Moving house and wood

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SawdustSA

Burning Hunk
Apr 1, 2014
164
Eastern Cape, South Africa
We have sold the house and bought a new (old) one to fix up in a better area. Problem is, I want to take my firewood with me. It is only around 2 miles away. The biggest problem is that I don't have vehicle access to the back yard of the old house so all the wood has to be moved to the front before loading and transporting it.

Me and a helper started moving some of the wood yesterday. We moved just under a 1/3rd of what I have, I think. I had to modify my wheelbarrow with old estate agent boards to enable me to carry more at a time. My friends think I'm crazy, which I probably am. I worked hard to get all this wood last year, and it is all seasoned between 12 -18months by now. All eucalyptus.

I might have to fill up the front lawn as well, since I will be running out of parking space soon.
 

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Nice wood! Congrats on the new house.
Are those pictures of the new place or the old place?
It looks like things are pretty level, which makes it a lot easier moving a wheelbarrow.
Maybe borrow another wheelbarrow for the helper?
 
We have sold the house and bought a new (old) one to fix up in a better area. Problem is, I want to take my firewood with me. It is only around 2 miles away. The biggest problem is that I don't have vehicle access to the back yard of the old house so all the wood has to be moved to the front before loading and transporting it.

Me and a helper started moving some of the wood yesterday. We moved just under a 1/3rd of what I have, I think. I had to modify my wheelbarrow with old estate agent boards to enable me to carry more at a time. My friends think I'm crazy, which I probably am. I worked hard to get all this wood last year, and it is all seasoned between 12 -18months by now. All eucalyptus.

I might have to fill up the front lawn as well, since I will be running out of parking space soon.
What does your therapist say?
 
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There is no way I would leave all that hard work behind. I'm with ya bud!
 
This is still the old house. Both plots are level. The old one has grass at the back which slows you down a bit. I have 3 wheelbarrows. The wife ended up helping as well.

I will hopefully get the keys to the new place later this week and will starting moving it across. At least with the new place I can drive to where the wood needs to be offloaded.

I will move a cord of wood to the front every evening after work this week. I estimate that there is around 6-8 cords left at the back. Not tonight though since I picked up a flu bug.
 
You're in South Africa. Just load it on an elephant and have him move it.:)

Been to SA a dozen times and think it is the most beautiful place on earth
 
I like the stone wall and electric fencing on top, must have a lot of eucalyptus wood thieves in S A.

Thats the one thing I dread about my dream to move off this sinking island, moving 25 cord and my Wood Gun.
 
I was in SA a few years ago for work, Just about Every Home has that Fence around it. I asked the guy I was with if you didnt have the fence would your stuff be gone?? He said Yep
 
It is area dependant. I don't have an electric fence. My neighbour does. I have been there for 12 years now without a break in. Like anywhere in the world, you have to be cautious and keep doors locked. We have armed response linked to an alarm system and these guys are on the scene in a flash, normally.

Anyway, this should be a woodshed related discussion...:)
 
Speaking of that, will you be making a wood shed at your new place? Maybe in your climate you don't need one, but it still could neaten things up some.
 
Like anywhere in the world, you have to be cautious and keep doors locked. We have armed response linked to an alarm system and these guys are on the scene in a flash, normally.
Not everywhere! Our house had no working locks, when we moved in. Asked prior owner for keys, he said they hadn't locked their doors in the 20 years they lived there, and had no idea where the keys might be.

On the wood, I'd be moving anything seasoned, leaving anything green. Getting more green wood is easy. Seasoned, not so much! Any wood you leave will make the buyer happy.
 
It is area dependant. I don't have an electric fence. My neighbour does. I have been there for 12 years now without a break in. Like anywhere in the world, you have to be cautious and keep doors locked. We have armed response linked to an alarm system and these guys are on the scene in a flash, normally.

Anyway, this should be a woodshed related discussion...:)

My stay at home wife is my armed response system. :)

That's a lot of work man. But sometimes you just have to grunt and get it done. For jobs like this my motto is stop thinking and keep working.
 
Not everywhere! Our house had no working locks, when we moved in. Asked prior owner for keys, he said they hadn't locked their doors in the 20 years they lived there, and had no idea where the keys might be.

On the wood, I'd be moving anything seasoned, leaving anything green. Getting more green wood is easy. Seasoned, not so much! Any wood you leave will make the buyer happy.
Agree, sometimes your zip code is your best home defense. We don't have keys to any door, leave everything open overnight, and car keys are set on the dash board.
 
The need to lock up is dictated by your location. I am not certain that my house door locks work because I never use them but I have lived in places that failing to check the door lock as I leave would mean that everything would be gone when I return. Use of locks and other protective measures really is location dependent. If I am in a place where I am not certain, my use of locks borders on obsessive.
 
When we moved two years ago I brought 6 cords of wood with me. It sucked. but it could have been worse. I could load ~1 1/2 cords with my truck and trailer. I brought it home and my wife stacked it while I was at work. The next day I did it again. This went on for 4 days.

That winter we had wood heat and didn't regret doing it.
 
Well we did it. I hired some help for 2 days and it made it go a lot faster. All the wood has been moved. It took 4 days with some trips for furniture in between.

I borrowed a large trailer from a friend but after day one I noticed that it was not safe due to some previous chassis damage. It was too large and cumbersome anyway. I then rented a decent trailer from a rental company and this made it more pleasant. I don't have a final photo of all of it, but we filled up that shaded double parking bay eventually. Now I have to move and stack it properly in the very back of the property but I will do that as I get time over the next few weeks/months.

We are 90% done after 5 days but will finish up over the weekend. I had to put up a 100 feet long fence at the same time to keep my dog out of the neighbour's yard.

Oh, the joy of home ownership!!;)
 

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Beautiful driveway. Can you smell my envy from there?
 
Nice place, nice driveway, & nice woodpile.
Great job! Congrats on the new home!
 
Thanks guys. I never realised that this hobby will become an obsession. The wife made me promise that after moving all this wood, I would not sell any of it. People always ask how much I charge for my wood. Now I will just say, my wife said no!!:p
 
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