To the casual observer, Heather MacEachern's future abode — with its sections surgically cut apart and walls sealed off with duct tape and tarp — might seem like a Frankenstein-like mess. But this situation doesn't faze Ms. MacEachern: She's recycling an unwanted house that's in perfectly good condition by moving it — and saving a few bucks in the process.
Ms. MacEachern, a Toronto resident, wanted to live near her mother in Clearview, Ont., about an hour's drive north of the city. "To realistically build a new house [costs] an arm and a leg," she says. "This is our way of being able to be [in Clearview] without having to kill ourselves with mortgage payments."
The road she travelled to find her new home wasn't an easy one. Finding a homeowner willing to hand over a house headed for the landfill in perfectly good condition isn't exactly an easy task. But fate was kind to her: She found exactly what she was looking for … at a garden party.
Enter HGTV's Design for Living Kimberly Seldon. Last August, Ms. MacEachern's sister catered a party Ms. Seldon was hosting on her property in near Creemore, Ont., adjacent to the Niagara Escarpment. Ms. MacEachern, who was assisting her sister that day, struck up a conversation with Ms. Seldon as she toured the quaint, country-styled home.
Ms. Seldon mentioned that although she enjoyed the location of the property, the house itself wasn't something she was exactly thrilled about. Plus, she wanted the opportunity to flex her interior decorating skills and build her own dream home.
"I was quite surprised to hear that from Kimberly, to say the least. It was a great house," Ms. MacEachern says. "Just walking in there, from the get-go … it felt like it was something I would have built if I started from scratch."
The teal-coloured house, described by Ms. Seldon as a "sweet, little country clapboard," is a "E-shaped" three-bedroom bungalow with two bathrooms. The amenities are practical, featuring a full kitchen, spacious living area and two-car garage.
"It's kind of country kitschy on the inside. Before the Seldons bought it, a rural couple owned it, so there's rooster wallpaper all over the place," Ms. MacEachern says.
After the party was over, Ms. MacEachern mentioned to her mother, a real estate agent, how unfortunate it was that such a nice house would go to waste.
"So [my mother] said, 'I have a great idea. I know a house mover. Why don't you call the Seldons and see if they would be willing to have you take on their house,'" Ms. MacEachern remembers.
"[The Seldons] thought about it later that night and the next day, it was a go."
What was even more generous was that Ms. Seldon wanted nothing for the house.
"Everybody saves a bit of cash this way," Ms. Seldon says. "And we've kinda bonded through it all."
After the necessary permits were acquired, Ms. MacEachern has begun the process that will see all the parts of the 2,300-square-foot residence moved about two kilometres to a lot alongside her parents' home by the beginning of September.
To do that, Ms. MacEachern hired an independent contractor, Ivan Weatherall, who has been moving houses for more than 25 years.
First, Mr. Weatherall had to separate the house into five sections. After the eves and shingles were removed, a sawsall, or reciprocating saw, was used to make precise cuts along the walls of the house to ensure that everything would easily fit back into place.
Once the house was separated, Mr. Weatherall began lifting each section onto a trailer, using wooden stilts and large airbags. Temporary plastic tarps are attached to ensure the exposed walls aren't damaged in the moving process. When the house is transported to its new lot, the sections will be reattached using nails and fresh drywall.
Mr. Weatherall says that for a house of that size, the move usually takes six weeks and will cost the MacEacherns about $65,000.
Ms. MacEachern estimates that she and her husband have saved just under $200,000 by recycling a home rather than building a new one.
Ms. Seldon will also save $40,000 in demolition costs, and will likely receive a healthy dose of good karma by gifting the residence away.
Along with saving some cash, there is also the green benefits of recycling a house.
"Living in Toronto … I see all these bungalows being torn down and these monstrosities set up. I totally believe that if someone had the vision to start something up where these little bungalows can be relocated for affordable housing, it would just save a lot of garbage in the landfills," she adds.
While moving a house is something that Mr. Weatherall does about 10 times a year, he rarely sees a house recycled to a new homeowner. When homes are demolished, they often end up in landfill sites But some conscientious contractors try to recycle things such as windows, doors, trim, baseboards and crown mouldings by using them in other residences. There's also the option of giving the parts to a Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
Ms. Seldon thinks such houses should be moved more often. "People don't realize that it's a viable option. It actually saves you money as the homeowner because you don't have to pay demolition costs, and the house doesn't end up in a landfill."
The realization that a lifelong dream of living in the country is about to come true now preoccupies Ms. MacEachern. She checks up on the house's progress weekly, and can hardly contain her excitement.
"We go up every weekend to my parents' place and there's four of us in one bedroom, so we all can't wait to have a bit more space" so her children can have their own rooms.
"I have recurring nightmares that the house is going to fall apart or collapse," she adds, "but I'm pretty confident it will turn out okay. I'm just excited that we're finally going to have a larger place to live and a home to start our own traditions and memories."