plan showing the elevations of the house, its floor plan and pile layout.
Also required are photographs of the house to be relocated.
A building officer needs to supply a report, indicating the state of the house, what upgrading work is anticipated and how structurally sound it is.
If the house is coming from out of town, normally a building inspector from the local Council will provide the necessary information. The council's building officers will inspect any house being shifted within this area as part of the relocation consent.

Tree removal

Another important consideration is the removal of any trees necessary to get the house off its existing site or onto the new site.

Cash bond
To ensure the dwelling is brought back to a reasonable standard, a cash bond is usually recommended which will require certain exterior work such as repainting or the replacement of decayed weatherboards. This "housework" must be completed within six months of the house being relocated. The cash bond ensures that people recognize the real cost of relocating and have sufficient funds to upgrade the exterior of their house. The bond is individually assessed and is intended to cover the cost of the exterior work required. Cash bonds have been anything from $1,000 to $10,000. The bond is gradually refunded to you as the work is completed, when you supply receipt of materials and the finished work is inspected.

Relocation resource consent

The relocation resource consent report looks at the ability of the house to be installed to a reasonable standard, so that it blends into the surrounding area.
The report also assesses if the house can meet all the standard locations conditions in the zone such as distance from the boundary.

In addition to the relocation consent, you will also require a Project Information Memorandum (PIM) and a Building Consent (BC). For a PIM, the site plan of the house at 1:100 and an elevation of the house are required. The same plans as submitted for the relocation report can be used, with the addition of plumbing and drainage connection. Also location of the house in relation to legal boundaries and external dimensions of new, relocated or altered buildings.

New provisions to be made for disposing of water waste and storm water need to be shown, along with the new connections to public utilities, a pile setout plan for piling and bracing.
If you are doing any external additions or alternations they must be shown, plus any new provisions for vehicle access and parking.

How long does this take?

The relocation report should only take 20 working days to be processed by the Council, providing all the required information is supplied.
A Project Information Memorandum (PIM) and Building Consent (BC) will take up to 10 working days if all the required information is on hand.