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Picking Up and Moving (the House)
Patricia VandeMeulebroecke shows her father the foundation being raised for her Arlington house, an alternative to building an addition.
(By Ann Cameron Siegal For The Washington Post)
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· Are there trees, fire hydrants, mailboxes, stoplights, bridges, overpasses or overhead utility lines along the way? If so, you will have to deal with the corresponding agencies or property owners.
· What jurisdictions govern the roads to be used? There may be restrictions on when structural moves can take place. Some jurisdictions limit moves to nighttime hours or prohibit moves on weekends.
· Tall houses and live wires don't mix, but utility companies don't like cutting off service to customers. Gabe Matyiko of Expert House Movers said the cost for the same amount of wires and distance can be vastly different because of what goes through the lines. Are the power lines main feeders to businesses or schools, or do they serve a few rural houses?
Gingher cut the costs of dealing with overhead power lines from $62,000 to $14,000 when she found out that couplings could be used to shut off power to sections of the route instead of having to raise the lines on extension poles to get 10 feet of clearance.
Be patient. House moving is not something to be rushed. Many factors can affect the timeline, such as weather and ground conditions.
"Time constraints make things more difficult," Gabe Matyiko said.
Sorting out the route and coordinating the agencies that need to be involved is the time-consuming part. Once crews start putting equipment in place, a 150-ton stone-and-brick house on a tight lot in Arlington might take 10 days to move, whereas a wood-frame structure could be sitting on its new spot in three days. It took only two days to raise each of the Arlington houses.
A House Reborn
When Gingher gathered with neighbors in the middle of a chilly March night to watch as the house made its way along the two-lane residential street to its new location, emotions were running high.
Vivian Gry said, "It's like a death in the family," as she watched the house making a slow turn off the land it had occupied for almost 100 years.
For Gingher, though, the process was "like giving birth" -- big dreams tempered only by momentary trepidation about the process.
After a moment of silence, the two agreed that it actually was a rejuvenation for the house. Once remodeling begins, the Grys will return the original stained-glass windows and chandeliers to Gingher so the house will again be complete.
Gingher hopes to have everything finished by Thanksgiving, so all can gather to celebrate. "We feel like we're saving something valuable," she said.
For information on how to find a house mover, see the Web site of the International Association of Structural Movers,http:/
