Tag: altadena

Over the past few weeks, something interesting has been happening.

As we’ve shared the stories of the homes arriving on Poppyfields Drive, Calaveras Street, and La Venezia Court in Altadena, more people have been reaching out to me with questions.

Some have asked if they can donate a house.

Others have asked how they might receive a relocated home on their property.

I love that! ❤️

To me, that means people are beginning to see what is possible.

For a long time, house relocation has felt like something hidden in the background. A very complicated process that only a few people knew how to navigate. But when you see an old house carefully lifted from a truck, carried over a wall, and set down to begin a new chapter, something shifts. People begin to imagine another path.

Instead of demolition, maybe the house can be saved.

Instead of starting from scratch, maybe a beautiful old structure can begin again somewhere new.

Instead of losing architectural character, maybe it can be preserved and carried forward.

That is exactly why I created a new inquiry page on HouseRelocation.LA.

A clearer place to begin

As more people started asking how this works, I realized the website needed a better starting point.

So I created a page for people who want to explore house relocation from either side of the process:

• people who may have a house to offer for relocation
• people who want to apply to receive a relocated house

The new page is here to make that first step easier.

If you have a house that may need to be removed, there may be an alternative to demolition.

And if you own property and want to explore whether a relocated house could be the right fit, there is now a clearer starting point.

Why this matters

One of the things I love most about this work is that it sits at the intersection of preservation, problem-solving, and possibility.

A house relocation project is never simple. There are always permits, route logistics, site constraints, structural questions, timing issues, and a mountain of details to work through.

But even with all of that, I believe these projects matter.

They matter because old homes still matter.

They matter because craftsmanship still matters.

They matter because communities benefit when beautiful structures are given the chance to live on.

And they matter because sometimes the right house and the right property can come together to create something that would not have existed otherwise.

Two paths forward

The new inquiry page is designed to help visitors choose the path that best fits them.

Offer a House for Relocation

If you own, represent, or manage a property with a house that may need to be removed, this is where to start.

Not every structure is a good candidate for relocation, but some are. In the right situation, a house with character, history, or strong bones may be able to begin a new life somewhere else.

Apply to Receive a Relocated House

If you own or control a property and want to explore whether a relocated home could work on your site, this is the place to begin that conversation.

Receiving a relocated house is an incredible opportunity, but it also requires realistic planning, permitting, site preparation, foundation work, and patience.

That is why the first step is an inquiry.

What I hope this page does

My hope is simple.

I want this new page to help more people understand that relocating a house is possible.

Not easy.
Not automatic.
But possible.

I want it to give people a clearer path to ask questions, share opportunities, and begin exploring whether a project might be feasible.

And I want it to help connect people whose houses may be saved with the people and properties that may be ready to receive them.

If this work continues to grow, I believe we will see even more opportunities to preserve beautiful homes, support thoughtful rebuilding, and keep architectural character alive in our communities.

Start here

If you’ve been wondering whether a house can be donated, relocated, or received, the new inquiry page is now live:

House Relocation Inquiries

From there, you can choose the path that best fits your situation:

• Offer a House for Relocation
• Apply to Receive a Relocated House

Want a step-by-step house relocation overview?

• Visit the House Relocation Roadmap

Thank you for following along with these stories and this work.

The story of house relocation in Altadena is still being written.

And I have a feeling we’re just getting started.

Cheers!

Alan Pinel

(213) 841-9988

This project documents the relocation of House 3016 from Lincoln Heights in Los Angeles to Calaveras Street in Altadena, where it will become part of a new chapter for a receiving property and a preservation-minded rebuild effort.

Project Update: Since this first relocation, both 3016 and 3018 have been placed on the Calaveras property, continuing the next chapter of this Altadena house relocation story.

I wake up a few minutes before my alarm goes off. This is an exciting morning! I quickly get dressed. I step outside my front door and breathe in the crisp, cool morning air. It’s still dark as I walk to my car.

I arrive in Lincoln Heights, and as I turn the corner from Mission Road, I see a news van already set up at the corner of Main Street & Hancock Street in front of a towering 100-unit apartment building.

Before the apartment was built in 2022, there was a row of quaint houses that sat facing Main Street. For decades, three of these houses witnessed the flow of traffic along Main Street, and many generations of families called them home.

In 2021, these 3 homes were relocated from Main Street to the rear of the large lot along Hancock Street to make way for the large apartment building, which would take their place on Main Street.

These 3 houses sat vacant for the past 4 years, perched 5 feet off the ground on wooden cribs. There was talk of future uses for these houses, most of which were commercial in nature, such as offices or maybe a dental or medical clinic.

I’m still sifting through the origins of these buildings, but I know I first learned about these 3 houses through Brad Chambers. Brad is passionate about preserving historical homes. In fact, it was in 2004 when I first worked with Brad to relocate a house built in the 1880s to the beautiful neighborhood of Highland Park, in Northeast Los Angeles.

Brad shared with me that he had a great idea for these houses and for vacant houses like these. Instead of converting them for commercial use, why not relocate them to Altadena, where they could be repaired and restored to their original intended use? Homes where families could live their lives and raise their families. What a great idea! Brad truly is a wonderful guy!

Brad introduced me to the lovely families I would be working with in Altadena. They were AWESOME! We agreed to move forward with this incredible project, and I started on the mountain of digital paperwork needed to secure the signatures and approvals so we could move these 3 structures from Los Angeles City to Altadena.

Getting the initial approvals was truly a group effort. Everyone pitched in and helped carry the ball to our first goal: relocating the buildings. The day has finally arrived, and this morning, the house designated as 3016 will be moved from Hancock Street in Los Angeles to Calaveras Street in Altadena.

What’s involved with moving a house by truck? Over the past few weeks, the 3 houses were prepped for their upcoming move. 3016 was braced on the inside with cross-beams & struts. This building would be cut in half, and the roof would be removed to be reassembled on-site.

Where the house was cut in half, a new wall would be framed in to provide structural stability during the move and provide protection from the elements. The two halves of the house were loaded onto 2 separate truck beds in preparation for its journey from Los Angeles, through Alhambra, South Pasadena, and Pasadena, to its final resting place in Altadena, CA.

The time is 3:33 am, and the first half of 3016 rolls off the Lincoln Heights lot, followed by its other half on the truck behind. The twin halves are minor celebrities; news cameras capture them as they roll by, preceded and followed by escort vehicles with yellow flashing lights.

In the still of the night, the house rolls through the quiet streets on a route that was mapped out and submitted to Street Services months before. Each of the 4 cities and the LA County Office granted its permission for this 4-city pre-dawn cruise.

I carefully speed up ahead of the slow-moving trucks so I, too, can capture video of the trucks carrying 3016 as they travel north on Fair Oaks Boulevard through South Pasadena, Pasadena, and into unincorporated LA County jurisdiction. After the truck’s lights become small flashing dots in my lens, I get back in the car and loop around to Calaveras Street so I can see the final approach of the house-carrying trucks.

I park the car a safe distance from where I know the action will take place, then briskly walk to the corner of Calaveras & La Venezia to capture images of the house’s final approach.

My heart speeds up as I see the escort trucks with flashing lights pass by Fair Oaks Burger as they turn from Fair Oaks Avenue east onto Calaveras Street. 3016 is here!

3016 will ultimately sit at the rear of the property, parallel to the street, with the front porch facing east to meet the sunrise every morning. Tomorrow night, her twin 3018 will make the same journey under the cover of night and be placed in front of 3016, perpendicular to Calaveras Street, on the southern portion of the lot.

The right half of the 3016 building will be placed on the property first. Each half of the house sits on a steel frame, which is loaded onto the truck’s flatbed. The steel frame will support the house until the structure is placed on its new foundation, which will be built next month.

The steel frame supporting the wooden structure is raised so the flatbed can slide out from under it. The frame is then lowered onto large castors, allowing the structure to be pulled onto the property and wheeled into place. Once in place, the steel frame is lowered onto wooden cribs.

Normally, the foundation would be built first, and the house would be lowered onto it. Due to time pressure to move the buildings as soon as possible, a permit was granted to temporarily store the house(s) on site until all the Building Permits were secured. Once the Building Permits are approved, the foundation will be built beneath the house, and the house will be secured to the foundation with bolts.

It was exciting to see the first half of 3016 put in place. The photo below shows the new placement location, with its other half waiting to be rolled into place.

Thank you for reading… The adventure of 3016 and her twin 3018 continues…

If you are exploring relocating a home, offering a house for relocation, or trying to understand whether a house relocation may be a realistic option for an Altadena rebuild, start by visiting the House Relocation Roadmap, scheduling a Free Discovery Call, or visiting our House Relocation inquiry pages.

Cheers!

Alan Pinel

(213) 841-9988