Morgan Sykes Jaybush, creative director at the firm, got the idea in early February while looking at lists of demolition permits<\/a> for buildings over 40 years old.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re not designated historic, but they\u2019re just like great, sweet houses,\u201d Jaybush said. \u201cIt made me just really sad to see that there was nothing that could be done about it.\u201d<\/p>\n Want to participate?<\/p>\n The project is open to anyone who lost a home in the fires, has an empty lot and can afford the move.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n If you\u2019re a homeowner interested in donating a house, or know about a home that could be donated, you can fill out this form<\/a>. If you\u2019re interested in acquiring a house to relocate to your property, fill out this form<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Omgivning can also be reached at HouseRelocation@Omgivning.com<\/a> or (213) 596-5602.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Then a lightbulb moment hit. Couldn\u2019t these homes help Altadena?<\/p>\n Relocating homes isn\u2019t new, but it doesn\u2019t happen as much as it used to. In the mid-1900s, plenty of houses were moved for various redevelopment reasons, such as razing Bunker Hill<\/a>, building the 101 Freeway<\/a>, or even just expanding a school<\/a>.<\/p>\n Over the last five years, L.A. has issued just eight relocation permits, according to building and safety spokesperson Devin Myrick. Brad Chambers, a conservationist and consultant on the project, said there are a lot of benefits.<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aPreservation\u2019s really the first, second benefit is you\u2019re contributing to the housing supply,\u201d Chambers said. \u201cThe third is you are actually keeping things from going into the landfill.\u201d<\/p>\n Currently, a pair of two-story homes are in the process of moving to Altadena. Dozens more may be on the way.<\/p>\n How relocating works<\/p>\n Omgivning connects interested homeowners to properties that are scheduled to be razed. Jaybush is also assisting with permits and contracting. He\u2019s found around 80 other houses to relocate with about a dozen families already lined up to buy.<\/p>\n \u201c\u200a\u200aWe\u2019ve been slowly cold calling those property owners to see if they would allow us to relocate the house in lieu of throwing it into a landfill,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n If all goes well, the two parties forge a deal \u2014 ideally at a very low cost \u2014 to transfer ownership of just the materials on the lot before it\u2019s torn down. The new owners are responsible for the moving costs and rehabilitation, if it\u2019s needed.<\/p>\n The Saint George Street home in Los Feliz on July 16, 2025. This house’s second story has been removed.<\/p>\n The top of the Saint George Street house. <\/p>\n The home is dismantled once an agreement is set. If there\u2019s a second story, it\u2019s removed, along with things like cabinets and baseboards, and stashed on the first floor. That can take about six weeks depending on the size.<\/p>\n The buildings are then split into pieces, like a loaf of bread, and moved individually on flatbed trucks at night. A special route is planned out that avoids bridges, underpasses, railroad tracks, freeways and powerlines.<\/p>\n Once at their destinations, the homes are reassembled on box cribs while a new foundation is built. That process can take about six months. The home is then lowered onto the foundation and connected to plumbing, gas and electricity.<\/p>\n \u2018Like a house I grew up in\u2019<\/p>\n One of the first homes moving is a 1911 two-story Craftsman on Taft Avenue in Hollywood. A few days prior to my visit, new owner Evan Chambers said it was being used as an Airbnb. Even though this house was livable, it was up for demolition because the lot is getting redeveloped into multi-family housing.<\/p>\n Evan and his wife Caitlin were drawn to the home after she found it on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aIt\u2019s kind of like a house I grew up in that my parents bought in the late 60s,\u201d Evan said. \u201c\u200aI have zero interest in rebuilding. I don\u2019t want to live in a new house. I don\u2019t want to pay somebody to build a new house. I don\u2019t like new materials.\u201d<\/p>\n The Taft Avenue house in Hollywood on July 16, 2025.<\/p>\n They bought the home for only a dollar. However, in total, the Chambers expect to shell out around $550,000 for the move, which they\u2019re funding with a mix of insurance payouts, savings and money from a GoFundMe campaign. The two plan to fix up the house as well.<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aSomething really scrappy like this feels like very Altadena to me, so I like that part,\u201d Caitlin said.<\/p>\n The process should take nine to 12 months. Jaybush says that\u2019s faster than the roughly three years he\u2019s hearing it could take to rebuild.<\/p>\n Light at the end of a tunnel<\/p>\n The other home being relocated is also a two-story Craftsman from 1910 in Los Feliz on Saint George Street. This is the second time it\u2019s been moved. In 1948, it was driven a few miles down the road to save it from those 101 Freeway demolitions. The owner held a party inside<\/a> while it happened.<\/p>\n New owners Jacques Laramee and Gwen Sukeena are excited for this new chapter after losing their original Altadena home only a few months after purchasing it.<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aThis has been a really overwhelming experience in a very good way,\u201d Sukeena said. \u201cWe\u2019re at least able to see a little bit of light at the end of a very dark tunnel.\u201d<\/p>\n Jacques Laramee and Gwen Sukeena at their Saint George Street house on July 16, 2025. This building is likely to move to Altadena in the beginning of August.<\/p>\n Gwen Sukeena says this home will be nearly double the size of the one that burned down.<\/p>\n The couple decided to move forward with relocating for a few reasons, but the home\u2019s vintage feel was a deciding factor.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re standing in a 115-year-old home, so there\u2019s lots of beautiful woodwork and character in this home,\u201d Laramee said.<\/p>\n Similarly to the Taft house, it would\u2019ve been torn down for redevelopment. The couple\u2019s deal was more expensive \u2014 they purchased the materials for $75,000. It\u2019ll likely be a year before they can move in due to renovations.<\/p>\n Sukeena isn\u2019t sure yet what total costs may look like, but they\u2019re expecting to pay a third less than what it would cost to buy a new home.<\/p>\n \n
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