This historic 3-story home can be yours for $1. There’s just one catch: you have to 'move' it

With the ever-increasing cost of real estate, buying a house in this economy seems impossible. But the 1900 Deering House, located at 606 Washington St. in Bath, Maine, has been listed for sale for $1. In fact, the buyer has until November 20, 2027, to meet the unique requirements. However, if not sold by then, the historical house will be demolished, Bath Iron Works (BIW), a United States shipyard, told WMTW-TV. The video was shared on August 7, and it has since received 32,000 views, 648 likes, and 139 comments on YouTube.

The $1 catch

The Deering House once belonged to Gardiner G. Deering, a famous shipbuilder. He helped propel Bath's reputation as a shipbuilding hub during the 19th and 20th centuries, and it later came to be known as the "City of Ships." Jolene Nickerson, the director of facilities capital at Bath Iron Works, explained why they're selling the house for $1. He said, "It’s important for General Dynamics and Bath Iron Works to continue to be able to grow as a company and employ thousands of Mainers. We’re looking for ways to improve our facilities." Now, a $1 deal might seem tempting, but here's the catch: The buyer must purchase the house only if they can move the house from its original position.

A priceless possession

Bath Iron Works also said that the house won't come with any warranty. The buyer has to cover "all relocation costs, including permits, approvals, licensed structural movers, transportation, site prep, foundations, utilities, and related services." Nickerson hopes someone financially well-off would purchase the home and relocate it to preserve its historic nature.

Meanwhile, Jack Martin, an archivist and special collections librarian, has also praised the house. He told the outlet, "You would have a one-of-a-kind home and a great story. Not only do you have the history of the house that comes with it, but then you also have the story of being the person who moved and saved a historic home — and that’s fascinating."

The hidden expense

As the Deering House awaits a buyer who can move it from its original location, Modern Movers, a structural moving company, has given customers an idea of how much money they need to invest to move such structures. Well, the starting price to move a wood frame building is $30,000, while a concrete block structure starts at $100,000, they estimated. The cost also depends on the size and complexity of the structure. Furthermore, not only is moving expensive, 91% said it was stressful, as per a Homefront survey (of 2,184 Americans) shared on the J. David Chapman website. The study revealed that 55% of Americans underestimated the actual costs of moving, so much that 21% went into debt. While the Deering House is extremely cheap, buyers may have to think twice because of the moving costs that come with it.

'Don't move it'

That being said, netizens are not very happy with how Bath Iron Works is handling the situation. They even criticized the company for 'wanting' to save the house, but needing to demolish it to expand their company. @Amberwhiskey commented, "Shame on General Dynamics. They can fully afford to move that house and preserve it. They are a multi-billion-dollar company." @DustBunny7 wrote, "No need to tear it down or move it. Buy another piece of empty land. You have millions of dollars to find an appropriate lot for a new building."

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