Couple transform 'dilapidated' house abandoned for 30 years - and it's unrecognisable

 

Couple transform 'dilapidated' house abandoned for 30 years - and it's unrecognisable 

Couple transform 'dilapidated' house abandoned for 30 years - and it's unrecognisable

A clever couple have managed to completed transform a "dilapidated" mansion that had been left abandoned for 30 years, adding $745,000 (£556,094) to the property value through their efforts

After spotting it online back in June 2018, Abby Brothers and her husband Trey decided to buy an old, rickety property that had once been a grand mansion.

They purchased the dilapidated house, situated in Aberdeen, North Carolina, for $155,000 (£85,840), knowing full well that an ambitious renovation project lay ahead of them.

The extensive undertaking didn't put them off, with the Brothers knowing they were looking at what would one day become their 'forever home'.

They have since transformed the property, which dates back to 1913, into the beautiful family home it was built to be, adding an incredible $745,000 (£556,094) to the property value thanks to their hard work.

An interior room within the property

The manor was built back in 1913 ( Image: Jam Press/@turningthepagemansion)

Abby, a 31-year-old registered nurse, said: "When we saw the home in person we knew it was our home, but it looked so sad and dilapidated. Many people told us we were crazy for buying a home of this size that needed that much work.

"We wanted to restore our home into just that – a home. it was originally built for a family and we wanted to keep her that way, it is our forever home. Everything needed to be updated, everything was original, the plumbing, electricity, windows, walls, were all from 1913".

The 6,000 sq ft colonial revival brick manor has six bedrooms and four bathrooms, with a magnificent staircase leading to the upper floor from the impressive foyer.

The spacious kitchen opens up to the dining room, a study, living room area, and a sleeping porch, while the attic is large enough for any storage needs.

The couple has kept many of the original features ( Image: Jam Press/@704photography)

The renovation work took nine months in total to complete ( Image: Jam Press/@704photography)

She added: "Our home had sat abandoned for a long time, estimated over 30 years, and had many leaks in the roof which led to serious water damage, the worst being in the dining room.

"We couldn't walk into the dining room completely because the floor had given way and was in the basement, therefore this entire side of the home required new floor joist and flooring and the roof was repaired and replaced".

The couple also had to replace all the windows in the house, while the brick exterior had to be repointed in various areas of the property.

However, they decided to keep many of the original features, with the layout changed in just two areas.

All the windows in the house have had to be replaced ( Image: Jam Press/@turningthepagemansion)

The couple have added significant value to their house ( Image: Jam Press/@turningthepagemansion)

Abby continued: "Needless to say, we took our home down to the studs and started fresh with everything. Anything that required permits, such as plumbing, electrical, structural repairs or changes, we left to professionals.

"We helped with the demo and we also had our hand in every project, in some form or fashion. Trey refinished the terrazzo floors in the bathrooms and made the concrete countertops in the kitchen/pantry".

With assistance from his mum and stepdad, Trey, 33, laid all of the kitchen and bathrooms tiles except for one bathroom where Abby and her family - who carried out all the interior painting - took over.

The renovations took nine months to complete in total, and there was a further exciting development to come when the couple welcomed son Wim to their new family home in December 2020.

Having set themselves a budget of between $250,000-$275,000 – keeping costs low by doing as much DIY as possible – the couple ended up spending $268,494 in total (around £201,000).

Abby said: "Our home is priceless to us. We loved our home when it was falling apart, but that love has grown even more. Because we live here, we see all of the flaws, but to know how far our home has come, the flaws can be overlooked.

"Our home is unique and strong, but simple and cosy at the same time. We are just an ordinary couple that happened on an extraordinary home".