— from Paul Thomas —

UPHouseEdith Macefield’s famous “UP House” will float away after all — by sea, not by air.

After a number of potential buyers discovered that the house could not be used on site in an economically viable way due to building code requirements, the seller solicited proposals from individuals and organizations who wanted to move the house and take over as stewards.

The winning proposal came from OPAL (“Of People And Land”) Community Land Trust, a nonprofit organization that has been providing permanently affordable housing on Orcas Island for 26 years. (www.opalclt.org) Orcas Island is 60 miles north of Seattle in Washington’s San Juan Islands. OPAL is particularly focused on helping bridge the affordability gap for families that otherwise could not afford their own homes. They have moved ten houses to date, five by barge, and are very comfortable with the intricacies of moving a house.

OPAL plans to have the house trucked to the nearby Ship Canal in Seattle, put on a barge and towed to Orcas Island. Once back on solid land, the house will be trucked two more miles, including taking a shortcut down the island’s airport runway, to its final location. (Yes, the airport will be closed during the detour.) OPAL’s crew will place the house on a new foundation and renovate it, then it will be used as a house once again.

“Edith’s house will soon get a new lease on life in a far less claustrophobic location,” said listing broker Paul Thomas. “It will be surrounded by trees, not by towering cement walls. Rather than being forlorn and vacant it will be lived in and loved.”

(Editor’s Note: Watch the KING-TV video below for the background story.)

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