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Mail Order Home Kits - Sear Roebuck Homes Still Stand Proud

"After some consideration, I think I'll choose the Modern Home No. 146. The Saratoga has a lovely wide front porch and the redwood siding should endure for many decades."

This was, perhaps, the thinking of thousands of families who bought their homes from the Sears Roebuck Houses by Mail Catalog - a phenomenon of the early 20th century that delivered kit homes stacked onto rail cars to families across America. Between 1908 and 1940 about 100,000 families perused the architectural catalog, read concise descriptions of house styles and analyzed floor plans. Then, according to their family budget and needs, placed a stamp on an envelope and sent off for a complete kit to build their home from foundation to roof top.

Sometimes, the buyer would take on the task of building the home while others hired local contractors. Thousands of these homes still stand today, their owners perhaps unaware their bungalow, cottage, colonial house or other older home was assembled from a kit. The cost? A home kit could be purchased for a under $1,000 and up to about $2,700, depending upon the design and square footage. Today, many of those same homes sell for a half million dollars or more.

Although Sears Roebuck Company was the most successful retailer of home kits, it was not alone. A major competitor in the market was, not surprisingly, Montgomery Ward. But it was Sears that captured the majority of sales and left a lasting mark on real estate across America. Some analysts say it was the company's attention to detail and quality that kept it in front of its competitors. In 1918, a Sears' marketing piece promised "the customer must be satisfied for a lifetime for every house we sell is a standing advertisement for Sears Roebuck and Company."

Part of this satisfaction came with the efficient way the Sears kits were assembled and presented. In the early 1900s, carpenters and home builders did not have the advantage of today's power tools. Most people were not educated in reading architectural plans, nor experienced in construction. Sears pre-cut all the lumber for the homes and made instructions easy to follow. Since most buyers were intimately involved in the construction of their kit home, there was a special pride in hands-on ownership.

After the Great Depression, Sears offered an even more complete package to customers by including financing. By then, the company was deep into lumber mills and other industries that supported its housing venture. By 1940, the burden of manufacturing and financing - and the impact of WWII - saw the last of the Book of Modern Homes. Times changed and Sear Roebuck changed with them. The company never kept an inventory of the homes it sold so many people who own houses from the early decades of the 20th century may be unaware of their home's humble, mail order origin.

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