You can own a Bay Area Victorian home for free

Move it and it’s yours!

Wedged between an auto body shop and a shoddy apartment building in Downtown Oakland is a two-story Victorian home with red-trimmed windows and the trappings of what real estate agents call “character.” It’s got a red door and a brick chimney, a once-white picket fence, and a Monterey Pine tree “protected” by the city.

The 118-year-old house sold last year for $1.5 million, according to publicly available records – unsurprising for a 4,000-sq.ft. lot wedged between Telegraph Avenue and Broadway in one of the must bustling neighborhoods of Oakland.

Recently, a sign was pasted to the fence of 2325 Valley Street, a photo of which was shared on Reddit Monday. “FREE HOUSE,” it reads. There’s a catch, of course. The next line reads, “MUST BE MOVED!”

Though moving homes is by no means a rare occurrence, it can be a complicated and pricy proposition. The cost depends on multiple factors, including the home’s condition, its size and the distance it must be moved, and can range from $15,000 to $200,000.

The moving must be done by October 27, before the lot is cleared for a new, six-unit condominium, according to city planning records