Hastings couple back in 100-year-old home – seven months after sawing it in half and moving it across town

Last year their house became famously known as the 100-year-old-house that was moved from one side of Hastings to the other. Now, retirees Dr John Wakeman, 82, and his wife Sue, 78, are finally moving in.

All sewn back together now, you wouldn’t know the old house had been split in two, except in one small spot that John and Sue wanted to keep as a reminder of the house’s journey.

Even though the whole reason the retired couple up and moved their house was because they loved it and the memories that came with it, they still took the chance to make a few updates and renovations after the move.

There is a mix of new and old in the house now. While the majority of the house still looks exactly as it did when it was on Davis St, just with a new view, the couple has done up a few rooms as well as added some big glass doors onto a new deck.

Sue had had the same kitchen since moving into the house more than 46 years ago, so a new kitchen was on her wish list as well as an updated bathroom.

In theory, the new kitchen is in the same place as the old one, they have just removed a divider, said Sue.

The room in how brighter and wider, with new large glass doors that lead out onto the couple’s new deck.

Sue said she is very happy with the way her kitchen turned out and is just waiting for some more shelving to come in.

Waiting has become a large part of the process for the Wakemans’ move, as they have had setbacks due to the weather.

The couple thought they had planned everything perfectly, moving the house just before summer to ensure there were long warm days to get all the work done.

“But this year, summer’s never come,” John said.

John added the weather has held up things to no end, which has made things difficult for the tradesmen who had so many emergency jobs to rush off to after February’s cyclone.

The Wakemans had their own weather issues as well. Although Cyclone Gabrielle didn’t flood the property it did leave the water table very high, which meant a list of things they couldn’t do while the ground was wet.

“The water sat around for about six weeks and until it dropped we couldn’t do a single thing,” Sue said.

Now everything inside the house is completed, however, John said they are still fighting to get a part of their roof fixed, as it’s currently not watertight and winter is setting in.

Sue added that the issues with getting the roof fixed are mainly to do with the wet weather.

Before moving in, Sue and John were living over the fence from their house with their daughter Penny, her husband Sam and the grandchildren.

Being close meant they could spend most of their time during the day “pottering around their house” getting it ready for move-in day.

Now, more than seven months after the initial move and with lots of support from their family, especially their daughter Penny who has been a driving force, John and Sue are finally moving in.

They are now eager to have the whole family over, with Sue specifically looking forward to Christmas, cooking in her new kitchen. John is looking forward to relaxing on his new deck and enjoying the amazing 360-degree views.

This is a Public Interest Journalism funded role through NZ On Air