My Housemoving Adventure

My adventure began when I purchased an old pier and beam home and had it moved about 30 miles away to some property I had purchased. Bill Hester and Son Housemovers in Rendon, Texas made the move simple. They pulled all of the TXDOT permits and coordinated the resources. They even provided interim funding due to the fact that banks do not believe this can be done.

Moving a house is cheaper than new construction and often has better material and workmanship. It may also have sentimental (old family home?) or heritage value. From a developer's point of view, he/she may save $5,000 to $10,000 in demolition costs by saving the house. If a property is subdividable, typically the original house will straddle proposed new property lines. Simply moving the house over a few feet and constructing a new foundation will free up a spare lot to help pay down the mortgage or allow you to move on another house or construct a new one.

Any exterior additions that were not moved (i.e. decks, additions, lean-tos, etc.) were removed. All brickwork/chimneys that were not  moved were removed. All services were disconnected. All appliances (furnace, hot water tank, doors and frames, air conditioner, ducting, etc.) were salvaged and re-used.

There were a few cracks in the drywall, especially over doorways (but no more than you would see in an average new house that settled). The new foundation was not exactly the same as the original and the house settled accordingly. The remedial work was minimal. No structural damage occurred.

It is interesting to note that many people will pay to have a house moved off of their property to avoid demolition costs, which obviously offsets construction costs. Look for properties being re-zoned to commercial applications. Contact the developer and work a deal that suits both parties. Transportation departments, utility companies, cities and the like often have to have structures moved to accommodate growth. It is a win/win situation. I have heard stories of people actually making money after paying the housemovers. If time is on your side be sure and negotiate the best deal possible.

Two story structures involve movement of overhead power lines, which quickly increases the cost. It is possible to separate the levels or remove the roof. The cost of the crane and labor make it a less favorable alternative. I recommend sticking with one story structures.

For those who are considering moving a home in the Dallas/Fort Worth area I recommend Hester Housemoving. They have generations of experience. I consider them friends at this point.

 

      

The land was cleared little by little using an old tractor. I burned up a chainsaw during this process. The pictures are of what would later become a driveway and garden area.

       

I bought another chainsaw and kept going. The trees were piled and burned. It took about a month to make the piles and about 3 days to burn them.

   

I bought an old Ford 8N tractor, which smokes like a burning stump. I am hauling four medium oak trees down the drive for proper disposal (a large fire).

               

The secret to any large project is to get good help. Bear and Bean Contract Services was just the ticket. These two logged a number of hours clearing brush and helping the foreman with tools and materials. The eldest of the partners was a bit eccentric.

   

This portion of the  house is on dollies at Hester's facility. The house was moved in sections and was re-attached at my lot. The windows were boarded to prevent damage during transport.

          

The house is going down a road leading to my property. The left image is an avi (movie).

                    

Coming down the drive was not easy, but was done professionally and efficiently. Click on the left box for an avi (movie). Note that one Mack truck is pulling the house from the bottom while another is chained to the back for control. I think that it is interesting to note that the majority of this equipment is built in-house. It is a point of pride with many housemovers.

The house was placed on cribbing awaiting foundation

Forms are placed under the house for the concrete pier and beam foundation

The house was then finished within a matter of hours, this is the aerial view.

 

this link has some more pics of my journey

http://www.geocities.com/detective_dm_dennis/

International Association of Structural Movers logo Visit the International Association of Structural Movers.

TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF STRUCTURAL MOVERS

 http://www.texashousemovers.com/index.html

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