House-in-a-Box: Sears Modern Homes | TerrifyingMyths

Sears Modern Homes catalog was first published in 1908. The 1913 volume featured 112 designs for homes for which homeowners could purchase a kit that was delivered with all the materials needed to construct the home. Later volumes offered up to 370 designs. Between 1908 and 1940, more than 70,000 of these Sears Kit Homes were built across America. Here are a few. | Old Houses Under $50,000 and Beyond

Between 1908 and 1940, Sears sold more than 70,000 “Modern Home” kits by mail. Families could order from a catalog of 370 designs, and a train would deliver about 30,000 pre-cut parts with step-by-step instructions. With a small crew, a home could be built in just 60–90 days. Many of these houses still stand today, a living testament to one of the most unique housing experiments in American history. | Artifact Archives