Sears kit houses

meredith necker · 06-28-2004, 09:53 AM

I have recently gotten interested in Sears kit houses. A number of people have said that they own one. I haven't been able to find pictures of cottages but have pictures of houses. Does anyone know of any in the Lakes Region? The pieces were numbered and arrived by rr with a 75 page instruction book. Sears offered 75% loans for 15 year as opposed to 50% for 7 years by banks. Sears knew that home owners would buy more from their catalog than appartment dwellers. Kind of interesting! Thank for any infor you might have.

SIKSUKR · 06-29-2004, 08:18 AM

Never owned one but I did rent one as a skihouse in Bethlehem about 17 years ago.To my surprize,the place was really nice.It had 4 bedrooms,a big living room,a nice farmers porch and a sweet looking banister on the main staircase.We had lots of fun in that house. SS

Proline · 06-29-2004, 10:35 AM

I spent part of 38 summers in one that was located on Moultonboro Bay. Ufortuately, it was torn down last week. It was pretty neat. The sections went together with metal pins and wedges.

dpg · 06-29-2004, 10:48 AM

Who makes them, not Sears as in the store is it?

meredith necker · 06-30-2004, 08:47 AM

Yup, Sears as in Sears and Roebuck. Of course they don't offer them any more - stopped in the twenties or thirties, but they sold maybe 75,000 or them. They were nice houses and I guess a lot of them still exist.

Biggus · 07-05-2004, 08:21 PM

A friend of mine recently inherited a house from his grandmother and it was a 1920's Sears home. I had never heard of one either!

Have you ever taken a good look at a Sears catolog from way back when?
They sure had a diverse product line!

Jack L · 07-09-2004, 08:02 PM

Sears Homes were make by various companys, and were well worth the money. On the East Coast, and several other locations, Weyerhaeuser Timber Company (now Weyerhaeuser Co.) precut the homes and shipped then on flat cars, and occassionally trailer trucks.

Grant · 07-10-2004, 11:41 AM

I know of one or two down here in PA -- Plymouth Meeting, to be exact. There was an interesting article in the paper about them once. Never knew they existed before then.

ghfromaltonbay · 07-10-2004, 11:49 AM

My father ordered a Weyerhauser kit home in 1955 here in northeast NJ. I remember the pieces arriving by flatbed truck. He had a foundation built, and then erected the house which came with pre-nailed walls studs and roof rafters. Although the building inspector from town was skeptical at first, he was really impressed by the quality of the house. Working part-time on the house while employed by good old NJ Bell, Dad started the house in May and we moved in on Nov. 5th. Most of the work was done by family and friends. The house is a beautiful 4 bedroom, 2 bath cape cod with a 28x36 foot footprint. In 1973 they added a 10x18 dining room out the back. It's interesting to read the set of plans/prints that came with the house.

Grant · 07-14-2004, 07:52 AM

My wife pointed out that there are at least three Sears kit homes right on our short street here in PA -- including the house right next door. She also sent this link, which shows some very similar styles.

http://architecture.about.com/librar...plan-sears.htm

06-28-2004, 09:53 AM	#1
meredith necker Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: meredith neck and bear island Posts: 48 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Sears kit houses I have recently gotten interested in Sears kit houses. A number of people have said that they own one. I haven't been able to find pictures of cottages but have pictures of houses. Does anyone know of any in the Lakes Region? The pieces were numbered and arrived by rr with a 75 page instruction book. Sears offered 75% loans for 15 year as opposed to 50% for 7 years by banks. Sears knew that home owners would buy more from their catalog than appartment dwellers. Kind of interesting! Thank for any infor you might have.

06-29-2004, 08:18 AM	#2
SIKSUKR Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,075 Thanks: 215 Thanked 903 Times in 509 Posts	Never owned one but I did rent one as a skihouse in Bethlehem about 17 years ago.To my surprize,the place was really nice.It had 4 bedrooms,a big living room,a nice farmers porch and a sweet looking banister on the main staircase.We had lots of fun in that house. SS __________________ SIKSUKR

06-29-2004, 10:35 AM	#3
Proline Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 12 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Sears Kits I spent part of 38 summers in one that was located on Moultonboro Bay. Ufortuately, it was torn down last week. It was pretty neat. The sections went together with metal pins and wedges.

06-30-2004, 08:47 AM	#5
meredith necker Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: meredith neck and bear island Posts: 48 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Sears houses Yup, Sears as in Sears and Roebuck. Of course they don't offer them any more - stopped in the twenties or thirties, but they sold maybe 75,000 or them. They were nice houses and I guess a lot of them still exist.

07-09-2004, 08:02 PM	#7
Jack L Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 13 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Sears Homes Sears Homes were make by various companys, and were well worth the money. On the East Coast, and several other locations, Weyerhaeuser Timber Company (now Weyerhaeuser Co.) precut the homes and shipped then on flat cars, and occassionally trailer trucks.

06-29-2004, 10:48 AM	#4
dpg Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 2,591 Thanks: 150 Thanked 229 Times in 166 Posts	Who makes them, not Sears as in the store is it?

07-05-2004, 08:21 PM	#6
Biggus Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Sebago Lake Posts: 20 Thanks: 4 Thanked 2 Times in 1 Post	A friend of mine recently inherited a house from his grandmother and it was a 1920's Sears home. I had never heard of one either! Have you ever taken a good look at a Sears catolog from way back when? They sure had a diverse product line!

07-10-2004, 11:41 AM	#8
Grant Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Pennsyltuckey, Tuftonboro, Moultonborough Posts: 1,499 Thanks: 374 Thanked 229 Times in 123 Posts	I know of one or two down here in PA -- Plymouth Meeting, to be exact. There was an interesting article in the paper about them once. Never knew they existed before then.

07-10-2004, 11:49 AM	#9
ghfromaltonbay Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Clifton, NJ, Alton Bay Posts: 827 Thanks: 255 Thanked 225 Times in 131 Posts	Kit homes My father ordered a Weyerhauser kit home in 1955 here in northeast NJ. I remember the pieces arriving by flatbed truck. He had a foundation built, and then erected the house which came with pre-nailed walls studs and roof rafters. Although the building inspector from town was skeptical at first, he was really impressed by the quality of the house. Working part-time on the house while employed by good old NJ Bell, Dad started the house in May and we moved in on Nov. 5th. Most of the work was done by family and friends. The house is a beautiful 4 bedroom, 2 bath cape cod with a 28x36 foot footprint. In 1973 they added a 10x18 dining room out the back. It's interesting to read the set of plans/prints that came with the house.

07-14-2004, 07:52 AM	#10
Grant Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Pennsyltuckey, Tuftonboro, Moultonborough Posts: 1,499 Thanks: 374 Thanked 229 Times in 123 Posts	Right on our block My wife pointed out that there are at least three Sears kit homes right on our short street here in PA -- including the house right next door. She also sent this link, which shows some very similar styles. http://architecture.about.com/librar...plan-sears.htm