A COUPLE took a chance on a dilapidated mansion that had been abandoned for three decades, renovating it and increasing its value to $900,000.
Abby and Troy Brothers bought a six-bedroom mansion in North Carolina.
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While the home had the bare bones of what they wanted, it wasn’t in a livable condition, and hadn’t been in use for over three decades.
“When we came to see the house for the first time, we didn’t need a key, we didn’t need a realtor – you could just crawl through the busted-out windows or just open up the front door because there was no lock,” said Abby to CNBC Make It.
“It had been taken over by the elements [and] it was very, very dilapidated.”
The house was built in 1913 and was completely renovated, with the Brothers being careful to preserve its historical value.
READ MORE RENOVATIONS
The couple worked hard to preserve those elements, including the century old wooden floors.
“Homes aren’t built like they were in 1913,” she said.
“The details aren’t the same there.”
“And if you do want those sorts of details in a home now, they’re very expensive.”
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After extensive work and investing around $268,000 worth of renovations, the Brothers completed their house.
It’s now valued $900,000, with the family. made up of the couple, a child, and some pets, having no plans to move out any time soon.
The couple has discussed their experience renovating their home on their Instagram (@turningthepagemansion), where they share all manner of updates regarding the house.
In the account, the couple has shared before and after photos of plenty of the rooms, including bathrooms and bedrooms.
Recently, the couple revealed that the home was used as a movie set some decades ago.
“Someone commented on a post months ago, saying our home was used in the movie Mint Julep,” reads the post.
“And it WAS! We finally got around to watching the movie.”
“It was mind-blowing to see our home on TV.”
“Just another reason to love old homes – you never know what story you get to add to its history.”
The mansion has a history, being built by The Page family, a group of wealthy industrialists that founded towns in North Carolina.
Despite all of the value that they’ve added to the home with their renovations, the Brothers hope to pass down the home to their children.
“We have every intention on living here forever,” Abby said.
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