One Florida homeowner has taken flood protection to an entirely different level — literally.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!A woman in Pinellas County is making headlines after deciding to lift her home a staggering 24 feet into the air following devastating flooding caused by the 2024 hurricanes. And while the towering property has left people online stunned, the homeowner’s reasoning is simple: she refused to leave the place she loves.
The owner, who chose not to be identified, said she experienced flooding after last year’s hurricanes and had no intention of going through that again, WFLA reports.
Instead of relocating, she opted for one of the most extreme elevation projects the area has ever seen.
The massive undertaking is being handled by Modern House and Building Movers, with workers spending months gradually raising the property skyward.
Kristi Robinson, who works with the company, explained that projects like this are becoming increasingly common for Florida residents who want to preserve both their homes and their communities.
“Well, a lot of these homes are homes they grew up in, they love their home. They want to stay in their home. this is an option where they can stay in their home,” Robinson said.
But even for a company experienced in lifting houses, this build stands out from the rest.
“Typically we do 12 to 14 feet, sometimes ten,” Robinson continued. “But 24 feet, this is the first.”
The unusual-looking home has already gone viral online after footage was shared to TikTok by user @andreas_zene, with many shocked by just how high the structure now sits above the ground.
One TikTok user asked: “How did this get approved?”
Another baffled social media user asked: “Why even have a garage door?”
The height is partly because the homeowner is also adding an entirely new second floor as part of the rebuild.
According to Robinson, the project has been a long and complicated process stretching back more than a year and a half.
From contracts and engineering work to permits and inspections, the home’s transformation has required extensive planning before workers could even begin lifting it.
The elevation process itself started in February and took until April to fully raise the structure to its final height.
Now that the house has been elevated, crews are moving into the next phase of construction.
“They will go in and they will form columns around this house. and when it’s all structurally engineered and where they’re supposed to be, then they’ll build the beams, and then they’ll start removing the columns,” Robinson said.
Even after reaching 24 feet, the property is still far from finished.
Walls, flooring, stucco, and paint all still need to be completed before the homeowner can finally move back in.
And none of it has come cheap.
The homeowner told reporters the full cost of lifting the property sits at approximately $575,000.
Despite the eye-watering price tag, Robinson believes projects like this represent the future for many parts of Florida as residents try to adapt to increasingly severe flooding without losing the character of their neighborhoods.
“This is the history of Florida. We don’t want to see high rises. We want to see homes and safety. That way, when or if, God forbid, we ever do have a flood again, they won’t have a problem with that, and they’ll be safe,” Robinson said.
The extraordinary rebuild is expected to be completed in December.
For now, though, the elevated home has already become one of the most talked-about sights in Pinellas County.
Featured image credit: TikTok/@andreas_zene (screenshots)
