Reuse. Repurpose. Recycle. These days it seems that everyone is trying to reduce their carbon footprint and live lightly on this planet we all share. Seattle has one of the most active recycling programs in the nation and most folks in Madrona proudly separate glass from plastic from cardboard and put out our big green tubs once a week. But what if we could do more? What if we could save something bigger and more significant than junk mail and table scraps? What if we could save a house—or four?
The expansion at Epiphany School has made four perfectly good vintage classic houses on Madrona Drive superfluous. The school needs the land the houses sit on, but the buildings themselves are of no use. But instead of calling in the demolition team, the school is hoping to have the houses rescued and relocated. It’s the ultimate in recycling—purchasing an unwanted house, moving it to a new location, and making it a home again. One house of this size represents about 80 trees-worth of lumber, the equivalent of one person recycling paper for 100 years. Picture these Madrona box ceilings relocating to Magnolia. Envision these leaded glass Madrona built-ins in Kent. Imagine these old growth Madrona hard wood floors in Capital Hill. In reality, these houses are so large they can’t go too far and need to stay in or around Madrona or Madison Valley. The homes range in price from $152,000 to $170,000. Take a virtual tour at www.nickelbros.com and adopt a Madrona home today, won’t you?
From Madrona News
www.madrona.us
This is an unusual offer, but these houses are beauties. Here’s a link to more pictures of one of them http://www.nickelbros.com/083063b4b.html.
House moving is quite common in Seattle. I even worked on a project where a house was moved by barge from Renton, and planted on a lot in Seward Park!
While that is certainly the exception to the rule, there’s no reason why these houses can’t find a new home in the neighborhood somewhere. Keep in mind that the farther you move them, the more expensive it becomes – and certain obstacles (underpasses, steep slopes) can pretty much make certain moves impossible. But there’s still plenty of places in the district where these houses can find a new spot.