Migrating Real Estate, or How a 100-Year-Old House Was Moved in Canada

Migrating Real Estate, or How a 100-Year-Old House Was Moved in Canada
Migrating Real Estate, or How a 100-Year-Old House Was Moved in Canada
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Who has not dreamed that his house would find himself in the place where he currently works, studies, or just wants to move to another settlement with him? It would seem fantastic, but such "moving" is actively practiced in some countries. Capital houses are especially mobile in Canada, where real estate migration is considered commonplace. A vivid confirmation of this was the "travel" by several means of transport at once in an old house built at the beginning of the last century in Vancouver. The enterprising owners decided to move it entirely to a small island where the picturesque town of Union Bay is located.

In Canada, they managed to move an old house from one city to another without dismantling the building (British Columbia)
In Canada, they managed to move an old house from one city to another without dismantling the building (British Columbia)

A curious case took place in Canada, in the province of British Columbia, its protagonist was an old frame house, which, at the behest of the new owners, ended up in a completely different city on Vancouver Island. It all started with the fact that the large Ford family decided to acquire their own home ownership in the small town of Union Bay, but there was no money to buy a full-fledged real estate.

Spouses Ben and Jen Ford decided to buy a house in Vancouver and moved it to the town of Union Bay (Canada). © Nickel Bros
Spouses Ben and Jen Ford decided to buy a house in Vancouver and moved it to the town of Union Bay (Canada). © Nickel Bros

Given the exorbitant value of the houses, spouses Ben and Jen had no chance of acquiring a ready-made building suitable for habitation, so they compromised and bought a plot of land with an old house for demolition. It was impossible to live in it, so the couple were actively looking for a suitable option and stumbled upon a rather nice cottage, built in 1915, which was being sold at a bargain price.

The building unsuitable for life was demolished, and a solid house from Vancouver (Canada) was brought in its place
The building unsuitable for life was demolished, and a solid house from Vancouver (Canada) was brought in its place

Interesting fact from Novate.ru: “Moving” entire houses in Canada is a fairly common thing. Thanks to professionals, the house, as a rule, created using frame technologies, is securely fixed around the perimeter and cut off from the foundation, after which it is installed on special platforms. These platforms can be transported by tractors or barges if it is necessary to cross water obstacles. In a new place, it is installed on a previously prepared foundation. Such manipulations are carried out by companies that practice the purchase of old houses for demolition. To begin with, they buy them, take them out of the plots, completely restore them, and then send them to any part of the country at more affordable prices.

The house, cut from its foundations, was placed on a tractor platform and transported to the port of Richmond, British Columbia. © Nickel Bros
The house, cut from its foundations, was placed on a tractor platform and transported to the port of Richmond, British Columbia. © Nickel Bros

Having previously stipulated the terms of the transaction and the cost, which turned out to be only 100 thousand dollars. (the average cost of a habitable house of the same size starts from 750-800 thousand dollars), Fords turned to a company that deals with this kind of transportation for help. Since this charming house was a skeleton frame and even very old, they decided to transport it from Vancouver to their city in a fully assembled form without disassembling it. According to the technology worked out over the years, the old house was placed on a special platform and sent to the port of Richmond for further shipment.

The barge transportation took 8 hours (British Columbia). © Ben Nelms, Reuters
The barge transportation took 8 hours (British Columbia). © Ben Nelms, Reuters

Naturally, before each such "journey" a team of specialists plans a route so that a bulky cargo would pass both along the width of the route and in height, without prejudice to both it and the engineering lines and objects drawn / created along and across the roads.

In Canada, the technology for moving frame houses has been put on stream. © Ben Nelms, Reuters
In Canada, the technology for moving frame houses has been put on stream. © Ben Nelms, Reuters

In the case of this house, it was more rational to use water transport. Not only was the distance reduced, but several buildings could be delivered on one barge. Thanks to the "companion houses", an exciting (for those around) tour along the Fraser River and across the Strait of Georgia cost an enterprising family only $ 1, 2 thousand. (1.5 thousand Canadian dollars).

The “travel” of houses through the streets of settlements is always of great interest (Union Bay, British Columbia). © Andy Clark, Reuters
The “travel” of houses through the streets of settlements is always of great interest (Union Bay, British Columbia). © Andy Clark, Reuters

Thus, the "house-traveler", having changed three different vehicles, "got" to a new location. In total, starting with the installation of the house on the platform of the tractor in Vancouver and fixing it in a new place in Union Bay, it took no more than a day. As a result, thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit of the Ford spouses and the company for the delivery of buildings to other cities, their family of 6 received a house ready for living. And the best part is that the whole event was much cheaper than building a new house.

Children enjoyed transportation at home the most (Union Bay, British Columbia)
Children enjoyed transportation at home the most (Union Bay, British Columbia)
This is how a house built in 1915 at a new location looks like (Union Bay, Canada). © Nickel Bros
This is how a house built in 1915 at a new location looks like (Union Bay, Canada). © Nickel Bros

If the movement of a small frame structure is more or less clear, then how huge concrete structures are moved remains a mystery to most of us. To fill this gap, we recommend watching how people were moved to another street in China. a five-story bus station with a weight of 30 thousand tons.

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