You might want to try a copy of Rosemary Thornton's more-exhaustive book of photos of Sears Kit homes (cited and linked above in this article). Price: $569,000 Bungalow beauty: This beauty of a bungalow is tucked in the historic Westside neighborhood and has a newly remodeled kitchen and other modern upgrades. 1. This is a great resource for people in the St. Louis area. Asking: $374,900 Sears Modern Homes Model: The Sunbeam Year Built: 1924 Listing Agent: Robin Donovan Listing Brokerage: Coldwell Banker West Shell Northern Kentucky. 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. by Inspectapedia Com Moderator. We recommend all three of these publications. Some early experiments by Sears included selling a kit to build On 2021-12-22 Have you gotten your home sold yet? Yes Mary; 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. by Matthew Mackowiak. This Sears Sunbeam is a lovely example and in original condition. Square Footage: 1,356. Thanks for your interest! 20 items. Researching Historic Kit and Plan Book Homes, 2) Unless you can recognize the many models offered in the Sears Modern Homes catalogs, houses built from kits are indistinguishable from those built through the standard process using a construction company. Thank you so much! Scroll down to the section with that title, to learn more about plans-only companies. Or see SEARS KIT HOME IDENTIFICATION FAQs - questions and answers about Sears Kit Houses posted originally on this page. Kit homes used drywall, asphalt shingles, and "balloon" style. Here, then, is a list of all of the Sears Modern Homes kit houses that we have found, in the broad area of the city of St. Louis, and St. Louis County (and those two examples in St. Charles County). I did find some blue grease pencil numbers but they are hard to make out. Apologies for the delay. North American Construction Company, Bay City, Michigan. @Carlyn, After which it was relocated to Aurora, IL. It was a Sears, Roebuck and Co. kit home, the Martha Washington, advertised in. 1935. homes were sold and built before that year, but it is certainly the case that the sale of some models continued to 1940. The Anderson, Indiana house is a custom design as are quite a few Sears houses in Anderson, some of which were featured in the Modern Homes catalog in the early 1930s. and of course Great finda Sears "Magnolia" in Canton, Ohio, and its catalog listing. We are proud to carry Dutch Housing manufactured & modular homes. New York ranks fourth on the list with 1,679. All Locations for Home Improvement & Repair National team, Local service We serve all major metropolitan areas and more, with over 6,800 technicians in the field every day. The Home Depot - hardware. BOOKS ON SEARS AND OTHER KIT OR CATALOG HOUSES. Sears, Roebuck and Company, Chicago, Illinois. That last house in Boulder, Colorado is a perfect example of the 1920s version of the Sears Oakdale, not the Clyde. Examples have also been found in Alaska. Harris Brothers Company, Chicago, Illinois. I'm omitting the famous Wilton gingerbread house and Wilton gingerbread house kits sold by Sears as that's a food product not an actual house. Please use the add image button to post a photo or two of the home - one per comment. They were shipped by rail, with pre-cut lumber stamped for assembly. by Inspectapedia Com Moderator. Starting in 1916 [? 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. Used within a coal room door handle. The company promised a man of average abilities that he could finish the house within 90 days if he followed the 75-page instruction . They are classic. If you look at an old Sears catalog, youll find that while kit houses did not include plaster (due to shipping weight), your 12,000-piece kit house did come with good quality lath. Our client traced the sale and construction of the home to Today, the only way to find these homes in literally one by one. which are definitely not Sears Catalog Houses are included in this list as a fun exercise for readers. In 1915 Sears kit homes included fiberboard panels used for ceilings and walls. Sears estimated that a plasterer would charge you $200, which included nailing up all those thin strips of lath and applying three coats of plaster (1916). Any help would be appreciated! 870,000. Most folks turned to their local lumberyard or a local contractor, who would have offered booklets of modest-to-elaborate house plans for American home buyers to choose from (we call these, simply. GUIDE TO KIT HOUSES AND HOMES Price: $489,000 Livability in Lexington: Built in 1928 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this four-bedroom home has been meticulously maintained over the years. 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. @Cathy, For more information on who we are, and what we do, visit our website: This question was recently posed in a FaceBook group that focuses on St. Louis history. Here are some tips for how to make this career choice work for you. 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. 69 reviews of The Home Depot "4 stars for home depot. I always thought it was a Sears kit house, but the work Keystone sits in my memory, as well. Bill and Diana Zoeller's dog Bear stands on the original flooring inside their Craftsman home. Oddly, there is no sales blurb included in the Sears Modern Homes catalog for this one. New York state is 4th, with 1,679 houses found. ], Sears began offering Goodwall sheet plaster as a replacement for the more labor-intensive wood lath plaster systems used in older homes. 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. But we can't rule out traditional plaster lath. Thanks. Fiberboard could be used as a plaster base or painted, or simply left in its tan-brown color. Your planned basement project may very well give you added clues to your home's identification. The family has owned the Sears kit house ever since. The sheets were made of pressed wood pulp and cost 46 cents per sheet. As the need for suburban housing grew, construction of neighborhoods of modest homes was needed. These type of details in addition to what we've noted in our earlier response may help with identification. I do have the original receipt, but it does not list the name of the company. 217 Dutchess Turnpike, in Poughkeepsie, NY, a (1917) 7-room cape which used a basement cistern for its water supply and a fieldstone fireplace. Any suggestions on where to start looking? Of course, the home has been heavily modified from what we think its roots were as an Elmhurst model Sears catalog home, but that just adds to the charm, not to mention the square footage. Thornton also cites an "R" either in the cast-iron base of some sinks (kitchen?) In the early 1900s, the address for Sears' Chicago headquarters was 975 Homan Ave., Chicago, Illinois, and should be on the shipping label. Offices Locations.jpg download. MASONRY BLOCKS WITH A DECORATED EXTERIOR FACE, CENTER BLOCK UNDER FRONT PORCH ROOF (Vallonia), HISTORIC AND ARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES INVENTORY FOR THE TOWN OF WILTON, CONNECTICUT, SEARS KENMORE WATER HEATER AGE & MANUALS, SEARS ROEBUCK VINYL ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE RECOGNITION, ARTICLE INDEX to BUILDING DAMAGE, DISASTER, REPAIRS, Amazon Books on Sears and other Kit or Catalog Houses, Gentle Beam Publications - http://www.gentlebeampublications.com/, HOME INSPECTION EDUCATION COURSES (Canada), HOME INSPECTION EDUCATION: HOME STUDY COURSES, Although its outside appearance that closely resembles the home show in this, A Sears Catalog home built decades ago may by now have been covered with, These homes may also have been expanded at the side and/or, Some interior details remain and are easy to find, including a wide, This particular Sears catalog house in New York also had an interesting, Insulation in Sears houses: Mineral wool also called, In some of these photos of framing lumber stamps you may also recognize, Stamps or stenciled markings on ends of floor joists, Manchester Road in Poughkeepsie, NY (Dietz, late 1920s) which includes markings 'Order Chgo Milwk Sup', and 'hall closet' on a hall closet door frame. Sears Archives Home Page tips and photos with this article. In Chicago, Richard Sears had an equally disruptive idea. @Roseanne R., it certainly could have, but also certainly not in all Sears Kit homes. @Karen Marsh, Details on the first floor indicate original to 1925 as the deed says. The backyard is great for entertaining, and the Florida climate allows for the space to be . Price: $179,900 Historic house:Built in 1911, this Sears home sits on a large, corner lot in a historic district, surrounded by antebellum homes. 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. Minor andmajor changes - from adding a few more windows to changing from a hip roof to agabled roof - were suggested and encouraged. Wondering what model this Sears Craftsman is. 1924. The best place to start would be see We have affiliate partnerships with these companies and make money when we feature their products on the site. We may have a kit house, pic from the 30's, abandoned for 35 years, have more pics if needed What do you think so far? A 1921 catalog of Sears kit homes offers the Magnolia for $6,488. Sears kit homes were shipped via boxcar and came with a 75-page instruction book. The first mail order for a Sears house was filled that year. the dwindling "do it yourself" home market. Price: $200,000 Happy home: This 880-square-foot, ranch-style home has two bedrooms. Price: $629,000 Charming cottage:Sitting smack dab in the historic district of Pinehurst, this home was assembled from a Sears kit in 1929 on one of the largest lots in the area. What year and style home? The closest I found was in the list of Sears kit homes sold between 1933 and 1942, the Cape Cod (Sears Kit Home Model No. Corona is derived from the Latin word for crown. Rock lath plaster systems like the Goodwall sheet plaster product are detailed. Outdoors, a large deck in the backyard offers an ideal spot for warm-weather entertaining. would a S&R house have had bead board on all walls and ceilings?? Measuring in at a roomy 3,500 square feet, the four-bedroom home is ready for its new owner to take it into its next century. 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 . Note: appearance of your Comment below may be delayed: if your comment contains an image, photograph, web link, or text that looks to the software as if it might be a web link, your posting will appear after it has been approved by a moderator. Sears kit houses were built from 1908-1942. , and the models offered by Sears followed the design trends of those decades. We recommend those books for any owner or serious investigator of Sears Catalog homes. Homes offers a wide variety of energy efficient homes ranging in size from 950 to over 2300 square feet with prices starting as low as fifty dollars per square foot depending on style & size. That "Bungalow" stencil or stamping appears to be on the wall or roof cavity side of wood sheathing - and may indeed indicate that the home was built from a kit. with the KETC reporter, walks past and identifies several Sears home models. WHEN AND WHERE WERE SEARS CATALOG HOUSES BUILT? Try looking through the Sears kit home ID tips and photos and catalogs given on this page above. Benefiting from Hunter's work as well as our own search we list a number of kit or catalog home manufacturers here. Asking: $379,900 Sears Roebuck Model: Elmhurst Year Built: 1932 Listing Agent: Julie Armington Listing Brokerage: F.C. Price: $649,900 Horse haven:This 1932 catalog home sits on nearly 7 acres of fenced horse property. Well, what did you think of our picks of the best Sears Catalog Homes on the market? Please refrain from any comments or jokes about anything else. I havent found any other obvious stamps. A Sears house is: every Craftsman, bungalow, or Dutch Colonial style house you come across (though Sears did offer many Craftsman, bungalow, English cottage, Dutch Colonial, and Colonial style houses as did every other house company), a house built after 1942 (or before 1908), the only brand of kit house that existed (other companies include Gordon-Van Tine, Aladdin Homes, Bennett Homes, Wardway homes, and others), The answer to this question can be found on. In short, 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). The Sears Modern Homes catalog from 1930. Also see this Sears Milford Kit home from the same 1933-1940 period: (Model No. Our home in Orofino, idaho was built about 1913. More than 30 readers responded, with stories about how much they loved their Sears homes. And give us the country and city of location of the home. the identification of Sears Catalog or Kit homes and including references to other expert books and resources on It was said to be in the original Chicago worlds fair. The reason these companies want to work with us is that they know our readers represent the most engaged, professional, and committed real estate agents online today. The thickness dimensions do not include field-applied top coat layers of finished plaster. Capture from Google Streetview. While I have expanded, edited, and illustrated this list based on our own field experience, and we have added photographs and other details, this material has its origin in Thornton's books The gorgeous 2-acre lot has plenty of room to expand. Sears Whitehall, also located in the Mordecai area of Raleigh Mordecai has several Sears Homes, including this Sears Sunbeam. Notes: this product was sold by Sears beginning in 1916. The original 1926 Sears & Roebuck label identifying the house at 115 Belleclaire Avenue in Longmeadow as a Sears kit house. The updated five-bedroom home is zoned for residential and commercial use, which makes it a great opportunity for a bed-and-breakfast or live-work space. Other kit homes, not Sears, include Montgomery Ward Kit homes and Aladdin Kit homes. What seems likely here is that the original structure might have been modified after 1908 with heavily modified plans from a Sears Modern. This home retains its beautiful o. As you've indicated, you already have some helpful information from your home. @Dee, On 2021-05-13 One of many Sears houses built in 1912 by a realty company. The houses were sold out of the pages of the Sears Roebuck catalog, and the houses in St. Louis were shipped from Cairo, Illinois. The Aladdin Company, Bay City, Michigan. Sears Roebuck company began selling buildings or components of buildings in 1895. . Please take a look there as that's more thorough than if I'm asked to make up that advice de-novo here. Stamps on millwork or labels from "Norwood Sash and Door" (maybe) indicate Sears suppliers. The best place to start would be see To fully appreciate the impact of the Sears kit homes, it's important to understand the reach of the company's famous catalog. I'm doubtful we can confirm the Sears kit origin from a photo alone; as you note there were Sears kits for popular home designs built stick by stick as well as copycat kits; You'd want to find stamps on lumber, hardware details or other details given above on this page. Most real estate company names are boring at best. The milestones, introductions and stories fill volumes. Geoffrey's Toy Box - toys, video games, videos (Revival of Toys R Us) Harvey Norman - furniture, housewares, electronics; Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Ireland, United Kingdom (Northern Ireland), Slovenia and Croatia. The group has identified 2,700 Sears homes in Ohio and 2,300 in Illinois. I would love some insight! Sears prefabricated almost all of these homes in giant mills situated across the country. In 1908, Sears issued its first specialty catalog for houses, Book of Modern Homes and Building Plans, featuring 44 house styles ranging in price from US $360-$2,890. provides examples of clues useful in identifying Sears Catalog Kit Homes. The rest are not Sears houses although that house identified as a Glen Falls is close but not a match. For example, Sears sold only, Rose and I have communicated recently about these houses, and she very graciously agreed to update her blog post to reflect that we now know that these are not actually Sears houses, as she is a strong believer in the importance of the accuracy of historic records (. $165,900 USD: First time on the market in 57 years. 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. Wagon loads of house materials were brought wagon-by-wagon in the proper order for construction while the boxcar sat on a siding. Any ideas? Their best wall product was Goodwall Sheet Plaster, which was plaster encased in layers of heavy cardboard. Want even more free resources? Sears Mfg. I purchased a home in Keokuk County, Iowa one year ago . There we list the manufacturers of kit or catalog homes sold in the United States and provide links to additional references, kit home identification, kit or catalog home restoration and repairs, and kit home architectural and hardware details, markings, and stencils. 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. homes have been much modified or expanded since their original construction. Any ideas out there?? Wanted your thoughts as to could this be a kit house? @inspectapedia.com.moderator, Hmmmm you sure thats an Oakdale and not a Clyde? Cairo had access to five railroad lines, and the Illinois Central line abutted the Sears plant. We did not photograph the kitchen and bath as they had been remodeled leaving no obvious original materials. You absolutely can make real estate your side hustle. Ssrah. i found this stamped on the inside of sheathing n a basement of a home I suspect is a kit house. It comes with a 10-year-old garage, garden house in the backyard, an unfinished basement, and a floored attic. @Em H, Choosing the best hard money lenders for your investment projects can be tricky. It's a duplex with a floorplan similar to model number 154 (1908-1914 cataloge). Fully renovated in 2011, the home won the Moore Country Home Builders Associations Excellence Award for the Best Historic Renovation. One of sears original models. 1915. You're welcome to post your photos - one per comment - on that page or on any of the recommended article pages you'll find at the end of that page. Later volumes offered up to 370 designs. We also had help - the home We also edit Sears Kit House identification checklists and comment and books on Sears Homes by Rosemary Thornton. by InspectApedia (mod). 5 stars for john, the appliance guy. The best starting place is to read through the article above on this page. 61 proven lead gen ideas from coaches & top-producing agents to help you close more deals. All of the house designs of the era of kit homes, were of similar styles Sears, and the other kit companies, were not offering anything unique. The Ohio bungalow as it looks today. The Aladdin Company, Bay City, Michigan. Our Comment Box is provided by Countable Web Productions countable.ca, Click to Show or Hide Citations & References. 7 Tips for Building Your Sphere of Influence in Real Estate (+ Script), 31 Clever Real Estate Marketing Ideas for 2023, 33 Underrated Real Estate Lead Generation Ideas for 2023, Real Geeks Review: An In-depth Look at Features & Pricing, Want More Leads? From 1908 until 1940, Sears, Roebuck and Co. sold over 70,000 kit houses through their Modern Homes and Honor Bilt catalogs. Sears is estimated to have sold about 70,000 of their home building kits from 1908-1940 and it's currently estimated that about 70% of the original Sears homes built from kits are still standing today. Possibly built in 1923. I discovered that the Sears Modern Homes program sold 447 ready-to-build, customizable house varieties via catalog to buyers between the years of 1908 and 1940. she offers a Sears house identification service. Number 29. The oiled wood mouldings and built-ins look like they were designed yesterday and probably look even nicer in person. Michael Each of the links in this section shows a photo with additional details of the interior of a Sears Kit Home. Sears reported that more than 70,000 of these homes were sold in North America between 1908 and 1940. when i moved to MD and bought a house, my boss at the time gave me a going away/housewarming gift that consisted of a very fancy and comprehensive hammacher schlemmer tool kit, and a $100 GC to home depot. Thornton cites a Sears house which was completed around 1944. @Gail Minthorn, And which kit? Are you able to tell me the model name is of the kit? Once again, Sears has made history. The house was financed through Sears which along with interior details helped authenticate that its from Sears. Small Prefab Homes: 'The Best-Kept Secret in America'? (See below for clarification on that concept. To learn more about what houses we have found, where to learn more about Sears houses, how to find our blogs, and how to contact us for interviews or presentations, please follow the links available at the top of the page: The National List Authenticating Information & Education. Only seven Magnolias are known to exist, including one at 1500 James St., Syracuse. Added to our resources on Sears Kit homes is a now-available archive from Sears itself: http://www.searsarchives.com/homes/byimage.htm Unless you have developed a really good eye for recognizing the several-hundred models offered by Sears, for example, youd never know what house on a block with a kit house mixed in with other 1920s or 30s houses, was from a kit from Sears. The renovation expanded the homes footprint to four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and more than 2,000 square feet. Indoors, large windows welcome in natural light. While Sears no longer has records of where each of the nearly 75,000. I know New Hamburg well, having spent a lifetime nearby in Poughkeepsie. On 2022-03-06 I work with a group that maintains the national database of Sears Modern Homes. The Keystone name has come up before in searching for kit house history and plans, but searching is confounded by current companies using that name. ADORABLE Sears-kit home! A 1925 Colonial-style home in Washington, D.C., that sold last year for $1.06 million had humble beginnings. On 2021-05-27 You will want to look for additional key details such as those given above on this page. Rather than trying to include all the information from the above article, the best procedure would be to go through the Sears Kit House identification steps and details given above on this page. AUTHOR:Eric Beechem (no email) Hi Wizards, - source: https://searshomes.org/index.php/2014/02/14/its-a-mystery/. - Keystone house plans (modern prefab construction) from Nelson Homes - https://nelson-homes.com/home-plans/keystone/ Thank you again for the response, On 2022-03-06 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator. I wonder what else is in those archives! Description. I am licensed in just Missouri and Kansas, however, I have a great network of agents with a few good ones in eastern Tennessee. The kit was dropped at a depot, not at a lot. By downloading, youll automatically subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Please bookmark this page to make it easy for you to check back for our response. then left the rest to the construction company. Thanks!! The American Foursquare house, defined by its distinctive cube shape and hip roof, was popular in the 1890-1930s, especially for its affordability. @Rossman6798, For some of these items, there were options (type of wiring, heating, plumbing fixtures, for example, or upgrades for flooring and trim wood), and any masonry items were purchased through Sears, but obtained through a local supplier, rather than being shipped by Sears. Rosemary Thornton's two books Instead of hiring an architect and an army of carpenters, prospective homeowners could now simply place an order and get plans and building materials delivered right to their property. 1908 was a heady year for technology. Any help is appreciated! I own a home in Prattville, AL that Ive been told by surrounding neighbors was purchased from Sears and Roebuck. (kit cost) to larger homes costing $5000. - Thornton, op. Daniel Friedman, Rosemary Thornton. Most of the interior has been untouched other than the kitchen, which was remodeled by the previous owner (son of the builder) - the woodwork and detail is truly beautiful! Your comment will appear after it has been previewed and approved by the blog author. Located in the desirable Converse Heights neighborhood, the home greets visitors with a large front porch. Between 1908 and 1940, more than 70,000 of these Sears Kit Homes were built across America. Homes Q&A: : Does Sears Holdings give permission to reproduce catalog pages or images from its catalogs, and or other . I'll try to post something. 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. 73 m 1 2. If My House Is Not A Kit, Where Did It Come From? However, we do work with a select group of software companies and service providers that we feel provide real value for our readers. I have included an image of it. On 2021-08-18 One of the best known Sears house locations is in Carlinville, Illinois, where Standard Oil of Indiana built a million-dollar development of 192 Honor Bilt houses for employees of Schoper coal mine (156 intended for miners and other workers, an additional 28 nearby and somewhat more deluxe meant for supervisors). Thank you Rus, that's helpful detail. Luckily, the owners also kept lots and lots of original goodies intact that are highly sought after (and highly expensive to build) by design conscious folks across the country.
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