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299th out of 323 books
—
398 voters
Cottage for Sale, Must Be Moved: A Woman Moves a House to Make a Home
by
Kate Whouley (Goodreads Author)
When Kate Whouley saw the classified ad for an abandoned vacation cottage, she began to dream. Transport the cottage through four Cape Cod towns. Attach it to my three-room house. Create more space for my work and life. Smart, single, and self-employed, Kate was used to fending for herself. But she wasn’t prepared for half the surprises, complications, and self-discoveries...more
Paperback, 336 pages
Published
April 26th 2005
by Ballantine Books
(first published April 28th 2004)
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I wasn't sure whether I'd be able to get into this one with all of the construction-related detail, but in the end that didn't really matter. There's enough observation of Cape Cod life, along with glimpses into the author's own background, to see what an interesting person she can be. Now that I know Whouley's writing is so solid, I'm really looking forward to reading (listening to actually) her recent book on being a caregiver for her mother's Alzheimer's: Remembering the Music, Forgetting the...more
Jan 04, 2013
Ashland Mystery Oregon
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
architecture,
mystery-us-massachusetts
Kate Whouley's Cottage for Sale takes my vote as one of the best books I've read on residential architecture and the relationship between home and heart. It was a serendipitous find, browsing the Ashland Public Library's shelves on residential architecture. Wholey's marriage metaphor aptly describes the complicated, deliberate, craftsman union of Whouley's small Cape Code home to an old-new cottage moved to the site - combining what I see as the best of measured, considered thought, and a beauti...more
My neighbor passed this book to me because she thought I would be interested in a local Cape Cod woman's story and it was fun to read. Not everyone is willing to wade through the paperwork and other obstacles in order to add on to your house by buying and moving an abandoned vacation cottage, but that's what single woman Kate Whouley did. Being the handy woman in my house, it was interesting to read about how she handled all the workMEN she depended on to get the job done, along with those local...more
Kate Whouley needed more room in her home on Cape Cod. She found a cluster of little beach houses for sale and bought one to make an addition to her home. This is a friendly tale about the process of turning an impulse to a charming addition to her home. We are allowed to meet all the people who came to work on the addition, from putting the house on wheels to the final coat of paint. Her cast of characters is as charming as her new cottage.
a guy at work recommended this to me as we were in the process of trying to move a cottage - needless to say i loved the book and laughed out loud many times during reading it as we came across the same exact things along the way in dealing with permits, septic system approvals etc. highly recommended
Picked this up in a used bookstore in Boston Commons, and felt an instant connection with the author when she said she loved to read the classifieds because they were like "reading stories, or maybe the skeletons of stories, waiting for me to invent their skins".
So far, so good.
So far, so good.
I loved this book as it was a fascinating story of the process of obtaining and moving this cottage, then attaching it to her existing home. I enjoyed her descriptive writing style, as well as the relationships she developed with her workmen.
Cape Cod - my life-blood. Contemporary narrative about attaching a classic vacation rental cottage to a Cape Cod cottage as an alternative to building a new addition. Not high quality reading but definitely entertaining.
Lots of fun to read-who knew you could move a house???? And, since I just saw a Cape Cod cottage or sale for $1 (that's right-a buck!), I remembered this book and started fantasizing...
Aug 15, 2009
Sari Lynn
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
do-it-yourselfers, anyone who dreams of owning a Sawzall
Shelves:
memoir
An enjoyable memoir about a woman who "marries" her house to a cottage, to create a live/work space. Whouley writes well, and the cast of characters - her friends and the various contractors, plumbers and electricians come to life as the story u nfolds.
A good book to search your own strength. Not the fastest read, but a heartwarming tale with some funny and tearful moments.
If you've ever wondered what it would be like to live through a re-model or construction project - if you've wanted to take your home with you when you moved, if you're just curious about buildings in general, Kate has a story for you! Her home was lovely, just a little too small - when what should she see in Pennysaver but five little cottages for sale! There was just one catch - she had to move the cottage herself! Through the paperwork, the cranes, the construction, and the search for self an...more
What a delightful book! It's the true story of author Kate Whouley's 6-month adventure as she purchases an unwanted beach cottage and has it moved and attached to the side of her tiny 3-room home on Cape Cod. Throughout her funny AND not-so-funny experiences with house moving and construction, she skillfully weaves her life story and also does a great job of including the opinions of her cat, Egypt :) Egypt was not originally very happy about the new cottage attachment. I almost didn't buy this...more
loved the construction details, wasn't thrilled about author's personality or writing.
Cottage on CC is so me, but the book itself kept losing me due to laborious details.
Just remembered I read this when I came across her new book. I loved this one.
I enjoyed getting to the writer and her cast of friends and contractors (who become her friends). Her voice is so real. The number of times I nodded in knowing agreement about the highs and lows of home improvement were numerous. I'm curious to read more of her work. I ranked it a bit low though because I wouldn't go back and read it again.
One of my favorites. Have read several times
A friend gave me this book...it was one of two friends...and I blamed the one, but I think it was the other! Never have I tried to mull through such a boring book. I quit on page 159. The emotional tone doesn't change. The story is not at all interesting. Perhaps because I have overseen several construction projects, including building a separate house on my property, I just don't see what the big deal is about her having moved a trailor...and every excruciating detail, including what her cat wa...more
It was an interesting book that tells about adjustments people make in life.
I read this one because WPR was featuring it on their Chapter a Day program. I didn't have time to listen, but I did find time to read this charming memoir. The author buys a Cape Cod cottage to move and use as an addition to her house. Sounds fine, except that nothing involving moving and attaching a house is simple. I was charmed by story and the author's attitude toward the whole project.
Since I've always wanted to move a house I thought I would really like this. Not so much. I didn't hate it, I just didn't love it.
Lots about marrying the cottage and the house. Lots about her femaleness. Lots about her singleness. Not whiney, but it took forever to read because I just didn't care.
Lots about marrying the cottage and the house. Lots about her femaleness. Lots about her singleness. Not whiney, but it took forever to read because I just didn't care.
I loved the story of construction and complications of moving a cottage across three towns on Cape Cod! More than anything this is a story of characters and friends who help make dreams come true.
Aug 22, 2007
hilary lay
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone with cape cod ties; fans of memoir; people who enjoy quality writing
i normally don't like memoirs, but this book's quirky cast of characters, compelling storyline and excellent writing makes it a real page-turner!
entertaining, a nice light read
I HEART this book.
May 13, 2013
Kristen Anderson
marked it as to-read
May 01, 2013
Diane
marked it as to-read
Apr 28, 2013
Janet
marked it as to-read
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Kate Whouley (hoo'-lee, rhymes with truly) lives and writes on Cape Cod, in the home that inspired her to write Cottage for Sale, Must Be Moved. A Book Sense Book of-the-Year nominee in the nonfiction category, Cottage for Sale received kudos from booksellers and reviewers, and is a popular selection for reading groups.
Kate’s second memoir, Remembering the Music, Forgetting the Words, is written...more
More about Kate Whouley...
Kate’s second memoir, Remembering the Music, Forgetting the Words, is written...more
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