The whole operation could have been jeopardized by a September breeze if it got any stronger.
A one-storey house formerly at 575 St. Patrick St. in Oak Bay was lifted and moved eight houses down the street to McNeill Bay on Sept. 8, where it was loaded on a barge headed for the San Juan Islands.
“We decided to explore a house move rather than demolish to save on demolition costs,” said the home’s former owner, Cooper Shantz. He sold the home to house moving experts Nickel Brothers for $1, in exchange for covering the costs of the move, which he estimated at $60,000.
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The home, built in 1945, will be placed on a new lot.
“We also sleep better knowing it was able to be repurposed,” Shantz said. In its place, his family is building a modern beach house with a detached double garage, designed by the Zebra Group.
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The crowd gathers to watch the move. (Kiernan Green/News Staff)
The Nickel Brothers house moving barge approaches McNeill Bay. (Kiernan Green/News Staff)
Crew lowers the ramp aboard the Nickel Brothers house moving barge. (Kiernan Green/News Staff)
