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Historic NH Mansion Being Sold For $30K, But There's A Catch

MANCHESTER, NH (CBS) - It's a historic mansion in Manchester, NH and you'll be amazed at the low, low price, and that's because it's priced to move, literally.

"The price of this house is unbelievable. It's $29,900," says Greg Barrett from Kas-Bar Realty in Manchester, the listing agent. "But you've got to move it. It can't stay here. It's got to go somewhere else," he adds.

And that's why the price is so low. It's the George B. Chandler home on Walnut St. "This is one of the most historically significant homes in the city of Manchester," says Barrett.

Manchester mansion
Interior of the George B. Chandler home on Walnut St. (WBZ-TV)

Chandler was an extremely rich textile baron who built the palatial house in 1870. His wife gave the Queen Anne Victorian to the Catholic Diocese of Manchester 100 years ago.

It's been a residence for bishops and a convent, but the church next door can't use the building any more and wants the land for a parking lot for parishioners. That's why the buyer will have to move the mansion, and it's huge. "There are 30 rooms, approximately 20 bedrooms, approximately six or seven bathrooms," Barrett says.

Manchester mansion
Chapel inside George B. Chandler home on Walnut St. (WBZ-TV)

There's also intricate and unique woodwork, dramatic stained glass and even an in home chapel. The first estimate for moving the home came in at $200,000. And interest is as big as the building. "There's people from California, to Chicago, to New York, to New Jersey, and they all seem to have one thing in common and that is, they have such a deep love and appreciation of history," Barrett says.

But the hope is that someone local will buy the home and keep it in Manchester. The mansion is assessed at more than $600,000 and the realtor says once it's moved and rehabbed, it could be worth a million. So the cost of moving it could still bring someone a bargain.

For more information, visit the for sale listing

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