Dissectum Acer, approx. 5 metres high and across: planted in around 2008.

Dssr

This Acer comes with a house we’re in the process of buying and was planted by the previous occupant in the front garden. However, it blocks a rather large window and encroaches onto the driveway.

In other words, it must go!

Is there any cost-effective way to remove, transport and replant, or is it a case of chopping down (which would be a real shame)?

Fairygirl

Chopping down isn't too difficult, but yes- it's a shame if you have to do that.
Alternatively, depending on the site, you can prune it carefully, keeping the shape to avoid the plum pudding look, which will give you a smaller version. 
That can be done when it's dormant - late winter is ideal 

punkdoc

At 5 metres, it is going to be very hard to move it.

Dssr

There is a company that moves trees with their unique spade lorry. Not sure what an Acer of that size would be worth to someone to pay out for that method? I'd prefer to give it away so it could be re-planted. However, I have a feeling its going to be a chainsaw and skip.

Fairygirl

I think it would be difficult to sell because as the others have said - that won't be easy to get re established. 
Apologies - I missed you asking about moving it. 

Doghouse Riley

Dssr said:

There is a company that moves trees with their unique spade lorry. Not sure what an Acer of that size would be worth to someone to pay out for that method? I'd prefer to give it away so it could be re-planted. However, I have a feeling its going to be a chainsaw and skip.

This is a shame as if it were accessible and could be moved it could be worth a lot of money.

We have a thirty plus year old  acer palmatum which I keep to about ten feet across in  our small garden.

On a visit to Bents garden centre about ten years ago, we saw a similar one left to grow naturally,  which was about ten feet tall. It was in a huge wooden tub. I was curious about the price, so I looked at the tag, it said £3,000.

AuntyRach

As a massive lover of Acers, I would urge you to go and see the tree in a few weeks time - you will fall in love with the Autumn colours. I hope you can find a way to have it re-planted if pruning it isn’t enough. I wonder if a school or park would take it on? 

Doghouse Riley

AuntyRach said:

As a massive lover of Acers, I would urge you to go and see the tree in a few weeks time - you will fall in love with the Autumn colours. I hope you can find a way to have it re-planted if pruning it isn’t enough. I wonder if a school or park would take it on? 

As I always say, "each to their own."

But it's a common suggestion to anyone moving into a new house,  to not do anything with the garden immediately unless it's in the way of a needed extension.

Best to leave it for a few months and consider all the options, then make a decision.

cmarkr

Lift the crown to unblock the window and prune back where it's in the way of the driveway. 
They do have compact root balls but at 5m I think it'll be too much to move. If you're just going to kill it anyway then no harm in trying by pruning back to a manageable size and trying to dig as much rootball as possible. Do it after leaf drop, ideally prune hard in winter then wait until spring when the buds are starting to extend before digging up and replanting.

Dssr

We will be taking our own Acers with us and would love to keep this one, but the tree resides in the only place the second car has to go. 

Fairygirl

It's a shame @Dssr, but it's unlikely it would survive being moved, and even if it did come out successfully,  it would need to have someone who had the knowledge and experience to get it established. Some of the bog standard purple palmatums, for example, are very easy to grow, and take all sorts of abuse, but unfortunately, most of them aren't as straightforward, especially at that size and maturity.  

It's your plot, and you have to do what suits you. At least you have others for the new garden