'Instant Home' awaits buyer
'Have house - will travel' could well be the motto adopted for the re-locatable homes being constructed by Ohakune builder, Peter Richards. As any traveller north out of Ohakune in recent weeks will have noticed, a smart new house has been under construction in the most improbable of places for a permanently-sited home on the corner of Burns Street and Clyde Street. But it was never the intention that the house should remain there ... it has been built on temporary foundations so that it can be uplifted and transported to another site. This particular building is based on one of the six Initial Home plans and is a 932 sq. ft. (86.61 sq. metre) 3-bedroom home which is finished in every respect - wired, plumbed, painted inside and out - and only needs to be uplifted and transported to. any site in the Waimarino. Once there it only has to be placed on permanent foundations and connected to electricity and plumbing services to become an 'instant home'. Peter Richards feels that there's a great potential for re-locatable homes, particularly in this area. Not only are the houses robustly constructed and maintenance free but buyers can see exactly what they're getting for their money. Nor are they faced with all the decisions and delays
usually associated with house building - cupboards, vanity unit, built-in wardrobes, taps, switches, power points, tubs and sinks, even the cooking range - are all in place at the time of purchase. Moreover, with solid interior timber walls, double sided insulating foil in the exterior walls, under floor sisalation and fibreglass batts in the ceiling, the houses are ideal in this climate requiring very little heating or cooling to maintain a comfortable temperature throughout the year. Peter Richards thinks these re-locatable houses will appeal especially to the winter-sports enthusiast but they would also be ideal as a 'first' home or as a farm cottage. The six models range in size from a 564 sq. ft. (52.4 sq. metre) one-bed-room unit (the 'Tui') to a 1056 sq. ft. (98.12 sq. metre) four-bedroom house (the 'Kea') ... all models are named after New Zealand birds, the others being thq 'Kaka' (746 sq.
ft.), the 'Weka' (870 sq. ft.), the 'Kiwi' (994 sq. ft.) and the one pictured the 'Takahe'. The prices for the standard plans range from $44,000 for the Tui to $64,000 for the Kea. This particular Takahe on display in Ohakune is priced at $59,600. Normally priced at $58,200 this one includes extras such as a Colorsteel roof, a bay window, a kitchen extension and an oilstain weatherboard exterior. Peter told the Bulletin last week that the re-locat-able concept was a very economical and cost-sav-ing method of constructing a house destined for another site, particularly in remote areas where the daily cost of travel for teams of workers from their homebase would be a major factor. With the re-locatable home this is a one-off expense estimated to cost between $3,000 and $4,000 for both the foundations and transport to a reasonably accessible site within a 10-kilometre ra-
dius of Ohakune. Peter is hosting an 'Open House' day in the Takahe next Saturday from 9am to 4pm so if you're interested we suggest you go along ... plans for all the models will be available.
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Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 5, Issue 15, 8 September 1987, Page 9
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544'Instant Home' awaits buyer Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 5, Issue 15, 8 September 1987, Page 9
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