All over the country, people are moving houses. - Watch that truck, eh? - Wow, this is getting tight now. - Can you swim? - From old villas to modern homes and even historic churches,... - Oh, good work there, Clarke. - Like a glove. - ...they're giving new life to buildings and structures that once faced destruction. - Front wheels are skidding. - Whoa! Oh! - (BLEEP) - There's no obstacle too big. - I only need a millimetre. - ...and no challenge too great... - Up a little bit on the hook, Don. - ...for the people who take this on. - Starting to get very ugly down this hill. - Hold on. Whoa, whoa, whoa! - Whoo! - (HORN TOOTS) How far would you go to match your ideal house to the location of your dreams? This time ` - Once we've got older, we've realised that we didn't really want to move to something smaller. - A retired couple with a house full of memories. - This isn't gonna look right in a modern home, is it? - No. - But will the house survive what it takes to relocate? (CRUNCH!) Oh! (METAL CLANGS) - How many times have you seen it fall off? - Today would be the first. With the whole family on board... - Are you keeping Simon entertained? - Yes. - ...will it be a new life for an old home... You're staring at these lines. do you think they're high enough? ...or a retirement nightmare? - RT: Easy! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! - So come along for the ride. This is Moving Houses. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2023 Imagine if you'd lived in your dream house your whole life. You raised your family there, but it was all starting to get a bit hard to manage, and you needed to move out. Downsizing can be such a wrench for some older people. But what if you didn't have to? Retired Hawke's Bay couple John and Sue live in their sprawling 1920s bungalow here in central Hastings. (KNOCKS) - Hello. - Hello. - Hi. You must be Sue. - Yes, I'm Sue. - Hi, Sue. And John? - How do you do? - It's a home full of heirlooms and memories of the many adventures they've had over the years. But at 82 and 78, John and Sue have come to a crossroads. And so, how long have you two been in this house? - Since 1976. We came in at Easter '76. - Easter '76. So 46 years. - Yes. - John, a former obstetrician, and Sue, a homemaker, originally came to Hastings for a short-term contract, and, well, they never left. - We found Hawke's Bay a wonderful place to bring up children, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. - So, do you guys remember your first impressions when you first stepped foot in here? - I think, because we had been looking at more modern homes, and then someone showed us this house, and we realised that this was the type of home we really enjoyed, and it had space for our children to grow up in and enjoy. - Now, 46 years later, three children and nine grandchildren later, the house is getting a bit hard to manage on their own. And with that passing of time, I guess you end up more attached to the place. - You do. The attachment's there. There's a story with most of the bits and pieces around the house, and therefore you want the room to show them off and to enjoy them. - So Sue and John have a plan. - John owns some land next door to Penny, my daughter, and really, that would be an ideal place for us to move to. - The concept of building was getting more difficult and more expensive. And then the next, if you're not going to build out there, what are you going to do? We're not going to live in a tent, and why not take the house? - And once we've got older, we've realised that, really, we didn't really want to move to something smaller. We really did enjoy the space. And this is one way of being able to get that. - Well, you have spent 46 years getting everything in the right place. It would be a shame to change all that now. - But the biggest thing, probably for me, is leaving my garden behind that I've established over this 46 years. And I'm, you know, hoping and looking forward to actually doing something and having a bit of help from my children to actually develop a garden too, again. - But at 300m2, shifting this bungalow is going to be one heck of a move. The house has many of its original features. The entranceway opens on to a huge lounge on one side and a second lounge/dining on the other, four spacious double bedrooms and a generous kitchen and seating area. And the spacious dimensions also give Sue and John a chance to display mementos and treasures of their many adventures over the years. So, are all these trinkets and memories moving with them? This isn't gonna look right in a modern home, is it? - No. - Not at all. - This needs to needs to be in appropriate surroundings. - Most of the ornaments and decorations around here have come from various places and carry a sentimental attachment with them. And where do you hang all your pictures and everything else in a little home? So it's an easy solution to take the size of the room with you. - Yeah, it looks like everything's going with the house to its new destination. It's a lovely, sunny outlook in this kitchen, isn't it? - It is. The sun is good in here, and we'll repeat it. And this wall here is the other side of the chimney, all of which will have to come down. - There's no doubt the packers are going to have their work cut out for them. So, Sue, you call this your new old kitchen ` how does that work? - I describe it as an old new kitchen that we're going to adapt slightly. - I guess you have to be careful about criticising the kitchen, given that your chief kitchen designer is standing right behind you. - We didn't have kitchen designers then, so we drew up on the back of an envelope what we thought we want and made it up from there. - This time we're knocking out this wall and things like that and putting an island in and a few things like that. - Oh, wow. Right, so the kitchen's getting a full work-over. - Yes. And so tell me about the view that it's gonna have. - Eventually we will have garden, and may not have quite as many trees, but we will have access to a really nice shrubbed garden. - Yeah. I can only imagine what it's gonna be like waking up and having all these new views out your windows. - And the birdsong too, that we've got out there is going to be so different It'll feel like a new home. - Oh, wow. Second lounge. - That's right. - This place just keeps going and going, Sue. The house is massive, and repositioning it on a new site is going to be a challenge. - Lovely, slightly cosier than the other one. - Right. But most importantly, a place to put the grandkids? - Exactly. Exactly. - There's no way a house of this size can make a road journey in one piece. So I'm guessing a chainsaw will be making an appearance. And so where is the cut gonna go? - Just down the beam here, coming right through. - OK. - All the various things it has to miss, including the switchboard. - I see. Getting around the delicate parts in the house. And then, what, this will be the outside wall? - This will be the outside wall as it goes down the street. - This move is certainly going to be an adventure. And it turns out John is just the guy for this kind of challenge. John, I can't help but notice that there's a few pictures of hot air balloons around here. - I jointly owned the hot air balloon in the picture. - Is that right? I've never actually met anyone who's had a hot air balloon before. - It was about the same price as a runabout, so... - Right. - And in Hawke's Bay, probably more enjoyable than going out on the ocean in a small boat. - In some respects it's a shame we can't just tie a big balloon to this house and float it to your new location. - Very easy. - It would be useful. We might have to wait a long time for the wind. - I've got to admire John and Sue for that great leap of faith that this is all going to work. They're taking everything, including the kitchen sink, with them. And that even extends to the garage, the original wash house, and I can't quite believe this, but John and Sue's daughter Penny has decided to help them relocate some of Sue's beloved garden to the new site as well. This is amazing. Not only are you picking up your parents and taking them out, you're taking them with the home and the garden as well. - Yeah. Yeah. Amazing? Crazy? I don't know. - Quite the undertaking, but I understand that there's no one else to blame except for you. - Is that right? - Maybe you. Maybe your programme. - Tell me, how did the idea come about? - Deep down, I know in Dad's heart, he adamantly was never going to leave Davis St. This is his house, and he absolutely loves it. Mum was the same with her garden, so we watched your programme, saw some of those massive houses get moved. Dad owns the land ` he's owned it for 40 years, so it was kind of like a no-brainer. Let's move you and your house to your land. We can be neighbours and help look after you and look after the property. - So you used us to help sow the seed to bring them in. - Yeah, I guess you helped us, absolutely. - I feel absolutely complicit, but not ashamed of that at all. That's amazing. The old family home is headed just 11km away, alongside daughter Penny's and son-in-law Sam's home, to a very flat site, which I imagine the movers will be quite happy about. It was 40 years ago that you bought the site. - I think we bought it about '78. - The 4ha site cost $70,000 in 1978, so that's around $600,000 in today's money. - Yes, it's a great sort of hideaway to be able to get out of town. - Yeah. - And John's enjoyed that side of it. Get away from work. - I can pretend I'm a farmer or something like that. - Right. And so this is where the house is going. - This is for the house ` let the grass grow underneath it, and you can see where it is. - Was there a discussion about where it would go, or it just sort of announced itself? - No, lots of discussion. I think we wanted it very similar to the way it was facing at home, because the daylight and the sun that we get there is quite good. And even so, we've still turned it slightly, just to maybe get a bit less of the southerly into the living area and more of the sunshine. - This is great. Right, so tweaks have been made. - Yes. - Their daughter Penny lives with her family just next door, only a paddock away. And I guess what takes a little bit of the pressure of the move off is having your family just over there. - I think it would be impossible without. We wouldn't have attempted it. But they're keen, so we'll go. - Yeah. - Although we do hope we're going to be of some use. - I imagine they've got a whole lot of uses for you, Sue. - Yes, definitely the meals. I'm quite sure that they've got it all planned that when they come home from work, Granny will be there with a hot meal each day. The youngest one in particular, Lucy, has offered to, if he could get a golf cart, she would be there waiting for him and she would drive him over whenever he wanted. - You know, it all seems quite impossibly perfect. John and Sue get to move out here to be close to family, and they don't need to leave behind the house that they so clearly love. I do worry, though, that it might be quite confronting when the time comes and the trucks roll in and trample Sue's garden, and then a chainsaw goes right down through the middle of it, ripping the home that they love apart. And that's sure going to be a sight to see. It's only 24 hours before Sue and John's house is about to hit the road. And we're only moments away from it being cut in two. I almost wouldn't recognise this as being the same place I visited a wee while back. It's a huge transformation. - Well, the house seems to get bigger once they've cleared the front of it away. Quite amazing. - The tree fellers have cleared out any remaining greenery. And the house's original 100-year-old foundations have been replaced with jacks. And you're feeling OK, seeing all your garden having disappeared? - I'm struggling. - Yeah. - Because I'll never have a garden like that again. So it will be... - I'll have a different garden. - Yes. - But I will have a garden. - Everything about this has an emotional connection, particularly given how long you guys have been so well established here. - To see the house empty, the day that the furniture was removed, I came in, and... I was quite upset. It just looked so different. Not the house that we've been living in for 46 years. - Now the trucks have arrived, there's no turning back for Sue and John. I hate to mention it, but it's actually gonna end up looking worse before it looks better as well, isn't it? - It is. - And that's because John and Sue are about to witness their house being cut before their very own eyes. First up, though, the weight of the house has to be transferred on to the trailers. But the overnight rain is causing some problems. Looks like the wheels are losing a bit of traction down here, John. There's definitely no way back for your garden now. - Yes, that proper rain this morning won't have helped. - No. They take enormous pride in their trucks, and Dion's not gonna be happy about getting mud on his brand new Kenworth. Yes, Brittons has a brand new truck and trailer that's joining the move today. The team edge it into place. - Keep going. Keep going. Yep! - And just like that, all 300m2 of the house is down on the trailers. Now that she's all loaded up on trailers, - this big, beautiful bungalow is about to undergo some major surgery. - (POWER TOOLS WHIRR) You can hear it full steam ahead behind me. And a big question for me ` and I certainly know for John and Sue as well ` is if this beautiful wood panelling is gonna survive. The man in charge of making sure it's a clean split is affectionately known as the cutter. So, you've been doing this a while? - Pretty much, yeah. Yeah. I cut most of the buildings ` well, all them for Whanganui, usually. If I'm not busy, and they've got some big cuts, they'll send me down to give them a hand, yeah. - 30, 40 years ago, this would have been quite a different approach to cutting. - Everything was just chainsaw, basically. We used to tear straight through most of it. - And now it's a lot more fine work to bring it back together seamlessly. - Yeah, we do. If you do it in a rush, you'll break it. And, like, if you break bits of this, it's just so hard to replace. - And so, Lance, on a job like this, is it an easy decision where to cut? - Not really, nah. Normally in a case like this, we would actually just not even touch the ceiling or cut the floor. We would part it right on the wall. But this one was right out on its limit, so we were a little bit under pressure with how we had to do it. - The cutter makes it sound easy. Here we go. (SAW WHIRRS) (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC) But I'm sure John and Sue hope the guys can put it back together with the same ease. - Done! - Well, the boys are tools down for the day. The work's been done. The cut's actually happened. But what they're gonna do is keep the house together, because we don't know what this weather is gonna do overnight. But first thing in the morning is when it all comes apart. 11km might not be the longest of routes, but we're carrying some very precious cargo today. From John and Sue's old site, we'll be heading 8km south down the state highway, stopping and starting as each power line is dropped in front of us. From there, it's a sharp right-hand turn on to the couple's new road. The final 3km will be narrow and tight. The good news? We'll be moving the house during daylight hours. The man charged with getting the house on site is Elwyn. And he's offered to show me the journey ahead of tomorrow's big move. I guess on this haul you don't have the luxury of taking your biggest bit first, because they're both the same size. - Correct. Correct. Yep, yep. So it's just get one piece through at a time. One's slightly longer than the other. That's the only difference. Here's Unison now, now getting ready for tomorrow, by the looks of it. - Look at that ` just passed our power board guys who are gonna be responsible for doing some of these lines. - Hopefully Unison are actually gonna start about an hour before us. And they're gonna take them down all the way up to the Maraekakaho turn-off. - Good old Hawke's Bay. There's not many places you'd be able to do this in the middle of the day, right? - You only wanna do it when there's no other option. It's still easier to stay out of the traffic and work in the night. - I imagine one of your biggest considerations is actually morning traffic. - Yeah. Well, after 9 o'clock, you find most people are at work on a Tuesday. So there's been a lot of thought and compromise go into why a Tuesday. It should be a relatively easy time of day to travel. - The whole move is only 11km. By car that takes 10 minutes. But a house in two pieces? That's a different story. And so that was it. That was the route. - That was it, mate. Yeah. Not too bad, eh? - I don't know. I haven't moved a house that's 7m tall and 10m wide before. - Look, you know, with all these big loads, hope for the best and plan for the worst. - OK. - You know? - I'm pleased Elwyn is confident. But with over 30 power lines to pass under, four tight intersections and morning traffic, there's still a lot of challenges ahead. It's the morning of the move, and the team get the house ready to leave site. And here we go. The move's started. It's incredible to think that this house has stayed here for over a hundred years. It survived the Napier earthquake. And now, I guess along with its owners, it's off to a new life in the country. The house is split in two, and most of the site is cleared. So how are John and Sue feeling right now? Oh wow! I hadn't seen it from around this side. - It certainly looks a little bit different to what it was. - Oh my goodness! - I mean, that's something, to see your home of this size just split in two like that. - Yeah. Like a major surgical operation. - Well, it is, really, because we're dealing in centimetres down that back end, just to get that past. Those centimetres become millimetres, which suddenly become... (CRUNCH!) Oh! (METAL CLANGS) I don't know how you guys feel, but when I see a wobble like that, it's sort of heart in the mouth a bit. - And I've seen this a few times. - I was thinking that. - How many times have you seen it fall off? - Well, I haven't seen it fall off, and I don't want today to be the first, thanks. - That's reassuring. - And it's nice to be able to see from here, John, that your wood panelling is all still intact at this point. - Well, a lot of it is, yeah. - There's definitely no turning back now, guys. - Oh God. - I mean, that looks dramatic to me. I can only imagine what you two are going through. - I can't believe it can ever be joined again. - Sue and John's bungalow has been split in two, ready for an 11km journey to its new home. Just yesterday we were standing in the house looking at that picture, and now, quite literally, I'm standing in someone's driveway. As the second piece leaves the section, I hear that Sue and John's granddaughter Lucy wants to join the convoy. - What's happening, guys? - Lucy has something she wants to ask you. - What? - I was wondering if I could go on a truck. - Wanna go on the truck? - Yeah. - What will we do with Clarke? - He can go in the front one. - (LAUGHS) - Lucy's got this all planned out, Elwyn. - Righto. I think you've got yourself a deal. - We'll have a chat to Simon, eh? - OK. - Simon? - Yes. - Lucy would like to know if she can ride in the Mac with you. - Yeah. - That'd be all right? - Yeah. - OK. Daryl's gonna ride in the car up ahead. Phew! (CHUCKLES) Lucky we got it sorted. - With the seating arranged, the team has one final safety briefing. - Greg, Shem, Joe in the front. Pilots, minimal talk. - Up the road, the power company are back in the air, dropping lines so the house can get through. We've got four crews working on that ` low-voltage road crossings, and we're gonna cut them away and just lower them to the ground, so there's no issues when the house comes along. All of the high-voltage lines, we're gonna isolate them and earth them, and we'll just go underneath them with the house. - But not all lines can be lowered in preparation for the house. One is powering a local timber yard and needs to be left in place. - Just around the corner here, there's Tumu Timbers. We've got a line going across the road to them that's gonna be too low for the house to get under. So when we see the house coming into view down there, we'll disconnect the supply and we'll lower that to the ground. As soon as the house has gone past, we'll pull it back up and connect it all back up again, just so the power to that business is not off for very long. - It's 9am, and we're all clear to start the journey, with a few locals coming out to say goodbye to the old home and family members coming along for the ride. This is your moment. You all right getting up there? - Can you get that seat belt in? - Yep. - Now, truck drivers love lots of jokes and lots of chat. - You've gotta chat to them the whole time, OK? (CHUCKLES) - OK. - OK. I'll see you from the front truck. - OK, bye. - The loads have ended up not being quite the same size. Simon and Lucy, in the back, have a wider load. And I'm up front with Dion, who's got a higher and longer load ` and a brand new truck and trailer. - We can hold hands in this one, eh? Shit. (LAUGHS) - I was sitting in here thinking, it's a lot cosier, this cab. One quick check-in with Lucy. Hi, Lucy. Are you there? Over. - Yes, I am, Clarke. Over. - Have you got your seatbelt on? - Yes. - Do you have a driver? - Yes. - Well, good luck back there. Thank you. - And here we go. 20-odd metres long. 10 metres wide. 7 metres high. Let's go and find some power lines. Oh, and let's not forget the trees. But we're on our way. - RT: Just brushing lightly. - It's an impressive sight, and there's no shortage of neighbours on the road to farewell the old home. Righto, Dion. Here we go, on to the first main road. - RT: Easy. Whoa, D. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! - (CRUNCH!) - Oh! Just gently nudged a lamppost. - You gotta lift your right side up. Up, up, up, up, up, up. - The pressure's on. The team are dealing with two massive loads, tight suburban streets, a brand new truck and trailer and an audience. - Away you go. - Luckily, John and Sue are stuck way at the back and didn't see that. I get the feeling this move is going to be short but action-packed. - Down on your right. - Jeez, that was stressful, and it was only the first corner. - (LAUGHS) This is my first time towing this trailer, and the technology. - You poor bugger, and we're here today with our cameras. Yeah. No... I've got a lot of sympathy for you, Dion. It's a relief to be around the corner. But parked cars and overhanging branches are keeping us at a crawl. - There's so many cars parked on the side of the road. - Yeah. - Back all clear of that next car. Front might want to go up a little bit more on the right. - You can tell by the radio chatter it's non-stop at the moment, which shows just how small the variables we've got on either side are. - Inside's looking good at the moment. - On the left, you got a good metre and a half. - Come left. You've got a metre on their car left. - And this is where things get really snug. This is the first of two main pinch points on this journey, and we're having to go the wrong way around this roundabout just to make it fit. Up ahead, the worst of the overhanging branches have been trimmed on the roundabout, but the crew still need to drop all the road signs. - Clear of the pole right. Bit of a room on your left. Two backs still up. - You gotta really trust those boys down the back right now, don't you? - Oh yeah. - You got two feet left. Pretty good on the tree at your right at the moment, Simon. - Both trucks make it through the roundabout. But up ahead, more cars are parked on both sides of the road. We've got cars either side of us, so the only solution to getting past them is to lift up and go over. There is nothing in it. - Over by a metre and a half still on the left. - Car on right, Simon. - It's slow going, so I'm checking in with Lucy and driver Simon. Lucy, are you there? Over. Lucy, are you there? - Yes, I am. Over. - How is it all going back there? - It's going pretty good. - Good. Are you keeping Simon entertained? - Yes. - Remember, he loves lots of jokes. Lots of jokes. - OK. - He's a professor, Simon, eh? - What? - Yeah. - What do you mean, a professor? - History. - Really? - Yeah. - And he taught it? - Yeah. - Like, that's what he did his studies in. - Wow. - And he just wants to drive trucks. - Just wants to drive trucks. - Left side, you've got a foot. - We're about to exit the city limits, but we're not out of the woods yet. - Straighten right up, D, and go straight ahead. You're just lightly brushing. - So we're getting out of this without a prune? - Yeah. Well, I don't know about poor old Simon. He's wider than us, yeah. - Brushing high at the back, the tree on the left. Have a look at Simon, eh? - Sure enough, Simon's wider load has a much harder time. There's some collateral damage, as guttering breaks away from the house. But finally, we make it out of suburbia and we're on to the main road ` with some foliage that's come along for the ride. The line mechanics are leapfrogging one step ahead of us, dropping more lines. Would you rather have a linesman taking lines down or no roof? - A linesman taking lines down. - Yep. In some places, instead they're propping up the lines for us to squeeze underneath. You're staring at these lines. Do you think they're high enough? - Yeah, I reckon we won't even touch those. (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC) We're well earthed in here, eh? - Yeah. (CHUCKLES) - Yeah? - Tell me how you got your dreadlocks again. - (LAUGHS) We make it through, and I've spotted John and Sue following closely behind. I wonder how their blood pressure is. Up ahead, there's a really tight corner for a load this size. And the low-hanging wires means extreme care must be taken. - Come back one, D. - You're gonna hit the crossarm. - Oh, the crossarm. - Come back one would be good. - Luckily, the new trailer has a special trick. - Looking good at the top there. Clearing it. - The trailer can crawl sideways by itself, like a crab. - You're all clear. - 10, 15 years ago, how would you have got around that corner? - We would've been running along that drain with a straight trailer trying to come around the corner. - The second part of the house has less trouble getting around the corner. - Gonna have a foot right. - But it's still slow going, because we've run straight into having to scrape under a low-voltage line that couldn't be brought down. Whoo! It's right about now I'm pleased that they've earthed off those main lines that we've just come under, because we are scraping through. We're just centimetres below the power lines. We've been on the road for over an hour, but we've only driven 4km of the route to John and Sue's new site. Up ahead is the timber yard and the wire that's got the power board most worried. So, we've just arrived at the timber yard ` this is where we're gonna have to stop, because they didn't want to bring the lines down until the last possible minute, to not disrupt them too much. Now that we're here, the power board has had a change of mind. Rather than remove the line, they would prefer we try and go underneath it. - That will save us a little bit of work and try not to disrupt them too much. - So we begin the move towards the high-voltage line. - A couple of feet. - They've switched the power off but at this stage haven't bought the line down, because they think we might be able to get under it. We're about to find out. - Left-hand side at the moment, you're looking good. - Right side's got 100mm. Hang on. I'll just check your left again. You've got a foot on your right. - You're right on the wires at the moment. You've got a foot on your right. You're right on the wires at the moment. - Going under the wires now. - Still looking good. Looking good under the wire so far, D. Lift your two backs up a little bit, Dion. Two backs I think are just scraping, bro. - Beautiful, bro. Beautiful. - Shot, bro. - Yeah, she was pretty close. I think we had a about two inches clearance there, so happy days. - Happy days indeed. Now it's time for the second part of the house to try and make it through. - Keep going. You are clear of it. - Yeah. Successful. Well, that worked out all right. Phew. Sweaty now. - It's just over two hours since we left Sue and John's old site, and we're finally turning off the main highway. Just 3km to go. And here we go, down Mangaroa Rd, turning off State Highway 2, which is quite a relief. The good news is we're finally able to pick up a bit of speed. (HORN TOOTS) - Whoo! (CHUCKLES) - We're nearly there. - This is the fastest we've been the whole trip. It's good. And here we go, around our last big corner. I can see you back there, Lucy. Looking good. The last stretch goes slow but trouble-free. And phew! We make it on to site. And John and Sue have gone ahead to greet us. This is quite a lovely moment. We're actually turning off the road and on to the property for the first time. The final little push of the journey to get this house to its new home and to have John and Sue see it all come together. So it's just one last hard turn on to the section before the journey ends. Can you see all your family up here, Lucy? - Yes, I can. - They'll be happy to see you nearly home. - Yep. - With the wettest winter on record behind us, we're hoping the ground stays firm enough to cross. (BLEEP) - I did that, eh? - Did we lose a bit of traction because the wheels are...? - Yeah. - With a slight slip, we've bogged yourselves down and resorted to slowly inching forward with the ram. Behind us, Simon and Lucy don't make the same mistake and are able to avoid the soft grass by going closer to the fence line. - They're gonna give us shit now, you realise. - Who's that? - These guys, cos they got in there first. - Yeah! - (BOTH LAUGH) The second truck is on site. - Are you coming, D, or what? - (LAUGHS) - You owe me two beers now, cos I showed you how to get in here without getting stuck. - And finally, we get traction. - Oh, we're moving! We're moving! Mate, you've clawed it back. - Phew! - Whoo! Just 11km, but three hours later, we land at the old home's new site. Dion, I'm sorry it wasn't longer. - I feel like we're only just getting into our healthy snacks. - (LAUGHS) - I could've changed your life. - Yeah! (LAUGHS) - We're here. - It's a great relief, isn't it? - It's a huge relief. And what do you think now, John, seeing it on site? - Oh, I think the old lady will quite like it out there. Hung together for a hundred years, so it should be good for another hundred, shouldn't it? - Now for the tricky part, stitching the house back together. Whoo! It's a game of inches at this point. It really is the exacting job of bringing the house back together perfectly. And then, of course, it can be lowered. By using the trailer hydraulics via remote control... and careful ratcheting, the team slowly pull the two halves together. What are you doing down that end, Lance? - Just marking it so I know where to slip this timber across, cos I won't be able to see the cut shortly. So just mark 45, then I'll bring this across so it's dead centre. - Do you find an old house like this moves much during the journey? - Nah. Nah. Some places have. Up the front there has moved about two inches. It's dropped a bit where it's just sunk on the trailer. But normally they stay pretty well. - Old houses, no, are real strong, really, eh? - Yeah. - That's bang on. That's it. - Bang on ` that's it. That is the official house-moving term. - Yep. - Now it's together, and after everything it's been through, we can see the house has arrived in good condition. It's the end of a long day, with the trucks pulling away and the house waiting for the council inspection tomorrow before it can be lowered on to the piles. It's two days after the move. The house is down on its piles, and I've come for a visit. I can't actually wait to see how this house has come back together. It's quite surreal, really, thinking that just a couple of days ago there it was in suburbia, and now here we are out in the countryside. With the house settled into its new location, I'm keen to know what Sue and John make of it all, as they see inside their treasured home for the first time since the move. - What a mess. - What a mess. - It just looks like the grandkids have been here for a while. - It does. - First impressions is that the floor's nice and flat. - True. - And that means it's all come down well and uniform, which is great. But from the look on their faces, it's clear John and Sue have a few worries. I feel a bit mean asking you, Sue, but what are your first thoughts? - I just can't believe it. Yeah, I'm a pessimist, I think. - So you're just sort of overwhelmed by the work? - Yes, because I can see all the negatives at the moment, and all the... - Do you think we should perhaps turn around and look at one of the positives? Because, of course you've got brand new views out your windows. - Mt Erin. - Te Mata Peak in the gap through there, and swinging around out, Mt Erin, Kahuranaki. - This is magnificent, the fact that you've got those three peaks looking out your window, and, you know, it's like almost this house was made for this destination, given all of that glass pointing in that direction. So I think you've made a good call, Sue, in the way that you've put the house. - Yes, it's lovely to see all the sheep. You feel as if you're out on a farm. - Well, this is the thing, isn't it, Sue? I mean, before we were looking at your garden, which was fantastic, but it finished right there. - That's right. - And now we've just got a view for miles. - Yes, it's lovely. Mm. - And you guys, you always spoke about feeling like this house needed more room. - That's right. Yeah. It's perfect. - Yeah. The house is messy but in surprisingly good nick after the move, though not everything was able to make it. - And of course, the fireplace isn't going back in here, is it? - No. No. I think we might have lit it once, just for amusement's sake. But otherwise, it's never been used. - That'll turn into a wardrobe, I think. - That's the thing ` even though it is the same house, you've still got all these exciting options of things that you can do a little bit differently. It's hard to believe this house was pulled apart just 48 hours ago. Man! Considering it's a hundred-year-old house, they've done a great job lining all that back up, by the look of things. - It's marvellous, really. It's amazing. - Sue, I mean, I was standing with your neighbours looking at that picture on the side of the road as it drove past. - That's right. - And now here we are with it back in a bedroom. - Yes, we all commented on it. Yes. My daughter likes the wood, the floors. She thinks we should get them all sanded up. - It's a mixed bag, isn't it? They look beautiful when they're all shiny and sanded up, but carpet is cosy. - Oh, exactly. And that's what I said to her. It's warmth. - Yeah. - The moment of truth for the wood panelling. I think that that's the only cut they ended up having to make through the wood panelling in the end, which is cool, and that'll push and pull in as well. You'll never know. - No. It's amazing, really, when you think that they didn't need... they were able to take the panels off, and they haven't been affected. - Yeah. - Now, this is interesting, the view from here. This is an area we will use quite a lot, because of the sun coming through. - What I like about this, Sue, is that we can quite literally see your blank canvas. - That's right. That's right. - Now I get the easy job. I get to sort of head off and leave you guys to it. But I can't wait to come back and see which of the ideas bear fruit and win out. - Yes. Yes, you never know. We'll chop and change, I'm sure. - Yeah. So, John and Sue's house has landed. You know, you've got to admire their quiet determination. It's kind of extraordinary, when you think about it ` picking up your whole house and moving it just so you can be closer to the grandkids. All that aside, of course, now the real work begins, and I can't wait to see how it's gonna fit into its new surroundings. Six months ago Sue and John picked up their beautiful 100-year-old homestead full of their worldly possessions, and they moved it just a short ride down the road to be closer to grandchildren and family. It was a bold move for the older Hawke's Bay couple. And even with family at its core, it certainly wasn't without its many, many challenges. It'll be interesting to see if the short move down the road has resulted in big changes. Wow. The gracious old townie from Davis St looks right at home in the country. The tarp on the roof would suggest a work in progress, but it looks a lot further along than I expected. And speaking of country classic, the back door is wide open. Hello? Just where are Sue and John? Hello? - Hi, Clarke. Do come in. We're just down in the kitchen. - The kitchen. The brand new kitchen. (LAUGHS) - Yes. - Hey, how are you? - Good, thank you. - Good, thanks. - Just having a moment taking this all in. This is not the kitchen I left you guys in. Yeah, moving the house is one thing. But they've moved their old, tired brown kitchen into the 21st century. And not just that. There wasn't a door behind us before, was it? - No, no, we had a window out there, and there was no porch there either. The porch has been the work of the son-in-law, Sam, and he's done a marvellous job. - There's nothing quite like family to lend a helping hand when you need it the most. - We have a daughter who has persevered and has done a wonderful job. - This would be tenacious Penny you're talking about. - That's exactly right. - With her schoolteacher's hat on. - That's right. We've got the house far better than we would have had it if we hadn't have had Penny. - What a lovely full circle that is, given that John designed this kitchen on the back of an envelope when Penny was 3, to be functional for her. And now here she is, designing your life here and setting that all up on the back of an envelope, to help you guys out. - That's right. - We're just tackling the kitchen, and there's the whole rest of the house to go and have a look at. - We'll go and have a look now? - Yes. - Get into it. But some things don't change. And nor should they. I love that we've come in here after having been in your brand new kitchen, - because this is your brand new old... - That's right. Replete with all the furniture, everything. It's a complete transportation of your old living room. And I see your hot air balloons have made it back. - They've made it back, yes. - We had a great discussion with everyone where things had to go, because, you know, I've forgotten. I think, 'Oh, this went here.' 'No, no, Mum, it doesn't go there. It's gotta go here.' You know, that's the way it was, and we've gotta put it back. - Something old, something new ` like a brand new bathroom. This wasn't on the cards, was it? - It was going to be tidied up. - I thought we were just getting away with a bathroom do-up, but the girls went further. - The second lounge has also undergone an absolute transformation. Incredible. It is so light in here. - Amazing, isn't it? - It is amazing, Sue. It's just transformed this room. - We've got the view. We can see the three mountains and Te Mata Peak out the different windows, which is rather nice. - It's amazing. - It's turned out very well, as we hoped. - All the other rooms share the benefit of being bathed in gorgeous sunlight. And here's their bedroom. You can see Penny and family's house just out there. This is perfect. I mean, you could just open the window and yell out for your cup of tea. In fact, here come the family now. With all the family gathering, time for me to check in with the driving force in all of this, daughter Penny. I mean, your parents were reflecting on the fact that this wouldn't be done anywhere near to this standard if it wasn't for the way that you've been cracking that whip. - Oh, no. To be fair, it's been a real team effort. So we've had so many helpers, lots of working bees, so very grateful to all of them. - Do you remember, Penny, like, sort of waking up on one of those first mornings and thinking, 'Oh, my goodness, we've actually followed through with this'? - Yeah, the first night that it arrived and I went and pulled the curtain, and I did go, 'Wow, we've done it. It's here.' And that was when it was all dishevelled and looked pretty ruined, to be fair. So that was exciting. - How much of your mum's garden has made it? - Well, most of Mum's garden, other than the pittosporums that you and I dug out, made it and transplanted really well. - It will take a little bit of time to regrow and establish. - Right. - But that whole patch there are plants from Mum's original garden. - It's hard to put a real dollar value on what John and Sue have here. They've owned the house for 46 years and the land for 40. So it's really all about family, and you can't put a price on that. I know personally how rewarding it is just to make your own deck. I can't imagine what it's like to do a whole massive project like this. I mean, your whole family must be just so proud of how this has all come together. - The lovely thing about it is there's certain things that are still the same, and it has that real familiar sound. There's some floorboards that used to always creak. They still creak. So it really feels like Davis St. It's so nice. It feels like home. So it's pretty cool. - Right, well, just before I go and leave you all to it, there is something that I thought might make its way on to your walls. I don't want to disrupt any of the old. - Nice ribbon. - Very nice. Thank you. - Oh, goodness. (LAUGHS) - Oh, that is amazing. - Really good. Thank you very much. - Right at the start of this, we talked about how much easier it would have been just to pop a balloon on top of the house and float the whole lot over here. And this is the result. - Magnificent. - You can see behind me that Penny's to-do list still has a couple of things on it, but, you know, they've done it ` they're here. Sue and John now get to call this place home. But it's bigger than that. It's, like, whanau, with extended family, of course, right next door.