When he inherited the family home, it hadn’t been lived in for 20 years.
Anyone who has ever experienced a house renovation knows how frustrating it can be. Deciding to take on the renovation yourself can seem even more daunting.
One individual decided to restore his ancestral home, which had been built in the 1860s by his great-great-grandfather. The house had been passed down through generations but had fallen into disrepair after being unoccupied from the 70s to the early 90s.
As newlyweds with limited funds, he and his spouse couldn’t afford contractors, so he took on the renovation himself. They lived in a small trailer on the property while he worked on the house. With minimal construction knowledge beyond high school shop class, he began the renovation process with extensive research.
The first task was to remove the old kitchen and fix the house’s foundation. The kitchen foundation was made of old stones, which he repurposed to build a stone perimeter wall around the property.
Determined to preserve his family’s history and create new memories, he inspected the house and realized the extent of the repairs needed. Despite advice from neighbors to tear it down and start anew, he chose to restore the home due to its sentimental value.
His spouse was supportive, and together, they worked on the house with patience, hard work, and time. As an architect, he had some knowledge of construction, but much of what he did was learned through the process.
He started by tearing down the unsalvageable kitchen wing, saving the foundation stones to build a wall. Inside, he found dry-rotted beams and rotting wood floors. The foundation, made of lime and sand mortar, had been washed away by water over the decades, leaving the house precariously standing on stones.
Only after fixing the foundation could he begin work inside the house. All renovations and repairs were done by the couple, without heavy machinery or large crews. Their hands crafted what would become their new family home.
Years of dedication resulted in a spectacular transformation. They eventually rebuilt the farmland and started farming in 2013, which remains their main source of livelihood. This story exemplifies how determination and a desire to preserve family heritage can create something enduring and meaningful
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