To offset this, the old house dealer first shows one or more albums of pictures of the houses he has for sale.  These contain complete snap-shots inside and out, together with plans and dimensions.  If he is wise, he also has simple typed statements, giving all the data he has been able to gather concerning each house, approximately when it was built, its connection with local historical events, and, if possible, the names of prominent personages who dwelt in it or were guests there.  Knowing that buyers are much impressed by such facts, he often makes a careful search of recorded deeds and books of local history for those few interesting facts that he may use advantageously.  For instance, to be able to say that Lafayette, on his extensive old-age visit to the United States, was entertained in a house may be just the right romantic touch that will close the deal.

With such an old house, the dealer generally quotes a price for it dismembered and ready to be moved to its new site.  Since the cost of transportation varies with the distance, the trucking charge is customarily given as a separate item.  In general, the dealer will undertake delivery at a lower figure than any one else.  Also, such a dealer or an associated contractor will set a sum at which he will re-erect the structure on the new site.  Since he is accustomed to working with old materials and knows just what problems he faces, his price will be lower than the combination of the cost of the old house and the price set for its rebuilding by a contractor unfamiliar with such work.  The latter, to protect himself from unforeseen contingencies, must naturally add a proportionately large sum to his estimated cost.

The exact cost of an old house re-erected on a new site cannot be given offhand.  There are too many elements to be considered.  How extensive are the changes, how many baths, what type of heating system, are only a few.  All are important factors that must be determined before the final figure can be set.  So, the prospective buyer must have patience and understanding.  Also, he should have his architect prepare plans for the work with just as much thoroughness as if it were a new building.  To the layman it may all seem very complicated but to an architect who knows his old houses, it is no more difficult than new work.  He begins by making a careful set of measured drawings of the old house as it stands.  He examines the fabric to determine what sills, beams and other parts are unsound and must be replaced.  He takes as many photographs of details of the construction, both inside and out, as seem expedient and labels the prints explicitly so that they relate directly to his plans.  Later, when rebuilding is under way these snap-shots will refresh his memory and make it easier to explain some special feature or unique construction to workmen who never saw the house before.

Dismembering houses for re-erection is accomplished by two methods.  The more common is taking them apart board by board and timber by timber, marking each piece by a system of numbers and colors so that it can be returned to its proper place.  The other is called “flaking.”  Here roof, side walls, and partitions are cut into large panels and numbered and marked in colors.  At the new site they are put in place much as a portable bungalow is assembled.