KEY POINTS:
If there was ever a good time for Kim Marsden's home to teeter on the edge of a major landslip, this was the week.
The 40-year-old Torbay woman was in the midst of moving, so most of her possessions were already packed when her three-bedroom home was severely
damaged and started to slip from its foundations during the weekend.
It is now cordoned off, along with 14 other homes in Lingham Cres, and will have to be demolished.
"For such an awful thing to happen the time was good because the new people hadn't moved in, so they weren't in danger and my stuff had all been packed and I had an alternative place to stay," said Ms Marsden.
"Someone's looking out for me."
Ms Marsden returned home on Sunday - after an overnight power cut - to find her home had been damaged during the storm that lashed the upper North Island.
"I couldn't get in the front door and so I went around the back and there was a big gap between the deck and the house. Then I went into the house and down the stairs and the gib had popped off the wall on the side of the stairwell.
"That's when I thought, 'Oh shit,' and I started looking for cracks."
Realising her home was uninhabitable, Ms Marsden, who was meant to leave yesterday to move to Dannevirke, spent the afternoon packing the remainder of her belongings.
She also called the tenancy agency to say the tenants who were meant to move in tomorrow wouldn't be able to.
On Monday the experts arrived and Ms Marsden and her 18-year-old daughter, Ami, removed their belongings - under close supervision.
"While the earthquake and Geotech guys were there we were taking everything out but we were only allowed four people in the house at a time and someone else had to be watching with 111 on speed dial in case anything happened."
Ms Marsden has been told her home cannot be repaired. It is, however, insured but it will take time to know what will happen.
"The Earthquake Commission have to decide whether the land can be fixed and stabilised before the insurance [company] can start the process of rebuilding. I'm not sure what happens if they can't rebuild."
Three homes in total have been damaged while 11 have been evacuated in case Ms Marsden's slipping home crashes down on to them.
At a press conference on Wednesday, residents asked North Shore Mayor Andrew Williams and Civil Defence Minister Rick Barker when they would be allowed back in their homes. One heavily pregnant woman said she just wanted to retrieve a passport and personal documents.
Mr Barker told the residents engineers were drilling holes into the slip to drain excess water.
"All we can do is wait, I'm told. The slip is still moving. Once the slip is stopped they will be able to assess the situation then hopefully determine who can come back and when."
