There was a larger than expected turnout for yesterday's Lismore Housing Expo at the South Lismore Bowling Club. The number of people surprised most stallholders.

All aspects of Lismore housing and recovery were on offer to discuss and ponder including house removals, house raisings, home retrofits, available grants, financing, tiny homes and more.

Rachel Gelzinnis told the Lismore App she got the answers she was looking for.

"I've been offered a buyback and I want to relocate my home. I feel better because I wasn't sure what that actually entails."

"I've just recently had the house rebuilt back to what it was before (the flood) and it's looking fantastic. But, I've heard all these stories about relocation, you know, damage to the home and I was just worried about all this stuff that I've done. Is it going to be worth it? All those fears have been allayed because they told me that they know what they're doing and not much damage will happen. There might be something they'll have to fix but nowhere near what I thought."

The exact cost to move Rachel's house cannot be quoted until she knows where she is going.

"They can't really give me an exact cost until I know where the land is and I don't know where the land is because I'm waiting on Resilient Lands. I've allowed in my head around a hundred grand and they said it's probably going to be around that depending on what needs to be done."

As for the Resilient Lands Program, Rachel was told not long ago it would be by the end of October.

"But the end of October has come and gone and no further information has been given to me about that."

John Wright from Queensland House Removers offered an alternative option for house relocations if money plays a big part in the decision.

"I've worked in these areas all my life and I've got a fair idea what's happening driving around town. I've had a lot of people calling me in the office, I would say we had mobs come to talk to us about more than 100 houses to relocate from builders and stuff like that."

John looks at 12 to 14 houses every week in Brisbane that have not been flood-affected.

"If they're not in good nick or need minor renovations, they're not really worth taking. Out of fourteen, I look at, probably three are worthwhile relocating."

Without seeing flood-affected houses in Lismore, John's experience gives him an educated guess as to how many flood-affected homes are likely to be cost-effective to move.

"I don't want to say this, and I hate saying it, but I believe that probably when I'm driving around seeing flooded houses maybe 90% of them wouldn't be worth relocating and redoing up cost wise."

John's example revolved around the cost of cutting a house in two, moving it and putting it back on its foundations and being structurally sound.

"Let's say from 80 to 120 grand. From there, it comes down to renovation, connecting a sewer, plumbing, connecting electricity. Those things are what can cost a lot of money in the wrong house," John explained.

"The cost depends on whether there is town water, all sorts of things, but let's say the simplest job with a sewer, town water connection could be maybe $15 to $20,000 for those two, up to maybe $60,000 for tank water, fix-ups etc. That's excluding any of your renovation stuff."

"I'm a builder myself, and a lot of renovations are a piece of string. Like I said, it really does depend and if they are flood-affected, then it gets harder again."

This is where John offers an alternative for people with houses that would cost over $130,000 in renovations after it was moved.

"We can transport a brand new two-bedroom house for around $200,000 all done, finished inspections, fire ratings, your energy efficiency, everything else ready to go. That's even fitting a set of stairs. Three beds probably about $230,000. They're not huge houses, but they're quite practical and fully finished for that sort of money."

It comes down to an emotional versus a financial decision and how much someone is willing to spend.

There are some unknowns when making financial calculations, such as the cost of a block of land through the Resilient Homes Program, as mentioned by Rachel Gilzinnis, however, some rough estimates need to be made.

Someone who has received a $600,000 house buyback could spend $350,000 for a flood-free block of land before spending $100,000 to move the house and $20,000 to get water and electricity connected. That would leave $130,000 to complete the renovations to leave the house in a pre-flood condition. Then there is the cost of furniture and appliances depending on what is needed.

The higher the renovation costs above $130,000, the better off someone would be to simply move a two or three-bedroom house that is ready to live in. That cost could be $550,000 for two bedrooms and $580,000 for three leaving $50,000 to $20,000 to spend on household items.

Of course, that is dependent on the value of the land. A block costing $300,000 leaves an extra $50,000 in the renovation and household purchase kitty.

Until the Resilient Lands Program is released, flood-affected residents can only estimate what their overall costs will be. In the meantime, getting a renovation quote from a builder, if you can get one to quote, will add important information to make a sound financial decision when the Resilient Lands Program is finally announced.