Free house in Arlington -- if you move it

12:19 PM, Jan 1, 2014   |    comments
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ARLINGTON, Va. (WUSA9) -- Real estate prices are high in the D.C. area so you would think peple would jump at the chance to own a home in Arlington for free. This particular home on Seventh Street comes with a complicated catch: you have to move it.

The 1926 Sears Wellington model has two bedrooms and one bathroom.

"Somebody owns this lot. You are not moving on this lot. This house, however, will be removed from this lot, ideally removed from this lot, and placed on a different location," explained Paola Amodeo.

The owner purchased the property in September but the home, which is less than 1000 square feet, did not meet her needs and zoning laws restricted her ability to expand the house. Those restrictions led architects Paolo Amodeo and Paola Luglu of Paolasquare International to suggest another alternative: finding someone who is willing to move the house to another location.

But giving away a house has its own set of challenges.  "It can be anywhere from $30,000 or more just for the lifting and the moving but there are other costs involved because on the new lot some foundation has to be built," explained Paola Luglu.

Luglu and Amodeo believe saving the house is worth the hard work.  "Putting a little more work into this is worth it because its part of the American history. It's a very good piece of architecture and it's a part of our design philosophy as well, not to tear it down," said Amodeo.

"It's a perfect candidate to have a new life," insisted Luglu.

The new owner wouldn't have to keep the building as a home.
It could become a commercial space, such as a rec center or a restaurant.

Written by Danielle Gill

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