On the Massachusetts Billionaire Isle is a million dollar home that’s being given away for free. It seems like a steal doesn’t it? But, there is one small catch: you have to move it off the owner’s property.
Many potential buyers are more skeptical of this because of the erosion that’s likely in oceanside areas, causing home prices to drop, forcing homes to be moved or demolished. But that’s not the issue.
Reusing instead of discarding
The home is located at 140 Surfside Road on the southern side of Nantucket near the airport–-located far away from the shore where erosion couldn’t possibly be an issue for the home.
On the contrary, the 1,736 square-foot three bedroom, two bath Colonial is being given away through the island’s Demolition Delay Bylaw program. This program is a part of a long standing island tradition that offers homes for free instead of demolishing them or ending up in the island’s landfill. The tradition was turned into a law in 1997.
“Why would we put these houses into a landfill when someone can use them?” local real estate agent Shelly Lockwood of Pepper Frazier Real Estate asks.
History of the home
But, whoever wants to be the lucky person to claim a free house has to write a letter of intention to the town’s building commissioner and the owner. The seeker then has to be ready to move the house within 180 days.
Just six months ago, the home changed owners and wasn’t at risk of falling into the ocean. Lockwood states that it’s possible that the new owner never wanted the home in the first place.
“Because the value of the land is so high—because there’s none left on the island, really—people will buy a house they don’t want just to get the land,” she says.
Records show that home owner Dean Lampe, bought the home on December 4th, 2025, through an LLC in an off-deal market for $3 million.
The reasons remain unknown on why he wants the home gone, records show that he recently sold a newly constructed seven bedroom home for $8 million in 2023. It’s possible that Lampe, who has bought and sold other properties on the island, plans to start a new build at 140 Surfside.
Lockwood, whose family moved to Nantucket in the 1970s and lives on the island all year-round, says that the freebie will go fast. Depending on the size, moving a home can cost between $150,000 and $500,000 which is a lot cheaper for a home on an island with a median price of $4.4 million.
Hot commodity homes
In 2025, a 600 square-foot “fisherman’s shack” sold for $2 million within a few days.
“When they come up, they are very hot commodities,” she says. “Who wouldn’t want a house for $150,000 or so moving costs? You grab them if you can; it’s a hell of a value.”
Now, the cheapest land listing on the island is around $1.65 million for 0.46 acres. In addition, add an estimate of $200,000 and now tada! You have a Nantucket house for $1.85 million—a huge discount off the island’s median.
Lockwood says it’s common for people who can’t afford a million-dollar house to buy land and wait around for a freebie.
“They know one will come up,” she says.
Also, many construction firms on the island will move a house.
“When it comes to moving a structure down the road, there are variables at play, such as road width, trees, utility lines, and neighboring structures,” Carl Jelleme of Toscana Corp., which has been moving homes on the island for over 20 years.
Moving houses vs. moving a house
The company transfers around 15 to 20 homes per year, Jelleme says. “Moving a building in multiple pieces is an option, but in our experience, it is rarely the most practical or cost-effective solution.”
The company states that a “significant number of moves” are determined by environmental necessity, requiring the structural mover to uplift the home from eroding bluffs and placing it back onto new foundation, which can be a difficult process.
Normally, the houses that are relocating far are hooked up to a flatbed and hauled intact—online, there are many interesting videos showcasing the process. The process can take three months to a year, depending on the complexity of the route, the need for new foundations, including the time required for Historic District Commissions review.
Also, houses are required to transfer between September 25th and June 15th before summer tourists swarm the island. Other restrictions include not moving a house while in front of a school while its in session and to inform utility companies so that they temporarily bring down wires for safety reasons.
If the assignee doesn’t have land available yet, the homes can be “parked” in a “crib”, which suspends the home in the air until land is available.
Although reclaiming homes is an island tradition that started when the island first settled, Mary Bergman, executive director of the Nantucket Preservation Trust, buying an expensive dwelling and giving it away for free is new.
“There used to be not as many people here who didn’t want a house,” says Lockwood. “Twenty-five years ago, we didn’t have this mini-compound mentality. There’s millionaires and billionaires here now.
“But there’s also just a lot less land.”
