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What to Know About Moving a House

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Executive Realty 91362

Moving from home to home is never easy, packing up all your possessions and transporting them to their new location. While this is bad enough, some people go even further.

Choosing, instead, to actually move their entire house. Though it might seem extreme, moving a house is possible, and there are often excellent reasons to do it.

As you might imagine, transporting a house from its original location to a new one is going to be costly. We'll take a look at what it takes to move your home somewhere else, the cost to move a house, and reasons why people choose to do this.

Let's take a look at everything you need to know to see if it makes sense.

Can You Really Physically Move a House?

Physically moving a house shouldn't be confused with just moving your stuff from one home to another. Physically moving refers to lifting the home from its foundations and carrying it on a truck to a new destination.

This may sound like a complicated job, and you wouldn't be wrong, but there are teams of professionals experienced in doing this. These experienced professionals can give you a price to move a house and take care of all the complications along the way.

But why would you want to move your home?

Why Do Homeowners Choose This Option?

Though moving your home is far from the easiest option, there are many good reasons to do it.

Historic Homes

If you own a property that is old or historical in some way, it makes a lot of sense to move it somewhere else. Perhaps the home has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places, for instance.

The area that it is located in might have changed significantly since it was originally constructed, so moving it to a new area allows the building to be preserved.

Staying in the Home

If you really love your house and don't want to move, but you have to, physically moving the house could be an option.

Shoreline Erosion

If the home is located on a shoreline that is being eroded, moving the home may be the best solution. If the situation keeps getting worse, eventually, it will cause damage to the property.

Repositioning the House

If the home is near a busy road and you have the space, moving the house further back might improve things. If you have bought a neighboring lot either in a subdivision or a country road, lifting the house and moving it nearer the center can make a lot of sense.

Repairing Foundations

If the foundations of the home need a serious fix, lifting the home can help. It doesn't mean transporting the property anywhere else. It can just be jacked up to allow repairs. You might also want to move it in this instance as well, though. A new foundation could be poured elsewhere.

Putting in a Basement

Lifting the house and raising the foundations can give more room for a basement. Once again, this doesn't require moving the home anywhere else but does allow you to create a better basement space in your property.

If you have decided that having your home transported to a new location is the right choice for you, one important question remains...

How Much to Move a House?

Maximum Real Estate Exposure has a great resource covering all the pricing which has been referenced above. Make sure you check it out for in-depth coverage of the costs.

No two house moves will be the same, so the cost to move a house will be unique to the situation. Factors that will affect the price your pay include how far you need the home moved, the size of the house involved, and the location.

You can expect the price to move a house to start at around $20,000 for a straightforward move. Costs can rise to several hundred thousand dollars for more complicated and longer moves.

For example, industry experts expect a 1,800 square foot home to cost between $12 and $16 per square foot to move on average. Though simply moving the house isn't your only expense. You might still need to buy the land, build the foundations, prepare for the move, and pay permits.

Factors Affecting the Cost to Move a House

Size and Shape

The larger the home is, the more it's going to cost to move. The shape of the structure is also important to the cost and also whether it's even possible.

There will be more expense involved in moving a larger property, and if it is a more difficult shape, more preparations will need to be made for the route it will take.

The materials used in the construction of the building also affect the cost. While any type of construction can be moved, some will be more costly than others.

Foundations

The foundations used to construct the home originally can make things easier or more difficult to move the house. Concrete slab foundations tend to be the easiest homes to move, but some older properties might have less stable foundations.

Additions

Homes with porches, decks, balconies, and garages require more work to move. This will increase the amount of time it takes to prepare and move the home, though it will probably work out better to keep the home intact overall.

How to Move a House

Physically moving a house requires a lot of planning and preparation. Drawings and plans need to be made, and permits applied for. When everything is ready, it is only then that the process of moving home can begin.

The route needs to be prepared by a general contractor. This might mean cutting trees back, removing power lines, telephone lines, and traffic lights. Help will be required for some of these things from the power company and other utilities.

There need to be other preparations completed at the destination. Foundations will need to be dug and poured. The location will also have to be made ready for utilities to be connected when the house arrives.

It will be highly advisable to get a property survey done by a surveyor to make sure there are no local zoning violations or problems with property line locations.

When everything is ready, the moving company will drill holes into the foundation and jack up the house. Dollies can be placed under the house so they can be driven to the new plot.

Once the route has been successfully navigated, the house can be driven over the new foundations and lowered onto a steel structure.

New foundations can be built to support the house and the steel structure removed. After that, utilities can be connected, and the finishing touches are made to complete the move.

Final Thoughts

Moving a house from one location is possible, but it certainly won't be cheap. It will be imperative to do plenty of due diligence before committing to such a crucial decision. Take your time to do the necessary research. Hopefully, the tips provided have helped plan for the house move.

Posted by

With three decades of experience, Bill Gassett is an authority in the real estate sector. Bill writes informative articles for numerous prestigious real estate sites to help buyers, sellers, and fellow real estate agents. His work has been featured on RIS Media, the National Association of Realtors, Inman News, Placester, Realty Biz News, Credit Sesame, and his own authority resource, Maximum Real Estate Exposure. Reach out to Bill Gassett for his real estate, mortgage, and financial expertise.

Comments (4)

Carol Williams
Although I'm retired, I love sharing my knowledge and learning from other real estate industry professionals. - Wenatchee, WA
Retired Agent / Broker / Prop. Mgr, Wenatchee, WA

Hi Bill,
This is an interesting subject. Sometimes I wish I could move my house but, unfortunately, the structure isn't conducive to doing so.

Jul 21, 2021 07:33 AM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Hi Bill:

Well done and educational post for those who might need or want to move a house. I saw several homes move during my time in New England and it always seemed like quite the process, and a challenge on some of those roads!

Jeff

Jul 24, 2021 11:08 AM
Bill Gassett

No doubt that moving a house isn't easy Jeff Dowler, CRS - hope you are doing well!

Jul 26, 2021 07:43 AM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Hi Bill Gassett - You have supplied us with a lot of information for those who may be thinking about this possibility.  Happy Sunday!

Jul 25, 2021 09:28 AM
Bill Gassett

There is definitely quite a bit to know about physically moving a house Sheri Sperry - MCNE® .

Jul 26, 2021 07:44 AM
Pat Starnes-Front Gate Realty
Front Gate Real Estate - Brandon, MS
601-991-2900 Office; 601-278-4513 Cell

Growing up, I saw several older homes that had been moved from one location to another. Usually they relocated less than a mile or so from the original location. One thing to take into consideration is navigating traffic and utility lines. That's a job for the professional house movers but important to remember.

Jul 28, 2021 04:00 PM
Bill Gassett

Very true Pat! Moving a house is an adventure for sure.

Aug 03, 2021 10:04 AM