Relocatable homes burgled, ransacked

An entire kitchen and flooring are among items being stolen from homes already sold and due to be moved out of the path of the yet-to-be-completed Tauranga Eastern Arterial Link.

Thieves have ransacked some homes, stripping them of anything worth money. About $60,000 worth of gear from local contractors has also been taken.

An entire rimu kitchen, carpet flooring, doors, framing and hot water cylinders have also been taken from vacant homes awaiting relocation.

Hayley Tawhiti, from relocation company We Move Houses, said they held the tender to move about 20 houses, most of which had already by on-sold to eager buyers.

On Sunday, one of the vacant homes burned to the ground at Maketu.

With no electricity or services leading to the house, Ms Tawhiti suspected arson was to blame - and it was likely to be one of the people ripping off the homes, she said.

"People think these homes are to be demolished, so they think they can just come in take what they want. But they aren't.

"These homes are to be relocated. People have bought these houses."

Ms Tawhiti took the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend around one of the "worst hit" properties at Maketu.

"This was a stunning seven-bedroom house. It is a big sub-section family home."

Every window and doorway had been boarded up after thieves smashed their way in and removed all doors, including an entire ranch-slider door at the rear of the property.

"There is actually no ranch-slider anymore.

"They have taken the framing, everything. The beautiful rimu kitchen, that's gone.

"They have taken that, they have taken the carpet. There's just nothing."

Appalled, Ms Tawhiti has since arranged surveillance of the house.

She said the people responsible would have had to have been at the house for some time while removing the items.

"What they have done, it's not just a 10-minute job."

At another one of the houses, a container holding $60,000 worth of contractor's gear was also broken into.

Ms Tawhiti said they were still dealing with their insurance agents and would not know how much had been taken financially until the insurers completed their assessment.

The houses targeted are mostly in areas where there are no neighbours nearby.

The matter has been referred to police who were unable to comment.