I paid $400,000 to move my 139-year-old Victorian home 6 blocks away – I stopped traffic as it rolled in road on wheels
A real estate agent with ambitious renovation plans has paid to have his two-story Victorian home moved to a property at the end of the street.
The San Francisco investor invested over $400,000 to move the large building just six blocks away for further renovations.
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Tim Brown bought the 139-year-old in 2013 for $2.6 million, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Now he hopes to convert the iconic English house into seven separate residential units.
Over 15 permits were required to ensure the move could go ahead.
Phil Joy, a professional mover, explained that there were many moving parts to balance while moving the house downhill.
A large truck with a “Heavy Duty” sign was used to transport the house and the road had to be cleared of bushes and road signs to make more space.
The trip took about an hour, which was no easy task for the moving team that accompanied the house to the new location.
About 600 people gathered on Sunday morning to watch the incredible parade.
“It’s like a carnival procession,” spectator Dan Newmark told The Daily Mail.
“I’m obsessed with old houses and I’ve always seen this house walk by. I wondered how long it would stay here. Now I know,” another viewer commented.
“There used to be a lot more Victorians here,” another viewer added.
Classic Victorian architecture has been a symbol of San Francisco for centuries.
Many community members were grateful that Brown chose to preserve the historic site rather than demolish it.
“These houses are part of the fabric of San Francisco,” Fiona McDougall, a member of the Victorian Alliance of San Francisco, told the Chronicle.
“It’s important to preserve them rather than replace them with a series of coolers,” McDougall added.
Moving houses was commonplace in San Francisco in the early 20th century.
The last time San Franciscans experienced such a massive home transplant was in 1974, when 12 homes were moved to a nearby plaza in the same neighborhood.
Horses were used to pull the buildings down the street, and workers used boards and ties to rebuild the front of the houses in their new locations.
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