Princeton University Giving Away Homes

Want a free house? Princeton University will let you choose from seven.

But only if you can haul them away.

Princeton is giving away houses it needs to clear away in order to start a new development project. The homes boast details including Victorian scroll moulding and fireplaces.

The catch is that most are in bad shape, with insulation peeking out from the foundation and broken shutters or railings.

Moving a house can cost tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. And because Princeton is densely populated, the houses must be taken apart, said Kendal Siegrist of Wolfe Housing and Building Movers in Bernville, Penn.

Siegrist said the houses can’t be carted away whole because there are too many utility lines, and it can cost $10,000 to move one line.

This article appeared in print on page 4 of the February 28th, 2013 edition of Hamodia.