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A September 30, 2026, Green Building Advisor report looks back at Sears, Roebuck and Co.’s Modern Homes program, which sold house kits beginning in 1908. Sears was not the only kit-home seller, but its catalog reach helped make the company’s homes the best-known part of the movement; many are still standing.
Sears’ Modern Homes program began after a company manager proposed turning an unprofitable building-materials department into a new business. Rather than sell off the department’s stock, the manager suggested offering homes as kits. The program’s first release, in 1908, featured 22 house designs, according to the Green Building Advisor report.
The kits were intended to let buyers build homes themselves, even without carpentry experience. Sears supplied building materials and instructions; the source describes a package that could include items such as nails and paint. It says the company sold tens of thousands of homes over three decades, though it does not give a more precise total.
Sears was one of several businesses selling kit houses. Its particular advantage, the report argues, was the reach of its catalog: it says one-fifth of the U.S. population reportedly received it by mail. The article’s author, Justin Fink, connects the history to his own Connecticut home, a 1926 Crescent model that reached its centennial in 2026.
Catalog Reach Fueled Kit-Home Sales
The history shows how an established retailer could use its existing distribution network to sell an unfamiliar product at national scale. Sears’ catalog already offered more than 100,000 products, from silverware to fishing tackle, and the report identifies that broad customer reach as a central reason the Modern Homes program succeeded.
For homeowners and preservation-minded readers, the surviving houses also make the business more than a historical curiosity. The report says many of the homes remain standing, while the author’s own centennial house provides one example of the program’s continuing physical legacy. The source does not quantify how many survive or assess their condition.
How Sears Entered Homebuilding
The Sears catalog made it possible for customers to shop by mail for goods that were not readily available nearby. The report compares the company’s role in that era to a modern online retailer, while noting that Sears promoted a guarantee of quality across its products.
In 1906, a manager was asked to close the company’s unprofitable building-materials department. His proposal to use its inventory for a home-kit offering led to the Modern Homes program, whose first collection appeared in 1908. Sears became the best-known kit-house seller, but the article emphasizes that other companies also offered homes in kit form.
The report frames its historical look around the author’s 1926 Crescent model home reaching 100 years in 2026. It also says the kit-home concept later “essentially went extinct,” but the supplied material does not explain the full timeline or the reasons for that decline.
““Sears, Roebuck and Co. wasn’t the only company to offer kit houses, but it was certainly the most famous.””
— Justin Fink, Green Building Advisor
Sales Totals and Decline Remain Unspecified
The supplied report excerpt gives no exact total for homes sold, no model-by-model sales figures, and no count of surviving houses. The claim that one-fifth of the U.S. population received the Sears catalog is presented as reported, without a source or date in the excerpt.
The article says the kit-home concept essentially went extinct, but the available material does not detail when Sears ended the program or what factors drove the wider movement’s decline. It also does not provide construction records or condition assessments for the homes that remain.
The Report’s Full History
The Green Building Advisor article is presented as a retrospective on the rise of Sears kit houses and the reasons the concept faded. The source excerpt ends during its account of the program’s launch, so further details about the homes’ designs, sales history, and decline cannot be confirmed from the material provided.
For readers seeking specifics, the linked original report is the next source to consult. The excerpt does not announce a new Sears housing program, preservation initiative, or upcoming milestone beyond the author’s 2026 centennial reflection.
Key Questions
When did Sears begin selling house kits?
Sears’ Modern Homes program launched in 1908 with an initial release of 22 designs, according to Green Building Advisor.
How many homes did Sears sell?
The report says Sears sold tens of thousands of homes over three decades. It does not provide an exact total.
Was Sears the only company selling kit houses?
No. The report says other companies offered kit houses, though Sears became the most famous seller.
Are Sears kit homes still standing?
Yes. The report says many remain standing and identifies the author’s 1926 Crescent model in Connecticut as one example. It does not estimate how many survive.
Source: rss
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