General Dynamics Bath Iron Works is offering a historic Maine house for $1, but the buyer must move it to another legally permitted site by Nov. 20, 2027. The nominal price leaves out the far larger expense of relocating the structure, preparing a new site, and making the house usable again.
The circa-1900 Deering House must be removed as Bath Iron Works redevelops properties near the shipyard. The buyer is responsible for the structural move, permits, transportation, site preparation, foundation work, utilities, and related expenses. If a viable relocation does not materialize, the house could be demolished.
For agents nationwide, properties sold for relocation require a different calculation than a conventional home purchase. The structure may be inexpensive, but land, transportation, permitting, foundation work, utilities, and route constraints can determine whether the deal is viable at all.
What affects the cost to move a house
House-moving costs vary widely by project. A 2025 cost guide estimates a range of about $15,000 to $200,000. More recent July 2026 cost data puts a typical relocation at $18,000 to $100,000, with an average of about $40,000 and a high end of $200,000. Movers evaluate the home’s size, weight, construction, foundation, site access, travel distance, destination, and obstacles along the route.
The Deering House shows how quickly those factors can complicate a project. Local structural mover Clayton Copp told the Bangor Daily News that the 4,216-square-foot building might realistically travel only about 500 feet. It could also need to be divided into sections and have part of its roof removed to clear obstacles.
Copp’s company recently moved a similarly aged house in Augusta about one-third of a mile for roughly $100,000. That figure covered the structural move, not the broader project.
Can the house and route handle the move?
Before focusing on price, buyers need to confirm that the structure can be moved safely, that a workable route exists, and that the destination lot can legally and physically accommodate it. Route planning for a structural move can involve overhead utility lines, trees, road geometry, traffic control, and excavation. Utility companies may also need to inspect the route and charge separately to temporarily move or raise lines.
The new site adds another set of expenses. That includes excavation and grading, a new foundation, utility connections, permits, and work needed to meet local building requirements.
Check financing and project costs early
Buyers should obtain project-specific estimates before committing to a relocation. Financing and insurance also warrant early review. Owners moving a mortgaged property should contact their mortgage lender and insurer before relocation. Agents should avoid presenting a nominal-price structure as an inexpensive project until the buyer has accounted for the move and the work required at the destination.
How agents should market a relocation property
Marketing language should match the documentation available. A house with a structural assessment, viable destination, and reviewed route can be described with greater certainty than one where those questions remain unresolved. If feasibility has not been established, describing a structure as potentially suitable for relocation, subject to buyer verification, is more accurate than calling it move-ready.
The $1 Deering House is an extreme example of a transaction agents can encounter anywhere redevelopment, historic preservatio, flood concerns, or land value makes moving a structure more practical than leaving it in place. For agents advising buyers, the cost to focus on is the full project: the structure, relocation, destination lot, foundation, permits, utilities, and site work.