The kit was dropped at a depot, not at a lot. We describe and provide photographs of Sears Catalog homes, using examples of these homes located in the Hudson Valley of New York. The first mail order for a Sears house was filled that year. For nearly 100 years the home has been meticulously cared for and features hardwood flooring, enclosed front porch, and renovated kitchen. So it's probably true that most of these One way to achieve the "American dream" of homeownership was to actually buy an entire house through a mail order . AUTHOR:Eric Beechem (no email) Beginning in 1929, and not by coincidence, the volume of Sears Catalog houses sold dropped dramatically. Continue to look for the kit house identification clues discussed above on this page and in this article series. They are always welcome. Your email address will not be published. My neighbors grandfather helped build my home. Starting in 1916 [? But nestled in a golf course in Anderson, Indiana, we found this gorgeous and stately Sears catalog home that wouldnt look out of place in Greenwich, Connecticut or Westchester. It comes with a 10-year-old garage, garden house in the backyard, an unfinished basement, and a floored attic. Number18. The problem starts out front, where the place is just oozing Sears Modern Homes, but the sheer size of the place and unorthodox design left us a bit puzzled as to what exactly we were looking at. The materials were reportedly shipped in via railroad as a package. A nationally recognized founder, branding expert, and industry thought leader, Emile cut his teeth in real estate in 2007 crafting marketing strategies for the Chrysler and MetLife Buildings. Sears, Roebuck and Company, Chicago, Illinois. However, we've boiled Sears history down to a short narrative and event timeline for you: Sears narrative history tells the story of the founding of Sears and the Sears chronology is an up-to-date primer of Sears milestones and events. had become more complex, detailed, and demanding, including stricter requirements for electrical wiring and plumbing, and Sears abandoned 1. You absolutely can make real estate your side hustle. by Inspectapedia Com Moderator. Used within a coal room door handle. I have been pouring over house plans and scouring the internet looking at catalogues and am coming up short. I hope Sears has the common sense to donate those materials rather than throw them away.Thanks for this! Three neighbors - three Sears catalog homes were built in a row by Wappingers grocer Adolph Von Vorstel on N. Remsen Ave. in Wappingers Falls. 1 story, 2 br, chimney In middle. Even better, unlike the other homes weve seen so far, 1670 Whitcomb seems largely untouched from its original design. The Home Depot - hardware. One of the most fascinating parts of the story, is that the framing lumber was (in most cases) pre-cut and labeled, allowing the homebuilder to follow an instruction booklet to help in the organized construction process. Any ASHI, NAHI, or other serious home inspector who has been working in the Hudson Valley of New York or for that matter in many other U.S. cities and towns for a decade or more has probably inspected several Sears Catalog homes, even if s/he did not recognize it at the time. We also fell in love with the stone facade, leafy front yard, and awesome built-ins inside. Once again, Sears has made history. Continue reading at KIT HOMES, ALADDIN, SEARS, WARDS, OTHERS or select a topic from closely-related articles below, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX. As the need for suburban housing grew, construction of neighborhoods of modest homes was needed. Also note how the large shed dormer comes off the ridge of the roof. See full bio. Most real estate company names are boring at best. Only seven Magnolias are known to exist, including one at 1500 James St., Syracuse. Because kit homes made wide use of already-popular house styles you cannot be sure of a kit status from the photo alone. Later volumes offered up to 370 designs. 61 proven lead gen ideas from coaches & top-producing agents. Sears, Roebuck and Company, Chicago, Illinois. There is no list of homes sold by Sears, as all of their records were discarded. One of sears original models. inspectapedia.com/Design/Kit_Houses.php The total cost for this house was $1500. by Matthew Mackowiak. 870,000. Included in the overall purchase, were all elements needed for the house, from lumber to roofing; wiring and plumbing; windows and door knobs, and hinges and nails and screws; staircases and all of their parts, pre-mitered; flooring, bath tubs and sinks and faucets; kitchen cabinets and ironing boards; window screens, window shades, and light fixtures. Attractive top floor apartment in the best location This dreamlike top floor apartment is on the fourth floor of a house built in 1890. Possibly built in 1923. The houses were sold out of the pages of the Sears Roebuck catalog, and the houses in St. Louis were shipped from Cairo, Illinois. @Roseanne R., it certainly could have, but also certainly not in all Sears Kit homes. If My House Is Not A Kit, Where Did It Come From? Sears kit homes were shipped via boxcar and came with a 75-page instruction book. The clues you already have seem to indicate that it may very well be the Elsmore model - age, interior and exterior designs, and 'provenance' confirmation from previous owner. Rock lath plaster systems like the Goodwall sheet plaster product are detailed. Sears Mfg. Each house has a link that you can click on, that takes you to a resource to see the house (blog post, real estate listing, or Google map). Gunnison pre-fab kit homes. I am licensed in just Missouri and Kansas, however, I have a great network of agents with a few good ones in eastern Tennessee. On 2022-09-16 @Cathy, When most people think of Sears catalog homes, they imagine Cape Cods or Craftsman style bungalows with columned porches. Download Our Free E-book. An April 1955 photo of the Zoeller home shows the siding now painted white instead of the original wood color. On 2021-09-09 The houses made it as far as Alaska and Canada, as the parts were delivered by railroad. Whether their customers needed a simple cottage without a bathroom (an outhouse could be purchased separately), or wanted to submit their own multistory blueprints to Sears, there was a Modern Home for every location and budget. Robinson's Kit Homes are often cited along with Sears and Wards, we're still looking for details - I'll post what I can find under Robinson's in the article above - give me an hour or so and don't forget to refresh your browser or clear your browser cache to see the updated page. Thank you again for the response, On 2022-03-06 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator. I would love an opinion. I once owned a home in Houston Tx, which according to records was built in 1906 (Although the date could be a few years off either way) I am having difficulty confirming if this was a Sear kit home or a copy cat mfgr. The most complete answer to your question and advice on identifying kit hoes is found at KIT HOMES, Aladdin, Sears, Wards, Others. SEARS KIT HOME IDENTIFICATION at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice. List of kit home catalogs available at National Trust Library: Log Cabins. NTL FOLIO TH4819.P7S42 1936, One House or a Hundred. detail which is still in place on a Sears house was unique to those homes and can help in their identification today, even though While it's absolutely true that Sears Modern Homes house kits were shipped by train, in several box-car loads, by rail, I think that the whole concept of the railroad being part of the story, has been greatly misunderstood. The best starting place is to read through the article above on this page. Thank you so much! Keep it classy, please. Oddly, there is no sales blurb included in the Sears Modern Homes catalog for this one. On 2022-03-07 modular home company) - https://www.homesbykeystone.com/ Michael The Homart kits that Sears sold, were available from about 1946-1952 (depending on your source). Bill and Diana Zoeller's dog Bear stands on the original flooring inside their Craftsman home. NTL Stacks TH4819.P7M66 1924, Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the. Outdoors, a large deck in the backyard offers an ideal spot for warm-weather entertaining. @Gail Minthorn, Dimensions are also the same, and when we purchased it in 2018 from the grandson of the original owner/builder, he told us is a Sears house. Designs for 370 different plans ranged from the elaborate to the simple; the 'Goldenrod', for example, was a three-room vacation cottage (no bath, out-house separate). True Bungalow Effect. In some inspections you will find a few rafters or beams which show, Framing marks on other kit house brands and their framing lumber are discussed below at, Labels may be present on the back of millwork (baseboard, window, door trim, staircase) as Sears used a common supplier, "Sears, Roebuck and Company," or "925 Homan Ave. Chicago" may be present on shipping labels. Here are two examples of plans-only books, available through lumber yards and construction companies: Nonetheless, We're Always Looking For More Sears Modern Homes Kit Houses! Sears homes can be found across the continental United States. Sears homes came in all shapes and sizes, and this Colonial hits a sweet spot with four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms spanning nearly 4,000 . Measuring in at a roomy 3,500 square feet, the four-bedroom. New York ranks fourth on the list with 1,679. We've had less success finding details about other kit home companies selling in the United States and Canada, though Rebecca Hunter has compiled a list of a variety of kit house companies. with a few candidates with an expert like Thornton might see immediately as probable or improbable Sears Catalog Houses. 1935. That last house in Boulder, Colorado is a perfect example of the 1920s version of the Sears Oakdale, not the Clyde. I'm trying to find the plans for a Sears house that we're buying, but it was built in 1906. In 1915 Sears kit homes included fiberboard panels used for ceilings and walls. Would love to find them. Only one image can be added per comment but you can post as many comments, and therefore images, as you like. And give us the country and city of location of the home. The house was financed through Sears which along with interior details helped authenticate that its from Sears. Sears and all of the kit home manufacturers replicated popular house designs built before, during and after the kits themselves were available. it's a house whose blueprints and building supplies were ordered from a specialty Sears catalog, and all of these supplies were shipped, by rail (primarily), to the homeowner (who either chose to build the house himself, or use a contractor to arrange the construction). NTL Stacks: NA8480.N61, Aladdin Homes. There are towns all over America that have railroads running through them, but in which we don't find any Sears houses. sometimes we do find Sears houses in those towns, but also, absolutely, in other towns far away from the railroad line. homes were sold and built before that year, but it is certainly the case that the sale of some models continued to 1940. now, this woman was the head of facilities for the company and knew her stuff, but looking at the . Can you tell me if I am right ? As you've indicated, you already have some helpful information from your home. Some people like to mention the huge collection of Sears Modern Homes in Carlinville, Illinois, when they speak of Sears Houses in the St. Louis area, but, given that Carlinville is a 90-minute drive from St. Louis County, in a different state, I don't include them in my list. Try looking through the Sears kit home ID tips and photos and catalogs given on this page above. Price: $239,000 Converse Heights: Built in 1925, this three-bedroom, Arts and Craftsstyle home shines. Above is the original catalog description of this home at 15 N. Remsen, Wappingers Falls, NY Three neighbors - three Sears catalog homes were built in a row by Wappingers grocer Adolph Von Vorstel on N. Remsen Ave. in Wappingers Falls. organized to help as a field guide. Number 32. I havent found any other obvious stamps. Browse the list below to see if there are Modern Homes in your city or state, or to find someone who owns the same model as you. Montgomery Ward sold Van Tine homes under their own name. 1925. $165,900 USD: First time on the market in 57 years. These are listed here. - source: https://searshomes.org/index.php/2014/02/14/its-a-mystery/. Both sections span from 1886 to today. Sears Modern Homes were purchased primarily by customers in East Coast and Midwest states, but have been located as far south as Florida, as far west as . 1908 was a heady year for technology. Beds/Baths: 2 bedrooms and 1 full bath. by Adrian McCullough, @Inspectapedia Com Moderator, So far we haven't found Sears identifying marks, but will be renovating the basement soon and will be able to look more closely. by danjoefriedman (mod). One of the most fascinating parts of the story, is that the framing lumber was (in most cases) pre-cut and labeled, allowing the homebuilder to follow an instruction booklet to help in the organized construction process. 415 Kenwood, LaPorte, IN. Please take a look there as that's more thorough than if I'm asked to make up that advice de-novo here. Sears has opened the doors to its vast archival collection and invited the public to peek inside. Scroll down to the section with that title, to learn more about plans-only companies. Fully renovated in 2011, the home won the Moore Country Home Builders Associations Excellence Award for the Best Historic Renovation. Sears, Roebuck and Company, Chicago, Illinois. Your comment will appear after it has been previewed and approved by the blog author. They put out a catalog offering dozens of styles of homes you could have delivered right to your future doorstep.. Take a look at the kit house identification clues discussed above on this page and in this article series. In fact, the Chelsea (a 2,000-square-foot foursquare) came with 840 square yards of wooden lath. One of the surviving Sears kit homes stands along Oak Springs Road in Chartiers Township. Thornton also suggests that inspectors check for identifying marks at plumbing access panels where you may find marks on wall studs in the bath wall cavity. On 2022-04-20 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator. However, we do work with a select group of software companies and service providers that we feel provide real value for our readers. We pinpointed nine models from across the country that still stand tall as a testament to American ingenuity. Hello, Im looking for help identifying my home. On 2021-08-18 Period. 1. We just bought a 1929 Vallonia and now Im obsessed! In addition to trying the Sears Kit Home catalogs and identification resources we give here, you're welcome to post photos (one per comment - as many comments and thus photos as you need) of your home and to give what background you can about it (location, history etc) to see if other interested readers can offer suggestions. As I live in this part of St. Louis, I have been inside some of these houses, have spoken to owners of some of these houses, and have been able to notice details, from the exterior, that show elements on the house that are from other companies.