Value Of House To Be Moved Off Property

[DREA Dean]

I had an unusual call yesterday. The property is a single-story home along a busy road. The property is being taken for a road widening, and the taking authority has had a couple of inquiries from people interested in relocating/moving the house off the property. The authority wants to know how much they should charge or expect to get from this sort of deal. They were prepared to pay to have the house razed, but now think it should be possible to collect some money for the house instead of paying out for demolition.

Does anyone have any experience with houses (not properties) being bought to move off-site? What do the buyers typically pay to buy the houses? Any sale or other information is appreciated.

FWIW, the house is a one-story ranch home containing 1,800 SF on top of a basement. I don't see that actually moving the house will be that much of a challenge for a house/structure moving company, particularly since the interested parties want to move it relatively short distances. I'm thinking that the taking authority should just advertise for bids from interested buyers and see what happens, but the authority wants some idea of what prices to expect.

 

[Meandering]

The few houses I know of that were moved, were moved by the owners, not buyers. Have you investigated the costs to move a home, locally?

 

[Mr Rex]

Several years ago they moved a bunch of houses during a road widening locally. The houses sold for $5-10k. It cost roughly the same thing to initially remove them from the site(s) on the DOTs dime and then another $5-10k to move them to the final location after they were sold on the buyers dime. So the DOT lost money or broke even at best but given the demo and landfill fees if they had not sold them etc they came out ahead.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

What do the buyers typically pay to buy the houses?

The last one I know of was about 10 years ago and it was $10,000 and the cost to move it was close to $15,000. So the distance and difficulty of moving is the key. But if they were going to have to pay to demolish, why not just give it away? Problem solved. In days gone by, including the old house that once set in my yard, people demolished these houses just to recover the lumber. The guy who was given this one came to my dad and asked if it was alright if you resold the project. Dad said fine as long as he did what they had agreed. The guy got a calf for the building and the fellow tore it down. But remember, there was no plumbing, no insulation, and thus the surplus trash generated by a more modern home did not exist. All that was left was a pile of hand hewn foundation rocks which my father buried. When I chose to drill a well near that site, trenching exposed many of those rocks and I sold a pile of them to a guy to do landscaping. I bet there are at least as many still in the ground.

BTW, my grandfather remembered when that house above was built and said the pine timber was brought by wagon from 30 miles away in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). There were 2 x 4's full dimension, 24' long without a knot. This is the house. My grandfather is the little boy on the left. Do you see the woman?

 

[TRESinc]

similar experience for me. i didn't actually appraise the property but a church wanted to expand and they bought the house and lot next to them. they had an auction for the house (~1500sf bungalow) and it sold for $8,000. i knew the neighbor of where the house ended up and he told me they had spent an additional $18,000 to have it moved.

i found the woman above

 

[Meandering]

She needs a tan

 

[Vermonter]

BTW, my grandfather remembered when that house above was built and said the pine timber was brought by wagon from 30 miles away in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). There were 2 x 4's full dimension, 24' long without a knot. This is the house. My grandfather is the little boy on the left. Do you see the woman?

They used to move houses back in the day quite often around here. Not sure if it was cheaper to move or the houses were better able to withstand it, but I know of 5 or 6 19th century houses that were moved in my town alone. All done in the 30s and 40s. My CPA just moved her 1850s colonial to a new foundation about 200ft away and it cost her $20k just for the lift and move.....and NO guarantees it wouldn't crumble during the trip.

 

[DWiley]

An old college classmate of mine has moved and re-sold many houses over the years. In his case, the most common arrangement is that the house itself is the fee for moving it.

 

[Howard Klahr]

Obviously the prices paid for houses that were moved to other sites will vary by locale as well as other characteristics about the improvements. You should be able to locate quite a few by reaching out to house moving companies and then researching the purchases from there. More common with older vintage historical properties as opposed to modern construction and I'm also sure not every structure can be moved.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

I'm also sure not every structure can be moved.

I am surprised by what can be moved. I never thought a house on concrete slab could be moved until I saw them do it.