Man Giving Away House In Northern Ohio, But Taker Has To Move It

BELLEVUE, Ohio (AP) _ Mike Bassett wants to give away a house, a big house, with a fireplace, built-in cabinets, a bay window, two full bathrooms and walk-in closets. <br/><br/>There's just one catch

Saturday, April 7th 2007, 4:59 pm

By: News On 6

BELLEVUE, Ohio (AP) _ Mike Bassett wants to give away a house, a big house, with a fireplace, built-in cabinets, a bay window, two full bathrooms and walk-in closets.

There's just one catch _ the lucky recipient has to move it.

Bassett says if he doesn't have a taker by July 1, he will raze the structure to make way for more parking for his supermarket and gas station next door in the town 45 miles southeast of Toledo.

``I hate to tear it down,'' Bassett, 54, of Port Clinton, said Friday. ``It's a beautiful house.''

He said that in the past week he's received about 20 inquiries about the house, which was used for offices until last June.

Connie Roberts, marketing director for Bassett's Market, estimated that moving the house will cost $50,000 to $80,000, depending on where it's going and other factors.

Bassett, whose family has been in the grocery business since 1898, said he'd like to donate the house to charity and would like to see donors provide a lot and pay for the move.

``We would love to host a fundraiser _ or a series of fundraisers _ if that's what it takes to get the home moved,'' Roberts said. ``And if we get a nonprofit group, we would go out of our way to help them out.''

Bassett estimates the 3,600-square-foot house is worth $125,000 to $150,000 without the property. One woman offered to buy it for $200,000 if he'd leave it in its place, he said.