To avoid having his home demolished, a man in China decided to move house - literally.

Mr Gao Yiping spent 330,000 yuan (S$68,800) to move his three-storey house 40m away from its original location, where the authorities are planning to construct a road, reported Chinese media Jxnews.com.

Using more than 1,000 wooden sleepers, workers took six weeks to pull the house in Duchang county, Jiangxi province, to its new location last September.

Mr Gao said he has been living in the house for less than a year, and it had cost him one million yuan to build and decorate.

"I couldn't bear to demolish it," Mr Gao was quoted as saying on Monday (March 26).

"Based on my calculations, even if I spend 400,000 yuan moving the house, it's still cheaper and faster than building an entirely new home," he added.

He also said the authorities compensated him with 680,000 yuan for having to move house.

His success at moving his home has also spurred his neighbour to do the same, reported Jxnews.com.

A four-storey house nearby was also in the midst of being moved 120m away from its original location.

The owner, Mr Jiang Weimin, is also planning to change the direction of the house by 90 degrees. As such, the operation will cost 60,000 yuan more than Mr Gao's.

However, netizens have questioned whether the house will be safe for occupants after moving it.

In response, Mr Gao said he has not seen any cracks in the walls since he moved back in three months ago.