When we started Two Chicks Homes, I had an idea in the back of my mind. I had always wanted to restore my grandparent’s house. But there was a big catch. I-485 came through and her land was zoned commercial leaving her home no longer suitable for anyone to live in. Although my family still owns the house, it will be demolished as soon as someone buys the land. I couldn’t let that happen.

 

So how do you restore a house that’s going to be torn down? You MOVE THE HOUSE.

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Seems simple right? Not so simple. Right out of the gate, we decided we were going to save the home that so many memories were made in. The home my grandfather built by hand. Brick by brick. The wood he milled to create all the interior finishings. The kind of house you don’t see anymore. The houses that were built with love, sweat and tears. But more importantly, the house I spent countless time at. Baking cookies. Climbing trees. Playing hide and seek. Opening presents on Christmas morning. Spending the night. You’re damn right I wasn’t letting that house get torn down.

 

One of the biggest challenges in moving a house is finding land that’s not only suitable, but within a certain distance from where the house currently sits. Streets can’t be too narrow. Bridges and overpasses are a challenge. The house can only be so big without having to cut it in half. You might have to take the roof off. You can’t use highways. Powerlines and street lights become your worst nightmare. Land is almost impossible to find when you’re restricted to a specific radius. I could go on. We’ve learned there is so much more than just loading the house on a truck and moving it down the road.

But we did it. With a LOT of research, phone calls, and help from all of you, we did it. So many people jumped aboard to help. People we know. People we have never met. People that wanted to help us SAVE this house. Hours upon hours of phone calls. Hours of searching for land. Hours of heartbreak when we found land, but obstacles prevented us from being able to move it there.

 

And then… one single phone call changed everything. We don’t give up on anything, but I was on the fringe of desperation when I called someone who had a lot on a beautiful street near Mt. Island Lake. It was honestly one of the last options as I had cold-called literally everyone within a 5-mile radius on the Meck County tax website. I explained to her what I was trying to do, and she said YES! I will forever be thankful to Bette Stephenson for hearing my story and agreeing that a piece of land she owned would be perfect for this house. I was in tears.

 

So on this very cold day in December, my heart is WARM. We closed on an acre of property in a beautiful area where my grandparents house will sit up on a hill and will be made new again.

I know Gigi is smiling down from heaven. Probably shaking her head in disbelief at what we’re doing, but at the same time, she’s happy. Her home will live on and be restored for another family to enjoy for years to come.

 

We can’t wait to share the progress of this move. We will keep you updated, but it’s going to be pretty cool to see a house moving down the road in the Oakdale community.

 

I will end with a very, very huge and special thanks to a few people who helped make this happen.

Drew Floyd with Asher Homes – who saw our story on a post and immediately reached out to offer assistance with getting the foundation, footers, etc. set for when the house is moved. Drew has been an invaluable resource for us during this process, and we couldn’t have made it this far, this quickly, without him.

 

Mickey Simmons with Simmons House Moving – you are AMAZING! Thank you for answering countless phonecalls and emails, and meeting us to look at the house and different potential routes, and ultimately agreeing to take on the project.

Scott Kennedy with Michael Athanas and Associates who rearranged his schedule to study the land to see if it would perk (City water and sewer not available so that’s a whole other task, but so worth it for this move).

 

Christopher Faulk with Metrolina Land Surveying who surveyed the lot, created the drawings to place the house, and provided everything we needed to get the ball rolling on next steps. The guy who made me cry when I opened an email and saw the drawing with her house sitting so proudly up on that hill.

 

To my parents… who believed in us. And that’s all we needed.

 

And of course Bette Stephenson. She was the angel in this and I will forever be grateful for her.

 

I apologize for the lengthy post, but I had to get out my gratitude for what is actually happening today. I had to say thank you to the countless individuals involved in making this happen. And to my team at Two Chicks Homes, thank you for your support and excitement around this project. This single project will mean more to me than any ever to come.