During a certain period, Sears offered complete houses in large do-it-yourself (DIY) kits through their catalogs. These kits were transported by train and encompassed around 30,000 components, including wiring, plumbing, and heating, which collectively weighed over 25 tons.
Customers had the option to choose from more than 370 designs, and each kit included a 75-page instruction manual. Sears asserted that an individual with "average" skills could construct the entire house within a span of 90 days.
Between 1908 and 1940, Sears managed to sell over 70,000 DIY homes at prices ranging from $600 to $6,000 (approximately equivalent to $8,400 to $84,000 in today's currency). One notable model, known as the Martha Washington (as depicted in the accompanying images), was sold for $3,028 (equivalent to $45,538 today) in 1921.
In 2016, the same Martha Washington model was purchased for $1.06 million in Washington D.C. Remarkably, almost 70% of these Sears DIY houses are still standing today.
Do Nothing For Two Minutes
Take a minute, turn up the volume as we take you to Cades Cove, on the Tennessee side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Videographer: Scot Miller.https://t.co/KGzAnwVXHU