Fall Home and Garden: A Moving Experience

Moving a traditional farmhouse with a long history in Fillmore County was quite the experience for two local families.

Brent and Brenda Afseth raised their two children, Cole and Marissa, in the farmhouse. When they decided to build a new home, they posted their old house on Marketplace, noting that it would need to be moved. Built in 1904, the two-story home had 1,602 square feet of living space. The Afseths did not want to see it demolished. They hoped to find a buyer who would love it as much as they had and would relocate it.

Meanwhile, the Haddad family of five – Theo, Holland, Emma, Blaise and Cassandra (Sandy) from Spring Valley, had been saving to purchase a home but found the housing market challenging. They turned to an alternative approach. With the help of High Point Land Company, they purchased a picturesque parcel of land in rural Fillmore County and found their dream house on none other than Marketplace.

Sandy shared that the Afseths had maintained the home well, preserving many of its original features, including the hardwood floors, windows, pocket doors, and decorative exterior elements. The doors using skeleton keys are also original. Two tasteful additions had been made to the house, a front enclosed porch and an expanded kitchen, that blended seamlessly with the original design of the house.

Brent spoke about the community’s fond memories of spending time at the house, when it was owned by Roger Hahn. He mentioned talking with Phil Durst who worked on the 500-acre farm when he was a kid. Phil stayed in the house when he worked on the farm in the summer and was so happy that someone was saving it instead of tearing it down. 

Neighbors played a crucial role in supporting the move, even helping to trim trees that obstructed the route. TNT Lawn Service also assisted with trimming branches.

In a video of the move, (search Two Story Farmhouse Move on YouTube) www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJFwTcpe60o, Brent noted that the process seemed long.

Both families noted that despite various weather delays and logistical hiccups, everything eventually lined up. The house had to be moved 17 miles. It took one hour and five minutes just to get it down the driveway and two hours to go 17 miles.

The house was moved on May 8, 10 months after the Haddads looked at the house. The driveways presented unique challenges. At the new location there wasn’t a driveway at all, so one was built, wide enough to allow the truck moving the house to make a wide turn. The original driveway was just barely wide enough to take the house down it and on both sides of the driveway were steep dropoffs. Everyone held their breath as the house was moved down the driveway. Initially, movers considered cutting across a field, but the rain and muddy conditions made that impossible.

The homeowners along the moving route were notified. Fortunately, everyone was supportive and excited that the house was being saved. Many even came out to watch the move.

MiEnergy had 15 of their 16 crews with the big trucks and booms helping, and Dairyland Power was also involved because some of the lines belonged to them.

The youngest Haddad family member, Holland, described the move as “stressful.” All the children have been involved in the move. 

One child is excited about finally having their own bedroom. The relocated home includes the three original bedrooms, plus two more in the basement. One of the bedrooms is getting new carpet off the discount rack, as there will also be a new decorative rug to go over the carpet. The big window in the living room shattered. The pink and blue window did not crack, which made 17-year-old Marissa happy. Cracks did appear in the walls after the house settled.

The new daylight basement, with two windows at the front of the house, allows for plenty of natural light. Sandy specifically wanted to avoid a dark basement, and the style of basement make it easier for the movers to place the home on its new foundation.

The Haddads hope to move in in September. The final step is connecting utilities. The latest holdup has been the well. What was supposed to take three days has stretched into six weeks, as the drilling team from Roland Well keeps encountering caves that need to be cemented. The new location is located near the Mystery Cave in southeastern Fillmore County.

The Haddads served as the general contractor for the project. Other companies involved included Byrne Contracting, JS Voelt Trucking and Excavating, Hebl Septic, English Electric, MMC Mitch Mulhern Construction, and Goetzinger Plumbing & Heating.

With a smile, Sandy said, “I’ll be sending the Afseth family a Christmas card.”