PACIFICA (KRON) — The homeowners of a house that had been perched on top of a crumbling cliffside in Pacifica are breathing a little easier on Wednesday night.

The home was yellow-tagged back in January after the El Nino storms wiped out the land behind the home. KRON’s Maureen Kelly was the only news crew on scene as the structure was moved to a safer position.

The house on the 500 block of Esplanade Avenue was pulled forward 20 feet by a house moving company on Wednesday afternoon.

There was was no backyard left to the home and Wednesday’s move not only bought the owners more space, but also more time to try and save their home.

After sitting in the same spot for 67 years, it took the house moving crew only around 10 minutes to inch the 900 square foot house forward.

There was a lot of prep work that led up to this moment. Steel beams were run through the house to stabilize it.

And then on Tuesday, the home was boosted using 10 hydraulic jacks. It was raised 4 feet in the air.

On Wednesday morning, the crew used wood to build a track that would help guide the home to the sidewalk.

“Almost like a railroad track with wood timber tracking with…rolled on steel rollers,” contractor Tony Medeiros said.

Around noontime, they were ready, attaching chains to a truck winch. They pulled the structure slowly forward to a much safer place on the property.

The activity drew in gawkers who snapped photos, who marvelled at the manpower and at the situation.

The home is now sitting right on the sidewalk. The owner’s permit allows them to leave the house up on blocks for roughly six months.

They are now desperately trying to find someone who will sell them a vacant lot in Pacifica, so they can hang on to the home they’ve been remodelling themselves for the past seven years.

In fact, they were just in the process of moving in when the January storms wiped out 25 feet of their backyard. But finding anything in this housing market is tough.

“They aren’t asking for a handout,” Medeiros said. “They are willing to pay a fair price but they definitely would like to have something a little more affordable than the way things are going right now.”

The worst case scenario–if the owners can’t find a suitable place to move the house to in six months, they will have to demolish it.

But the owners believe the city may allow them to extend their permit if needed.WEB LINKS:

The homeowner, Melissa McConnell, is hoping someone with a vacant lot will sell to her. You can get a hold of her here —> http://melissamcconnell.net/