How do I know if I have a Sears Roebuck house?
Is My House a Sears House?
- Look for stamped lumber in the basement or attic.
- Look for shipping labels.
- Check house design using a book with good quality photos and original catalog images.
- Look in the attic and basement for any paperwork (original blueprints, letters, etc).
- Courthouse records.
When were Sears Roebuck houses built?
Sears, Roebuck and Company’s Modern Homes program began in 1908 and ended in 1940. During those years, about 75,000 well-designed, well-constructed and economical houses were sold to American families.
What was a Sears house called?
No wonder Sears kit houses became known as “the American dream in a box.” Or, less grandly, “bungalows in a box.” Kits, containing what some experts estimated at tens of thousands of pieces, were delivered in stages to the railroad station nearest the building site.
How can I tell if my house was a kit house?
But below is a list of signs that can help identify a kit house.
- Look for stamped lumber:
- Look at Plumbing Fixtures:
- Check the house’s floor plan:
- Look for Shipping Labels:
- Investigate shipping records:
- Conduct a record (deed and building permit) search:
- Consult your neighbors:
Are Sears home kits still available?
Sears discontinued its Modern Homes catalog after 1940. Sales through local sales offices continued into 1942. Years later, the sales records related to home sales were destroyed during a corporate house cleaning.
How many homes did Sears sell between 1908 and 1940?
Sears reported that more than 70,000 of these homes were sold in North America between 1908 and 1940. More than 370 different home designs in a wide range of architectural styles and sizes were offered over the program’s 33-year history.
When did Sears sell the first kit house?
From 1908 until 1940, Sears, Roebuck and Co. sold over 70,000 kit houses through their Modern Homes and Honor Bilt catalogs. Designs for 370 different plans ranged from the elaborate to the simple; the ‘Goldenrod’, for example, was a three-room vacation cottage (no bath, out-house separate).
What happened to the Sears Modern Homes catalog?
Sears discontinued its Modern Homes catalog after 1940. A few years later, all sales records were destroyed during a corporate house cleaning. As only a small percentage of these homes were documented when built, finding these houses today often requires detailed research to properly identify them.
How many homes did Sears sell through the mail order program?
From 1908–1940, Sears, Roebuck and Company sold more than 100,000 homes through their mail-order Modern Homes program.