We Bought Our $23,000 'Dream House' For $50!

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That summer, by the way, we learned one trick that helped us quite a bit and which—we think—could probably benefit you, too: Namely, hire a pro to teach you how to do something you've never attempted before. We found a bricklayer, for instance, who was willing to work part time with us (on an hourly basis) to construct our home's foundation. As a result, we learned firsthand how to build walls that are level and plumb across their entire 50-foot length . . . how to cut concrete blocks to fit around basement windows ... and the secret of finishing off a concrete-block wall with those even grooves of mortar between each row (instead of the big, projecting globs you get when you lay one block atop another).

Incidentally, getting an expert to help you is frequently the least expensive way to accomplish a task, too . . . as we learned the hard way when Richard rented a backhoe to fill in around the foundation and do some rough grading. Sad to say, it took him nearly the whole day just to learn how to become proficient enough with the backhoe's controls to avoid swinging its shovel through our newly built basement walls as he worked close to the building. Later, we found a construction worker with his own backhoe and tractor who agreed to do the work for only a little more than it had cost us to rent the first machine for a day . . . and he did the job in five hours.

REMODELING

To improve our home's floor plan, we had had our new residence placed sideways (that is: kitchen, dining room, and living room facing the front lawn) on the lot . . . which meant that by replacing the dining room's bay window with double doors, we could convert the centrally located room into an entry foyer (see "before and after" floor plan drawings). And that's exactly what we did. Consequently, we can now go directly to the living room (on the right) or the kitchen (on the left) when we come in the front door, rather than plodding through each room to reach the next.

Thanks also to the way we positioned our house on its new lot, our bedrooms now comprise the back of the house instead of being lined up along one side of the building. Also, the large windows that line the two walls of the former "enclosed porch" (see drawings) currently enclose a cheery sunroom/greenhouse just off the living room. And the outside door to this room (which was once the house's front door) opens out onto a small deck.

TIPS FOR THE WOULD-BE HOUSE-MOVER

Before I conclude, here are a few tips that I wish we'd had before we began:

[1] Have the building inspector from the area you're moving to inspect the soon-to-be-transported dwelling at its present location before you buy it. He can tell you whether your prospective purchase meets the code(s) for his area and what structural changes (if any) will be required before he can issue an occupancy permit. With an older house, you may have to completely redo the wiring or plumbing.

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