Anyone ever moved a house?

I've done some research so I think I'm aware of the obvious potential problems/issues with this. But I'm looking for some first hand advice on the hidden costs and other things that could pose a problem/issue with moving a house. I've seen some houses that are very low cost for sale. I know many houses to be moved are priced pretty low or sometimes free, just because the sellers know the chance of finding someone to go through the extra steps of moving it off their property is pretty slim. Distance traveled is also an issue so the shorter the better cost wise.

Obviously you need the funds, but If you do and you can find a decent plot of land (for the right price of course)to build a foundation to proper size, I don't see why a guy couldn't come out ahead enough to justify this process versus buying an existing house.

A) Hire an insured company to do it.
B) You're not going to come out ahead.

The only time I can see this making sense is if you can get a building that you really, really want but not the plot it is on.

Think historic building about to be torn down...

BoxheadTim wrote: The only time I can see this making sense is if you can get a building that you really, really want but not the plot it is on. Think historic building about to be torn down...

There was a historic building moved from one city to the other. Now its right down the street from me. It was known as a haunted landmark. They built a small medical building where it was. The alarm was going off so much at night, they stopped using it.

They had a rig move it and all the traffic signals taken down between it's original spot to it's current.

My uncle is a building mover and I worked for him a few years as my first job. I don’t really know the cost of everything because every situation is different but things can add up quick.

A lot of the houses we moved were older homes. Most of the time people would buy some old POS then put a huge addition because it was cheaper and easier to get a loan to fix up some old house then to build a new one or at least that’s what I’ve been told.

Often an old house has sagging floor or walls due to foundation problems or old rotted supports. The house is picked up the way it sits then placed on a new foundation. A few times I’ve seen a house that has sagged so much that when it’s placed on the new foundation a corner will be 2-3 feet off the foundation. Once it’s in its new home with a good foundation then the floors, walls, etc can be fixed.

Few costs that I can think of besides the move are:

New Foundation
Structure repair
Fix cracked drywall from move
Plumbing
Electrical
New driveway
New septic system
Mason to rebuild bottom of chimney
Landscaping
Permits
Police detail, electric crew to move power lines, ect.

Here in the Midwest with relatively low housing costs, the conventional wisdom I have always heard is that you have to get the house for free to make this a good deal.

Often due to emanate domain, you can get house that would otherwise be torn down for as little as $1 but all the moving expenses are the responsibility of the buyer.

I have been involved in several house move projects.

DO NOT do it, unless you are in love with the house. It will cost more than building from scratch.

If you LOVE it (family heirloom, fabulous woodwork, historic, etc), do it because you love it. Do not do it to save money. You won't.

Did I say only do it if you LOVE IT?

I've told this to dozens of people who are tempted by a "free" house. A half dozen or so didn't believe me, and did it anyway. I've been right every single time.

Most of the costs are directly related to the particular house:

• The house was a crummy house before they moved it. Otherwise, it wouldn't be free. So, all the repair costs (termites, rot, bad kitchen, baths, whatever), PLUS damage from moving.

• The house was too tall. In order to clear obstacles, they cut off the roof. Everybody always thinks you can re-use the rafters, etc. You can't. They were cut with a chainsaw, and all of the trim, boxing, moldings, and other exterior details were attached to those rafters, so they all need to be rebuilt.

• The house was too wide. The movers cut it in half. See above.

• There is ALWAYS plaster/ drywall damage when you move a house. Sometimes significant.

• That old house didn't have any insulation, and had crappy windows, doors, etc. All this has to be fixed to have a decent house. Costs are much higher than new, because you are retrofitting in existing walls.

• Masons charge more to install foundation walls under a house than when there is no house in the way, and it still doesn't fit.

• The plumbing under the house is gone. Plumber charges upcharges to tie into old cast iron, and you don't discover all the leaks until you move in.

• The electrical was bad before they cut the house in half. Now, well...

• Movers charge a lot. Size and complexity determine price, but $20k and up is normal.

• Moving permits are expensive. Inspectors, city governments, and the power company all get big fees for moving power lines, traffic lights, etc.

• The original owner wants the WHOLE house gone. Now you have to pay for a dumpster/ backhoe for the foundation rubble on the original site.

• If it had a heating system at all, well now not so much. The boiler was in the basement, the AC unit was in the back yard, and all the pipes/ ducts are now damaged.

• The building code requires upgrading the house to new standards. You spent enough to trigger the requirement that the entire house be brought up to code (based on a percentage of value). Now you are pissed at the building inspector, and he really doesn't care.

• The chimney that went through the center of the house doesn't any more. Big holes in roof are bad.

...you want me to continue??

SVreX wrote: Most of the costs are directly related to the particular house: - The house was a crummy house before they moved it. Otherwise, it wouldn't be free. So, all the repair costs (termites, rot, bad kitchen, baths, whatever), PLUS damage from moving. - The house was too tall. In order to clear obstacles, they cut off the roof. Everybody always thinks you can re-use the rafters, etc. You can't. They were cut with a chainsaw, and all of the trim, boxing, moldings, and other exterior details were attached to those rafters, so they all need to be rebuilt. - The house was too wide. The movers cut it in half. See above. - There is ALWAYS plaster/ drywall damage when you move a house. Sometimes significant. - That old house didn't have any insulation, and had crappy windows, doors, etc. All this has to be fixed to have a decent house. Costs are much higher than new, because you are retrofitting in existing walls. - Masons charge more to install foundation walls under a house than when there is no house in the way, and it still doesn't fit. - The plumbing under the house is gone. Plumber charges upcharges to tie into old cast iron, and you don't discover all the leaks until you move in. - The electrical was bad before they cut the house in half. Now, well... - Movers charge a lot. Size and complexity determine price, but $20k and up is normal. - Moving permits are expensive. Inspectors, city governments, and the power company all get big fees for moving power lines, traffic lights, etc. - The original owner wants the WHOLE house gone. Now you have to pay for a dumpster/ backhoe for the foundation rubble on the original site. - If it had a heating system at all, well now not so much. The boiler was in the basement, the AC unit was in the back yard, and all the pipes/ ducts are now damaged. - The building code requires upgrading the house to new standards. You spent enough to trigger the requirement that the entire house be brought up to code (based on a percentage of value). Now you are pissed at the building inspector, and he really doesn't care. - The chimney that went through the center of the house doesn't any more. Big holes in roof are bad. ...you want me to continue??

You pretty much helped me make up my mind.

Like anything else I guess if it sounds too good to be true it usually is.

In reply to drainoil:

I frequently say way too much. Glad it helped you.

SVreX wrote: In reply to drainoil: I frequently say way too much. Glad it helped you.

I'm appreciative for the specific points you made. You speak from experience obviously.

My sister and BIL moved a house from a used house lot to an island offshore. The whole thing cost less than $70K.

As a counterpoint to SvReX's story of misery and woe, my family had one moved to the family farm. It was a 1500sq ft ranch that was moved 5 miles. The trick was, it was moved by water on a barge. The only problems that came up were two power lines that had to be lifted a couple of feet with a hot stick. Once at the new location it was jacked 12 feet in the air and a 1st floor built under it out of block. All of the finishing of the 1st floor, plumbing, and electrical was done by the family over a summer while we camped in it on the weekends. They ended up with a 3000sq ft house for about $15K. We called it the Playhouse and still do.

They get moved fairly often around here. I came up behind one just before Christmas trucking down a 4 lane road in the middle of nowhere.

Circumstances need to be ideal for it to work, and a lot of the times it probably doesn't, but I wouldn't write off the idea out of hand. Do some more research.

Crap I feel old now.

I dug through some of my pictures and found these. Taken back in the age of film cameras. This house was moved almost 30 years ago so SvRex is probably a little more up to date than my experience.

Just off the barge and being dragged through a field to it's new home.

First floor construction.

One more. The house has grown a good bit since the earlier pictures.

My grandfather took me to see a building moved when I was a kid. If your house looks like a giant duck it may be worth it.

October 2007 - Davis Construction moved Long Island's famous Big Duck four miles up the road to it's new home. The move began around 11 pm with a crowd cheering the Davis team on! The Big Duck traveled through the night and safely arrived at its Flanders home around 4 am. Read the Dan's Papers version here. Originally located on West Main Street in Riverhead, The Big Duck was relocated in 1936 to Route 24 in Flanders. In 1987, the duck, in the path of a new housing development, was donated to Suffolk County and moved to the entrance to Sears Bellows County Park. Guy Davis working in the family business moved the Big Duck in 1987. And now in 2007, Davis Construction has moved the Big Duck back its former home (the spot it was moved from in 1987).

The Big Duck measures 30 feet from beak to tail, 15 feet from wing to wing, and 20 feet from its base to the top of its head! It was built in 1931 by George Reeve and set designers, brothers William and Samuel Collins. Originally conveived and owned by duck farmers Martin and Jeule Maurer, the Big Duck is constructed of a wooden frame, covered by wire mesh and concrete with two Model-T tailights for eyes that glow red at night.

http://www.davisbuildingmovers.com/id78.html

I have no idea how much it costs but my FIL worked for a company moving houses after he got out of the Army in the 60's. From the stories he told me it has to be expensive and is a big pain in the butt.