- Imagine finding the house of your dreams in the place you always wanted to live for a budget that doesn't break the bank. Sound impossible? 'What if you could truck the house you want 'to the section of your choice and maybe save money along the way?' - That's my lounge. - Whoo! Love it. - Have you got your arse on the seat? We're rolling. - 'It's a journey that can be fraught with anxiety,...' - (TYRES SCREECH) - What was that? - '...pressure,...' - There's only inches in it, Leonie. - Oh my gosh. - '...and stress.' - Yeah, I've got some very unhappy people up here. - Is all the trucking, trauma, and tension really worth it? - 'This time, they wanted a villa but ended up with a bungalow.' - I hate to point it out to you, but this is not a villa. - No. No, it is not. - 'Tony and Kirsten are veteran house movers.' - This was the last one we were doing. - Oh, yeah, it was. - It was genuinely the last one. - It was the last one. - 'So, surely, nothing will surprise them. 'Or will their fifth move prove one too many?' (HORN BLARES) - What was that? - 'So, come along for the ride. This is Moving Houses. (HORN BLARES) 'Just out of Auckland, there's an abundance of coastal country communities, 'and this is one of them ` South Head. 'Many properties here boast an enviable combination of sea views and wide open spaces.' - It's nothing like the suburbs, is it? - No. - It's just kind of nice. - It's a lovely place to live. You've got your golf course, and you've got your lakes, and you've got your park at the end. You can go for walks. You got Shelly Beach. People like living out here. - 'Tony and Kirsten are seasoned veterans when it comes to relocating houses.' - So, this is the fourth house we moved ` two-storey. Moved up here in three pieces. Chopped the top off it and cut the bottom in half and then just craned it back together. Sounds simple. I kind of like a house that no one else could have. This was the last one we were doing. - Oh, that, it was. - It was genuinely the last one. - It was the last one. The next one's the last one we're doing? - No, the next one's the last one we're doing. - Right. - With their children, Jack and Grace, Tony and Kirsten are about to take on their fifth house relocation. - We got a bit itchy and just had to do one more. - Do one more. - We had a villa,... ...a bungalow,... - ...Georgian,... - ...this. - Character, yeah. - We looked for a house with a bit of size and a bit of character. And something that, when it's all painted up, will look the part. Then it arrives, and you're just overwhelmed by this house that's just a wreck, and you have to wreck it even more to bring it back up to spec. - The first house was a brand new house. - Yeah. - And you were bored within... a year? - Oh, yeah. - Yeah. (CHUCKLES) - 'Tony's skill as a cabinetmaker has come in handy each time they've purchased a house to move.' - I do villa wardrobes, so` - Villa wardrobes?! - Villa wardrobes. - (CHUCKLES) - But they look particularly good in a bungalow as well. - (LAUGHS) - So... (CHUCKLES) - 'So, after four house relocations, will the next one be their last?' - I don't know. I don't know why we do it. They're sort of slightly addictive. - Mm. - 'There's an established Auckland suburb where addicted house movers can find an array 'of unloved old homes, ripe for relocation.' - Remuera, it's famous for big houses and even bigger prices. So when a developer snaps off a piece of land, old character homes can suddenly find themselves without a home. And for some, that's the end of the road. But for others that are relocatable, well, they can enjoy a whole new second life. And that's where people like Kristen and Tony come in. - 'Their fifth home-to-be is a classic 187m2 bungalow that dates back to the 1920s, 'and it's certainly seen better days.' - And this is it. - This is it in all its glory. - Kristen, the thing is, though, that this wasn't your first choice, was it? - No. - What happened? - We had a villa that we had chosen ` a big villa ` and COVID came along, and the developer decided, no, he wasn't gonna, basically, remove the house from the site. - Goodness me. And so, it was quite far down the track? - We had a resource consent. The block was ready. It was all ready to go. It was, basically, gonna be moving, March. - March, yeah. - Yeah. - Just around COVID, when that hit. - Yeah, right. - I hate to point it out to you, but this is not a villa. - No. No, it is not. Saving grace is we have had a bungalow before, and so... It's still an older house, still has character. - Yeah. - Yeah. - But do you feel the same way about this house as you did the last? - No. - I'm I allowed to ask that? - Yeah, you are. - Yeah? - (CHUCKLES) - And you don't? - No. No, not yet. - OK. - Not yet. - I probably like this better than the villa, but that's just my laziness. They're much easier to work on, bungalows. - (CHUCKLES) - Lower ceilings, no big gable ends you have to paint. - All right, do you mind if we have a look inside? - Sure. - Sure. - Let's go. - Oh, wow. No steps. - No steps. - It's great to be this close to your floor, though. - (CHUCKLES) - It is. - Look at it. Perfect. Right. So, I can see they've already put some bracing up here and the ceilings gone. Getting ready for the big move. - Yeah. - I'm keen to look inside, though. Is there steps around the back? - We're hoping so. - We're hoping so. - Let's go and have a look. (LIVELY MUSIC) - OK. Here we have it. - A nice, easy-to-work-on bungalow. - Yeah. - When it's finally finished, it's quite satisfying. The door will go. We'll put a window in there, turn it into a laundry. Cos we've got a basement laundry at the moment, which, obviously, won't go. - Tony, do you have little quirks or things that you always push for? - Being a cabinet maker, I tend to have lots of cabinets, so... - Cupboard man. - Cupboards. Cupboards everywhere. - (CHUCKLES) Why not? It's your skill base. - Yeah. (CHUCKLES) - Let's make the most of it. - 'There are three good-sized bedrooms leading off a hall. 'And the joinery shows real, old-fashioned craftsmanship.' - The house sort of unfolds before us down around these corners. I was gonna say 'bedroom', but is this the lounge? - No, it's the dining room. - Is the fireplace staying? - The fireplace goes. It's solid brick there, so they obviously can't move that, so that goes. - On the scale of houses that you have moved, this is actually in good nick? - This is probably the best we've probably seen ` even the work on it. So much has changed since we started doing house moving. Everything was done with a chainsaw. Now these guys are so neat the way they do their cuts. It's a different world. - Yeah. - 'The home has lovely, original features that Kirsten and Tony want to save.' - Do you get nervous that they might not be intact at the other end of the move? - It'd be nice if they were intact at the other end of the move. But if they're not, they're not. - 'But there is one room whose defining feature may not survive.' - The main bedroom. - Pink bedroom. - Do you like the pink? - It's calming. - Probably leave the pink cos we like it so much (!) - (CHUCKLES) - Are you gonna keep the pink? - No. - No. - No. (CHUCKLES) It's quite a good size. Window seat, obviously. And we're gonna turn the wardrobe into an en suite. - Can I ask? How much does a house like this cost? - This was... - 158. - 158. So, that's including GST. And that's on your site. Obviously, not ready to move in, because when they cut them, they obviously go through all the wiring and the plumbing, so that's all gotta be redone. - So, 158 for the house, plus incidental costs that will come in. And then the site itself? - 490,000. And that's for three acres in South Head. - And so, on those numbers, for the for the site and for what this house will become, that all starts to make sense, doesn't it? - Probably about 750 for three acres. Three-bedroom house. So, not a huge house, but good size house in South Head. - 'When the bungalow leaves its 1000m2 site, 'work will start on building eight brand new townhouses, 'so Tony and Kirsten's house needs to be out of here in just seven days. 'And this is where it's headed, 'to the new property Tony and Kirsten have bought in South Head, 85km away.' - I really like the way that you arrive at the site. You don't get to see the view, you don't get to see what's revealed, until you're right up here. - 'With 180-degree views over the Kaipara harbour, it's stunning, even on an overcast day.' - How did you find this site and how did you know that this was gonna work for you guys? - We'd seen it advertised, and we drove up and had a look. And we didn't realise the view was as good as it was cos we only ever looked from the gate. - (CHUCKLES) - Yeah, and the pond's yours as well, is it? - Yes, yes. - That's great. I really like that pond down there. Having been in the house, how are we laying this all out like? - OK, so at the moment, I think we'd be in the hallway. So, we're going in. Probably about lounge there. - Mm-hm. - Up to the hall, and kitchen over in the corner there. - Cast half an eye to the pink bedroom around the corner. - Pink bedroom. The calming room. - Stay calm. Stay calm. - Yup. - (CHUCKLES) Stay calm. - Hopefully have a nice decked area with barbecue, and I think it'll be quite a nice spot to just sit in afternoon and have a bit of a look at the view. - Goodness me. I mean, that kitchen bench, a couple of stools, hot cup of tea and a view over the Kaipara. - Mm. - Yeah. - Cup of tea? - Cup of tea. - (CHUCKLES) - Something stronger, you're thinking? - Yeah, perhaps. - Yeah. So, have you got a colour scheme in mind? - Yeah, we have. - So, it's a very... Nice green, would you say? - It's a nice green. - It's a nice green. Very calming. - Calming green. - (CHUCKLES) - Yeah, it will go with the pink room. - I like it. I see you've already got a horse over there. - Not ours. - It's not yours. - No. - But your daughter would dearly love a horse. - Yes, yes, she would. She's planned out the fencing. - Might put a question mark on the horse. - OK. - (CHUCKLES) (ROCK MUSIC) - 'Tony and Kirsten have asked the architects who draughted the plans for the site to join us today.' - Come on, though. Then the phone rings and you're going, 'Tony and Kirsten wanna move another house.' - (CHUCKLES) Oh, them again, yeah. No, no, they're some of the better clients that we get to deal with, so it's always pleasure. Wanna go through here? - 'They've helped Tony and Kirsten decide how their house will be best positioned on the property.' - Yeah, no. I'm good. - Cool. - So obviously, we gotta take into consideration what the client would like, and so, we've gotta consider the view and what they would like the prevailing wind coming through. - But we are thinking about other things like, for example, where the sun is gonna come from? - As well as the view, yeah, the sun, and how the building's actually gonna work for the clients and their family. So it's, yeah, a big consideration there. - All right. Do you think this is gonna work? - Absolutely. - (CHUCKLES) - Very confident. - 'Tony and Kirsten's property is gorgeous, but how will they get a house up these narrow country roads? 'Are these relocation fanatics taking one step too far?' - They say it's their last one. Do you believe them? - Not a word of it. (LAUGHTER) - (CHUCKLES) Got you. - Oi, what should we...? (BOTH SPEAK INDISTINCTLY, VEHICLES ZOOM) - Oi, Clipboard. - Hullo. - What are you doing? - LOUDLY: Reviewin' the speed limit. (VEHICLE ZOOMS) - The what? (VEHICLES ZOOM) - Speed limit. - Why? - It's just too fast... (TRUCK RUMBLES LOUDLY) ...for roads like this one. You know, stuff's changed ` new schools, new builds, people movin' in. We're lookin' at the speed limits to make sure they're right for the roads to keep us all... (SIREN WAILS) ...safe. - Did you like that? - Eh?! - Wait. - Wha...? - So are you changing all the speed limits? - Yes. No, just the... (TRUCKS RUMBLE LOUDLY) rubbish ones. Just the sh... (HORN TOOTS) ...ones! - All right. Hurry up, then. - OK. - Bye. - Thank you. - Just past the hot pools at Helensville, backing on to wild west coast beaches, the bush, the lakes and the Kaipara Harbour, South Head seems to have everything, but it's short on houses. Tony and Kristen are aiming to fix all that. In fact, they've moved four up this way so far. But it's the fifth that looks like it's going to be the most difficult. - 'For three of those relocations, they've trusted veteran house mover Craig Walker.' - They've all been big houses. They know what they're getting into. If they don't by now, they never will. (CHUCKLES) - 'Craig reckons Tony and Kirsten have a unique combination of skills ideal for house relocation.' - You always do something well if you've got a passion for it. And they've obviously got a passion for doing up, reconstructing, reinventing an old house. Tony, by trade, is a cabinet maker. Kirsten has an incredible gift for colours and decoration. So, with Tony's steering the carpentry and Kirsten doing the other side of it, this house will come up very, very well. - 'I'm meeting Craig on the road to Tony and Kristen's property 'to get his ideas on the challenges they'll face on this move.' - The house that they've bought off us, originally, we were gonna move that in two sections. But because of the width restrictions getting up McLeod Road, we've cut that house into three. It'll be slow between the trees and navigating our way up the road. From about the golf course to here, the road sort of narrows down a bit. And certainly, from here up to the building site, which is about 1.5 K half up McLeod Road, it certainly gets a wee bit tighter. - That's pretty typical of New Zealand rural roads. The further out you get, the skinnier they become. - Indeed. Indeed, yeah. - Yeah. - So, we obviously do a big recce on all our roading networks before we arrive with the house and the overdimensional load to be sure what we're doing and that it's gonna fit. So, that's all pre-planned and all taken care of. - 'The house will be moved in three pieces over two nights. 'From Remuera, the trucks will take their precious cargo north-west out of Auckland, 'along the main arterial routes until they're clear of the city. 'At that point, they'll join the highway for a few kilometres. That's easy part. 'Then they'll turn off towards Parakai and up the coast to South Head. 'It's an 85km route which would normally take a little over an hour by car. 'But carrying a house, well, that's an entirely different story.' - You know, on the face of it, the owners and the movers both appear quite relaxed about this procedure. But standing here and trying to imagine their home moving through this, the last passage of road, in what is a both height- and width-challenged section, I'm not sure how they're gonna do it. (COUNTRY MUSIC) - 'Back in Remuera, Craig's team are on-site and already under the house, clearing out rubble.' - Well, this aspect's actually quite fun, coming in here and wrecking this stuff. There's a real scientific process involved in picking up an old house like this and getting it out of here. - 'Now, the foundations are clear, it's time to lift the house. 'The jacks work independently to get the structure lifted smoothly and ensure nothing cracks. 'And up she goes. - Once it's jacked up, the crew clear the way for the trailers to get underneath each part of the house. 'This trailer is first in, but it'll be the last out on the second night, with the smallest slice of the house. 'The responsibility for moving Tony and Kirsten's house lies with Craig Walker's son-in-law Dave.' - Coming up on four, John. Four up. Up on four. - 'Dave has some pretty sophisticated tech at his disposal 'to lift something that was never built to be moved.' - What are we attempting to do here today? - So, the first trailer's gone under. Now we're going to pack it, support it and take the weight, which will give it a lot more stability to get us ahead of the programme because we have two other trailers to introduce as well. - What you're doing is putting your incredible machinery under what is not only people's homes, but it's also a considerable investment for them. - Yeah, absolutely. - Do you feel sort of the weight of having to look after it? - Yeah, and at times, Clark, it does go over my head and we sort of do forget. And, you know, like, we'll stand back, and one of the boys will point it out, or I'll point it out, we'll just stand back and say, 'Hey, look. Yeah, we're dealing with someone's biggest investment.' For them, it's, you know, 10 years or 20 years or something that they've been saving for a long time. - For a lot of people, this is their way into the property market. - Absolutely. - And so, it is that big step into home ownership. - Yup. - And here is this big, significant part of their life about to be chopped up and whacked on the back of a truck. - Yeah. And it can be quite nerve-wracking for them. - So, we're all out of here Sunday night. - Yeah, well, two out of three. As Meatloaf said, 'It ain't bad.' (CHUCKLES) So yeah, tomorrow early morning, bring in the other two trailers and then we'll go about separating. At the moment, we've done the finishing cuts. - Mm-hm. - So, that's all the visual stuff. Tomorrow it'll be the structural cutting. So, both trailers coming and taking the weight, which is, again, what we're doing here, and then we'll start separating. And so, Sunday night, yeah, we'll roll out with the first two pieces. This one will stay, and that'll happen on Monday night. So the next night. - Cool. - Mm. - You don't mind if I tag long for a little bit of that? - Not at all. Yeah, you can jump in one of the tow trucks. - All right. - Yeah, we'll give you a trucker's cap` - OK. - ...and toot the horn. - See, Meatloaf also said, 'I'll do anything for love, but I won't do that.' - (CHUCKLES) - We're gonna put that all by the wayside and get stuck in. - Yeah, sweet as. - OK. (CHUCKLES) - 'But there's plenty of work still to do to clear the house from its foundations before then. 'I'm keen to lend a hand... or a foot.' - There is actually a real balance here between the physical nature of it and thinking about the process involved, cos it's not that straightforward. - It's a special blend of psychology and extreme violence. There you go. You never know quite what's gonna go, do you? - And with trucks two and three turning up first thing in the morning, we have to get cracking. These piles aren't gonna remove themselves. - Just guide it to the floor. Mean. Easy. - 'At the crack of dawn, the trucks arrive for the big move later tonight.' - Just like that. We're good. (BROODING ROCK MUSIC) - 'These trailers are longer than the one we brought in use today, so it's a delicate operation.' 'They have to avoid bottoming the trailer at of the top of the section 'and not ripping the floor from the house as it goes under. 'With the second trailer in position, the third trailer can be manoeuvred into place down the steep incline. 'And once the rest of the neighbourhood's up and about, 'it's time to remove some of the windows and frames.' - We're gonna pull the window out of the bottom, tilt the top in, and then slide it down the side of the house ` carefully, so we don't break it ` and then we'll put it on the front of the deck and then slide it around, work our way to the hallway and then put it inside and tie it down so she can't move. - 'The house is about to be split in three, and the former owner turns up to take in the spectacle.' - So, I've lived after my son left, about aged 20, and my daughter, aged 27. So, you know, no, it's had a bit of life and a few parties and a few happenings. (CHUCKLES) She's a dear old lady. I think it's dated from 1926. I'd love to see her when she's 100, so I might ask the new owners if I can just pop up and have a look. Cos I don't think I'll live to be 100. (CHUCKLES) - 'The builders of cut each part of the house from the top down, 'and now Dave is the mastermind getting the three sections moving independently.' - Keep an eye on the back of the top. - 'With the trainers in place, the hydraulics carefully lift and separate each third of the house 'so it can be removed from the property. - Go a little bit of right hand to be straight, brother. And yup. Go` And hold. Hold, hold, hold. - 'The section with the dining room and the kitchen will be out first. 'Next, it's the area containing the lounge and the bathroom. (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC) 'And last, the bedrooms. 'By midday, the house has been successfully split into three, 'ready for the big move to South Head, leaving a more recent extension at the bank for demolition. 'I've never seen a family home in so many pieces. 'It's hard to imagine this house ever getting put back together.' - I chose to make sure we've got power... - ...everywhere we need it! - I chose to find better ways to make stuff... - ...to make the future happen right now. - It's the night of the big move. Now, I've watched this house be, well, jacked up., it's been cut up, and now loaded up on to these trailers, and it's still gotta navigate this steep incline just to get out on to this road. I feel like it's gonna be (CHUCKLES) a long night ahead. - Hey, how are you going? Hey, Dave. - Gidday, Clark. - Hey, how are you? - Good to see ya. - So, Dave, am I right in thinking that the back-up plan, if that truck is losing too much traction because of the loose gravel` - Yes. - ...you use another truck as an anchoring to pull that vehicle out? - Yeah, that's right. So, all the work is done on the hydraulic ram of the truck. And that's usually supported with the brakes on and off. And again, when it's digging in or if it's slipping back, then yeah, we just bring an anchor point in. - 'Dave's giving his team a final briefing ahead of our 1am departure time. 'The first challenge is to get the house up the steep slope and on to the road.' - So it could be a long night ahead? - Yes. - (CHUCKLES) - Good luck. - Thank you. - Good luck, everyone. - We'll see you on the road, yeah. - Yeah, awesome. - OK. We'll get into it, eh? - So, this is exactly what Dave mentioned, where you have to use a truck like this as an anchor point to then haul this enormous truck and house out. - 'The fill that's been dumped to help the trucks up the slope is soft, so they have to take extra care.' - So, you can see James harnessing the trucks up together here, because essentially, this truck, having a bit of traction on the seal, is gonna haul the whole lot out. - 'Watching their house edge up on to the street must be tense, even for seasoned relocators.' - I guess, the good thing for you guys is you've seen this process before. - That's true. It looks pretty messy at the moment, but we know they go back together well. When you see like this, it's sort of amazing, and you think, 'How do they do it all the time and...' But they do, and they do a great job. - I mean, the precision on this, it's just incredible. Look at this ` right on the nose of this truck. - So, we're getting to crunch point now, Clark, as we're coming up. This is the hardest part. Once the wheels come up, we'll be away. - Just that change of angle in the pitch as it comes up and over, and trying to keep that flat must be just a real challenge. - Yeah, yeah. And so, as the wheels are rising, so we'll be coming down on the hydraulics. (HYDRAULICS CREAKS) - Oh. There it goes. (CHUCKLES) - Now I'm slightly concerned. - (CHUCKLES) - It's making some funny noises. - It is making some funny noises. There's quite a bit of movement there. - It does bounce around a bit, doesn't it? - 'But the moment the truck gets its nose out of the driveway, we hit our first problem.' - We watched this car just come up and parked here in the middle of a house move and the owner just wandered off. (SCOFFS) I don't quite know what they were thinking, but this is a headache. - I said, 'We're just blocking the road. We're pulling the house out. You'll have to go around the block.' And she said, 'Why are you pulling the house out?' I said, 'Oh, look, I'm busy.' But she's parked it and gone. (CHUCKLES) Crazy. - It's a small car, but it might end up smaller in a minute. I mean, this is New Zealand engineering at its finest. The way that they're able to independently turn the wheels on this trailer means that they can effectively crab the whole house around that car. - 'It's astonishing how skilled the movers are at working around obstacles. 'I'm glad the car owner wasn't here to see how close this was.' - Photos for insurance, is it? - Yeah. - (CHUCKLES) - Made a bit of a mess at the back, haven't they? - (CHUCKLES) No, I believe that's your house. - Yeah, I think it is. - 'Once we're clear, we have to do it all over again with the bathroom and lounge section. 'This time, it's a bit easier. And with both trucks clear of the car, we're on the road.' 'It's 3am, and the slow start means we've now only got three-and-a-half hours 'to get Tony and Kristin's house 85km to their section.' - Now, I won't blame you if you fall asleep. - (CHUCKLES) - I'll just give the wheel a hard yank and knock your head on the window. (BOTH CHUCKLE) You all good to go, Marcus? - RT: Yeah, I'm good to go. - Copy, mate. Pulling out now. - RT: Both sides. Got good room. - RT: Copy. Clear of the trees, Davey. - 'It's not until we hit the wide Remuera roads that it really feels like we're underway. (UPBEAT COUNTRY MUSIC) 'Dave and his team head through the suburban streets at a good pace, 'and it's not long before we're heading west out of Auckland, 50km to our destination.' - So, I've noticed the radio chatter's gone a little bit quieter through here. This is just a road you guys are really familiar with? - It's probably... For us, we're getting close to home. - 'But as we approach an intersection,...' (GLASS SMASHES, ITEMS CLATTER) '...the calm is broken.' - RT: Tractor's coming up behind you. - Wadey, we need to put ply on this outside window, dude, and we can just protect it as quick as we can. (HAMMERS PATTER) - So, the famous bay window came a dropper. - Yeah, it's probably just getting a little bit of stress. - Yeah. You can see how they braced it through here, and it hasn't quite survived the motion of the road. So we've lost a window. - 'Breaking a window is no big deal, but it does cost us time, and that's something we don't have. 'We're due off the road in only two hours, and there's still a way to go.' - All right. Put it away. Cool. All good to go, Doug. - 'Fortunately, we're all fixed in 20 minutes.' - (EXCLAIMS) (ROCK MUSIC) - All right, where's the next stop? - Hopefully the site. - 'Fingers crossed. Dave's hoping the move's gonna be uneventful from here on in, 'and I take up his offer to have a nap. (METAL CLATTERS) 'But that doesn't last long.' (ENGINE WHIRRS) - Copy that. Slowing down. - Went just a little bit too fast and clipped a telephone line, and it's whipped off the skirt that they put across the top of the roof, and that is the board that runs down the length to allow the cables to come over the top. - OK, rolling now, Marcus. - 'It's great to see the pilot drivers are on their toes 'and an easy fix for the team who get us back on the road. (AMBIENT ROCK MUSIC) 'We're making up time again when the night nearly ends for good.' (METAL CLATTERS) - What was that? - The trailer coming off the road. And because we're so low, the axles have scraped on the seal. - Ah. - RT: Just down the carriage of the third axle. - Yeah, copy that, mate, yup. - Oh, that made a hell of a noise. Gave me a real fright. - Nah, yeah, we're all good. Yeah, it's just dragging on the road. - Yeah, and that's all because that idiot just didn't slow down and pull over. - Yup, so if you pull her over, she would go, 'Oh, I didn't even see the pilots.' - Yeah. (CHUCKLES) Some people just, they drive in a different world, don't they? - Yeah. - Just remarkable how a driver like that could be so oblivious as to what was barrelling down the road towards them. - 'I don't think I'll be going back to sleep after that.' - So, we're on the last stretch. We got three hills now. - Right. - 'And now, we're further up the peninsula and off the highway. 'We're travelling slower, dealing with tighter roads and overhanging trees.' - RT: Got a couple of big branches here to come under. - RT: Coming up to it now. Oop. Up against it. Nice and easy. - There's no such thing as it getting easier as you get closer. - No, it's getting tighter. - Yeah. - (CHUCKLES) - 'But we make it through to Tony and Kirsten's road just at the crack of dawn. 'This is the part of the journey that worried Craig Walker. 'The overhanging trees are, well, closing overhead. 'Why is it always the first and last kilometres that are the most difficult? 'And the chainsaws come out.' - We've finally come off the road on to the gravel road, but it's just tight, and the manoeuvring is tough. However, we're getting real close to our destination. - 'As the Sun comes up, we continue to crawl up the road, and we aren't even at the narrowest part yet. 'As the dining room and kitchen slowly makes their way up the hill, 'I go back and check out the lounge and bathroom on the second truck.' (BRANCHES SQUEAK) - It's one thing to be completely sleep-deprived and trying to do basic tasks, but to steer a unit this large with allowances of this on either side, that takes some skill. (AMBIENT ROCK MUSIC) - 'The house is starting to look a little worse for wear. (WOOD CLATTERS) - Oh. - 'And it looks like Tony's handyman skills are going to be put to good use.' - Just lost the security light, and some spouting's coming off. Tree branches are falling down. But you know, 100-year-old house ` solid as. A few cosmetic wounds that can soon be fixed up, we hope. - 'Everything's holding together for the final push to site. 'Meanwhile, Tony and Kirsten have pulled up to check on progress.' - You've gotta admire their skill, right, to not only be manoeuvring your new house up through this, but doing it, basically, on no sleep. - Yeah. (BRANCHES SCRAPE) (ALL GROAN) - (CHUCKLES) It's the sound, isn't it? - It is. It's not pleasant. - I think we might be there. That's it. This is the last hump too. Let's go. Come on. - (CHUCKLES) - Let's get this home to its new home. - 'And finally, in the clear light of day, 'it's time to get Tony and Kristen's brand new old house on to its brand new site.' - Beautiful. - 'Although, once we get both pieces in place, I realise we've got to do it all over again tomorrow night.' - 'It's nearly 2am, and we're back at Lucerne Road in Remuera for the second night in a row. 'Tonight we're taking the bedrooms to be reunited with the kitchen, 'lounge and dining room already in South Head. 'Having taken the two bigger pieces of the puzzle last night 'means getting the final section of the house off-site is a breeze, 'especially without a car parked in the way.' - All right, let's get this show on the road. - 'It's a narrower slice too, 'so it's an easier trip towing Kirsten and Tony's pink bedroom through Auckland's empty streets.' - RT: Looking good, Clarky. - Notice everyone adopts the Y. - The Y. - So, I'm Davey. - Davey. Johnny, Jamesy, Marky, Wadey. (CHUCKLES) - RT: Get on the island, Davey. - (CHUCKLES) - 'Once again, we head out West with ease. 'But the second night shift in a row is, well, starting to take its toll on me. 'So, Dave offers me some advice on how to fuel up and stay awake.' - See these? Hours of power. - I love a good banana, mate. - (CHUCKLES) - Don't get me wrong. - It'll beat a muesli bar any day of the week. - No, you're right. You're making me feel bad for eating this muesli bar, man. - (CHUCKLES) I quite like a salted peanut, eh. That sounds pretty boring. (CHUCKLES) - Pistachio's a good nut. It's a fiddly nut, though. - A lot of work for such a little reward. - Brazil nut. - Only hidden in chocolate. (CHUCKLES) - Disgusting. - Although, I am quite partial to scorched almonds. - Cashew? - Yeah, really tasty, yeah. - You're into a cashew. - So, cashews and salted peanuts. - 'Good chat. It's amazing what can happen to your brain at 3am in the morning.' - We're actually making pretty good time this morning. Yesterday, of course, things were compounding by taking extra time and then the morning traffic had started which slowed us down even further. And then, suddenly, we ended up quite a bit back behind us, and around about here, the sky had started to get light, so we are ahead of schedule, all going well. - Hope I don't jinx it. - (CHUCKLES) Yeah. - (CHUCKLES) - 'Here we are at that tight corner, approaching Tony and Kirsten's property, 'and this time, I'm hoping for a smoother ride. 'Given the wider sections made it up, the bedrooms scoot through this tight road in no time. 'And at 4am, still pitch black, we're ready to back in. 'With the lounge, kitchen, dining and bathroom already in place, 'the plan is to get the bedrooms as close as we can and have a much-needed break and wait for dawn, 'when we'll stop piecing the bungalow back together. 'As the heavy machinery rolls in, I realise that a lot of the hard work is still to come. (ROCK MUSIC) 'As the day dawns, so does the next phase of the relocation ` 'stitching Tony and Kristen's house back together on its new site at South Head. 'It's precision work, but they've done it all before.' - And down. Bring it down. - Dave and his team can independently control each of the truck's wheels to bring the trailer closer and slide the third piece of the house into line. - Come up on three slowly, John. Three up. - 'It's a delicate process, where success is measured in millimetres.' - And hold. Keep it coming. Yup. Dangerously close there, eh? - Looking pretty good. - 'But we're not there yet. The top of the house is still slightly out, 'so to get the parts perfectly aligned, David's got a trick up his sleeve.' - And if I pull this lever, it will slide the front of the trailer. I can move the building up to 200 mils, 100 either way, off centre, which makes it really simple to join a building up. - Yeah, technology. What a difference a third makes. I mean, that now is a complete home. Quite the different story from yesterday. I felt really sorry for Tony and Kirsten there for a moment. I mean, the house was apart. It was looking a bit shonky. We had trees sticking at one side. We had spouting coming off the other. But now, bungalow in place and back together as a home, it may just well live up to the potential of this. - 'To be fair, the house does need quite a bit of work. 'Tony's going to be doing a lot more than just cabinetry, I reckon. 'So, how does it look from the inside?' - So, here it is ` the join all back together. That... That's pretty good. - They've sited the property perfectly to enjoy the view, the sun, and the countryside. Some parts of the house look in reasonable shape. Maybe not others. I have to admire Tony and Kirsten. They've relocated four houses before this one. To go through this process once would be enough for most people. Tony was right when he said these houses can arrive on-site as a wreck. I can't wait to see what they make of this. - Tony and Kirsten are a pretty unique couple. They're both fanatical about moving houses, and they've achieved some incredible results, moving homes again and again and again. (CHUCKLES) Now, today I was supposed to meet up with super relocator Craig Walker, and we were gonna go and see Tony and Kirsten's home. Both of us can't wait to see what they've done with their bungalow. Unfortunately, though, thanks to lockdown, I'm stuck here in Wellington, so I can't be there today. - 'I better give Craig a call to break the news.' - I'm really jealous, actually, to not be there to see the finished product. - Clark, I'm standing at the gate, looking towards the house, and if the inside is just a patch on what the outside is, it'll be a very, very special result, that's for sure. - Have fun, enjoy and good luck looking around the house. - All right, my boy. Catch you up soon. - 'Craig's not getting rid of me that easily. 'I'll be watching over his shoulder and catching up with Tony and Kristen 'online after Craig's had a wee look-see.' - (CHUCKLES) Tony, Kirsten. - Hi, Craig. - Hi. - How are you? - Good. - Good, good. - What a magnificent, magnificent home you've created. Unbelievable. I'm blown away. - Tony and Kirsten have been busy. The home's unrecognisable from the three slices of house dropped on site a year ago. The broken windows, spouting and weather boards all now look immaculate, and the paint scheme gives the bungalow a real wow factor. - Lovely new roof on her. The leadlights are all intact. Tony, I remember you saying some time ago that bungalows are a little bit easier to put back together than a villa and do up. Is that` - A lot easier. - A lot easier. - The painting was just so easy. - Yeah. - The whole thing's just about a three-step ladder. - Yeah, yeah. - It's just so easy. - I know it wasn't exactly what you initially had in mind for the site, but now it's here, how do you feel? - I'm perfectly happy with it. Just what I wanted. - It's nice for a bungalow. - Nice for a bungalow. - It's a nice bungalow. - Yeah. What are the chances` - (LAUGHTER) - Don't even say it. It ain't happening. - So, what are the chances of bringing you another one, but this time, I promise you it'll be a villa. Is this it? - It's not the houses; it's me that's done. (LAUGHTER) - Probably like eating cake. There's a limit to your endurance, you know. (LAUGHTER) The first bite's good. The second bite's good. - Yeah, yeah. - But yeah, three quarters of the way through the cake, it's, yeah, maybe not quite so enjoyable. - No, you learn too much as you go along. - Yeah. What's the chance of having a look inside? - Help yourself. - Yeah. - Thank you. (UPLIFTING MUSIC) - 'Kirsten may not have been a big bungalow fan, 'but that hasn't stopped her and Tony from embracing all the gorgeous period details in the house.' - Amazing. Absolutely amazing. I'm trying to look at where the cuts were. I can't see them. Through to the bathroom. Wow. - 'The bathroom is a luxurious retreat. Tony's custom-made cabinetry and Kirsten' design flair 'give it just the right mix of old-world charm and modern convenience.' - Everything is in tone with the character and the splendour of the house. - 'Wow, Craig. That's impressive. 'But what's most impressive's the transformation in the kitchen. 'Here, every trace of the old fit-out is gone, with the entire space completely remodelled. 'Tony's craftsmanship is on full display.' - Just beautiful. Just beautiful. - 'Tony's added a scullery where the steps to the old downstairs extension used to be, 'and Kristen's eye for design brings each space to life. 'Come on, Craig, I'm hanging out to see the view. 'Ah, there we go.' - The view, the vista ` absolutely gorgeous. I would never ever get sick of that, and there's a few good snapper to be had out in that might harbour too. Knock-knock. - Off the hallway, daughter Grace's room has been painted a neutral white, which creates the perfect backdrop for her photo wall. Son Jack's room has also been given a facelift. I'm chuffed to see the infamous pink bedroom is still pink ` clearly a work in progress. But the dining room's been converted into a media room, and again, Tony's love of cupboards is on show. - I mean, I love it. I wouldn't have actually thought about painting a house this green. It's soft. It's homely. It's inviting. It'll be warm in the winter. Just standing here in this bungalow that's been given a new lease of life was quite an experience. A lovely, lovely, warm and inviting living environment. It reinforces everything that I've ever done in my relocation career to be of significance and of value. And yeah, I feel quite humbled. - We're waiting for your verdict. - (CHUCKLES) I can't say to you that I'm surprised with what you've achieved here. I know you've got just a couple of room to finish off, but what a magnificent result thus far. The love and the care and the thought and the colours. So, hey, all I can say is, thanks for sharing that with me today. - And thanks, Craig, for taking me on a virtual tour. I'm disappointed I can't be there, so I wanna have a chat with Tony and Kirsten from afar. - Do you have a favourite room or an area? Is there a place in the house that sort of revealed itself to you? - Probably the nicest room for me is the kitchen area. And it's nice and light ` easy to move around and yeah. - And was there any, sort of, unexpected hiccups or difficulties with the renovation along the way? - Money. - I mean, can we talk costs just for a second? I mean, the basic home there, on piles, was around 158,000, from memory. How much more do you think you've spent? - Probably 150, I'd say. - On top of that? - Mm. - Yeah. - Septic, electrical, hooking up. - Plumbing. - Council plans, resource consents. - Right, so, around the 300 mark all up ` you know, not counting land ` to here now, have your home with that incredible view and wonderful little lifestyle block. - Yeah. - Yeah. - Jeez, it's a bargain, eh? - (CHUCKLES) - So that's 158,000 for the house and relocation. Another 150,000 for services and consents. But you can't put a price on all the craft and care that's gone into this extraordinary restoration. - Kirsten, how do you feel living there now in a bungalow? - Well, a bungalow is certainly still a nice house. Not as nice as a villa, but nice. - You are slowly coming around to this idea of the fact that you live in a bungalow and you might actually sort of like it. In fact, in light of that, I've got you a little something. It's just down at your feet there, Tony. - Well, how about that? - Wow. That's fantastic, Clark. - Nice. I appreciate it perhaps more than she does. - (CHUCKLES) - Plenty more cabinetry ideas in there, Tony. Congratulations. It sounds like you guys have done a remarkable job ` both inside and out. - Proud of what it looks like and how it's come up. Once, sort of, gardens and things are a bit more established and growing, it will be nice. - The house has been saved, and we've got some more houses in Auckland city. - Cheers. (GLASSES CLINK) - Cheers to you all. - The idea of relocating and renovating just one home is enough to make most people want a cup of tea and lie down. (CHUCKLES) But Tony and Kristen have not only moved five houses, they've created beautiful new homes with each project that they've taken on. And I just hope that maybe they get a chance to rest a little bit. Well, at least long enough for me to pop out and admire their handiwork. They truly are an impressive couple.