ANN ARBOR, MI - For about 40 years at the turn of the 20th century, Sears Roebuck and Co. sold houses.

You'd pick the model you liked from the Sears' Modern Homes catalog and, within a few weeks, a couple of shipping containers arrived via train with a kit containing all the materials needed to build your dream home.

Ambitious homeowners could follow the instructions and assemble their new homes themselves, which typically took three to six months, or some people hired professionals to complete the construction more quickly.

Sears was not the only company to sell kit houses, but it was the largest and many of its kit houses are still standing in Ann Arbor.

A look at Sears' 77-year history in Ann Arbor

Sears "Puritan" kit house on Lakewood Drive in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018. (Ben Allan Smith | MLive)

From 1908-40, Sears sold more than 100,000 kit homes, according to Sears Archives. The company offered 447 different house styles, ranging from cottages to Colonial-style houses and Spanish-inspired bungalows.

Kit house aficionados Andrew and Wendy Mutch, who live in a Sears kit house in Novi, have documented more than 150 kit houses in Ann Arbor, which Andrew said is high for a city of its size.

"What's really cool to me is how many of the houses are still standing," Andrew said. "It really speaks to the quality of materials and construction."

This Puritan model, built in 1927 on Lakewood Drive in Ann Arbor, features Dutch Colonial architecture. The sun room was an optional add on for an extra $260, and the $2,475 price tag included lumber, shingles, siding, flooring, the porch ceiling, trim, kitchen cupboards, a built-in ironing board, windows, eaves, hardware, paint and varnish.

Power tools were not readily available in the early 1900s, so the fact that Sears pre-cut all the building materials for its kit houses made them appealing, Andrew Mutch sadi.

Sears' first kit houses sold for $650 to $2,500, or approximately $16,500 to $63,700 in today's dollars.

One of the most expensive models was the Magnolia, a 10-room Colonial-style house with French doors and a "massive but graceful" staircase to the second story. The Magnolia sold for as much as $5,972 in 1918, or about $99,800 in today's dollars.

From 2008: Kit homes - the ultimate do-it-yourself

Sears "Clyde" kit house on Fifth Street in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018. (Ben Allan Smith | MLive)

Sears started offering mortgages in 1911, but the mortgages were discontinued in 1933 after the stock market crash led to The Great Depression, according to the Sears archives. In 1934, Sears liquidated its existing mortgage accounts and the kit homes program closed in 1940.

Offering mortgages made Sears stand out compared to other companies that sold kit houses, Andrew Mutch said.

"For a lot of people, it was, 'If I can get a mortgage, I can get a nicer house than if I was just paying cash,'" he said.

Built in 1930, this house on Fifth Street is a Clyde model, first sold in the 1920s. Sears described the Clyde as "an unusually well balanced and attractive house which will look as well on a narrow lot as on a wide one."

Sears "Columbine" kit house on Jackson Avenue in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018. (Ben Allan Smith | MLive)

The Columbine house on Jackson Avenue was built in 1926.

Sears "Crescent" kit house on Parkwood Street in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018. (Ben Allan Smith | MLive)

The "inviting entrance" is the signature feature of Sears' Crescent model, first sold in 1921. The Crescent house on Parkwood Street was built in 1928.

Sears "Barrington" kit house on Berkley Avenue in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018. (Ben Allan Smith | MLive)

The Barrington house on Berkley Avenue was built in 1927, the first year the model was available.

"For those who appreciate the value of economical design in a big, attractive home, the Barrington will have a strong appeal," the Sears ad states.

The Barrington ad suggests using a light-gray shingle stain on the side walls, ivory trim and a light blue front door.

Sears "Rembrandt" kit house on South Seventh Street in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018. (Ben Allan Smith | MLive)

The Rembrandt model, found on South Seventh Street in Ann Arbor, was sold in the early 1920s.

The Dutch Colonial house was touted for offering "many special features" not typically found at the $2,647 price point, including French windows in the sun room, a large living room and a kitchen "arranged with a thought to save the housewife (or servant) many steps each day."

Sears "Brookwood" kit house on Ferry Street in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018. (Ben Allan Smith | MLive)

Sears "Rodessa" kit house on South First Street in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018. (Ben Allan Smith | MLive)

The Rodessa model found on South First Street was built in 1922. The four-room bungalow proved to be one of Sears' most popular models.

Sears "Hathaway" kit house on Hutchins Avenue in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018. (Ben Allan Smith | MLive)

Inspired by English cottages, a Hathaway model house can be found on Hutchins Avenue.

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