Tawny Davis and Ian Wilson bought a house from the City of Tukwila for $1. It was built in 1908 and is now on a slow two-day, ten-mile trip that will include a barge ride across Lake Washington.

Historic house on a slow, two-day journey from Tukwila to Seattle The house began the first leg of its journey overnight Thursday. Even at one-mile-per-hour, the slow-speed story is not without its drama. The house must squeeze its way through four different cities along the route.

A crew from National Geographic is documenting the journey and Jeremy Nickel of Nickel Brothers House Moving is supervising the whole operation through every twist and turn.

"We've got a large willow tree that we have to negotiate as well as several primary high tension lines that are going to have to be de-energized and lifted one foot in order for us to slide underneath those lines with the building," Jeremy Nickel explained.

The couple bought the house from the city because they didn't want to see it torn down. The move, which costs $150,000, and all the red tape involved was worth it.

"It had to pass through four cities, so it's four different permissions that you have to get in order to do it, so it's been really challenging," said Davis.

In addition to challenge, the house moving was described in other ways as well.

"A very trying experience, but I'm sure it will be well worth it in the end," said Wilson.

The house has been loaded on a barge at the Renton Airport and will cross Lake Washington to its final resting place in Seattle's Columbia City neighborhood. That move starts at midnight Saturday morning.

By AUBREY COHEN P-I REPORTER

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Try a houseInstead of building dream home, growing number of buyers choose to get it delivered Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle) - by Dana Giove

Green living has become a Northwest passion, and you can't live much greener than in a recycled house.

An increasing number of homeowners are choosing to recycle an existing home and move it to a new location, either to serve as their primary residence, a second home or an income property.

A confluence of events is making the drive to recycle homes a growing business in our region. First, there is an increase in available homes suitable for recycling. As our cities mature and neighborhoods are rezoned, many beautiful older homes are targeted for demolition.

Second, recycling saves developers the rising cost of demolition, sometimes $15,000 or more.

And the new homeowners gain a home with Old World charm and craftsmanship, plus they rescue it from the landfill. Today, as much as 50 percent of landfill space in high development areas such as Seattle is made up of demolition debris and construction waste.

The process of recycling a house usually involves a company that specializes in moving homes, which will acquire a suitable house slated for demolition from a developer, typically for $1. Then the moving company sells the home to a new owner and moves it to its new location.

"Many of these homes come from main avenues, which helps in providing enough clearance to make the move," says Jeff McCord, the Seattle representative of Nickel Bros. House Moving, one of the region's largest house movers. "This is where a lot of rezoning and condominium development is happening, and it is often where some of the grandest houses were built."

Because there's less obstruction on waterways, Nickel Bros. moves about two-thirds of its houses by barge. As a result, many homes begin their new lives near waterfronts in places such as Vashon, Bainbridge and the San Juan Islands.

The move requires some construction, including pouring a foundation at the new location. This can be an opportunity to add significant square footage to the home -- perhaps even a separate dwelling -- or to gain height to take advantage of a view. Plus, the new foundation will meet earthquake requirements and can add another 80 or more years of life to an older house.

Financing a house move can be tricky. Lenders must be able to understand not just the value of the land and structure, but what it will be worth when it all comes together. Unless the loan is created as a package, borrowers may run into high fees as they try to finance the various stages of the move, including the initial purchase, land preparation and construction and transportation.

In the end, homeowners can save significantly over new-construction costs, gain a house with history and elegance -- and earn recycling bragging rights that will be hard to beat.

DANA GIOVE is senior vice president and retail sales market manager at Viking Bank. She can be reached at 206-297-4253 or danag@vikingbank.com.

In the Puget Sound region's fevered housing market, however, sometimes the house goes, too. Check out the article at the Seattle P-I website for more info or view the pdf version