A Pennsylvania couple looking for a new home where they could raise their growing family ended up buying an abandoned 1830s stone house at auction for $460,000 in 2020.Tyler and Lauren Bouldin, both 36, had originally been looking for a more rural home where they could raise their growing family. After losing several properties in a competitive housing market, the couple began looking for less conventional ways to find a home that fit their needs.That search led them to a five-acre property they called “The Forge”, which Tyler discovered while browsing Zillow, an online real-estate platform.The stone house, surrounded by trees and sitting at the base of a mountain, had the setting the couple wanted. But it also needed extensive work. They toured it twice before the auction and knew they were looking at a major renovation.“We started to realize that we couldn’t afford to buy what we wanted if we didn’t start getting creative,” the couple told PEOPLE.They had no plan to buy a complete remodel, but the property’s potential persuaded them to keep considering it.
The $460,000 mistake
Lauren was out of town when the auction took place, leaving Tyler to attend alone with a firm limit of $440,000.The bidding eventually reached $460,000. According to Lauren’s account, Tyler smiled at the auctioneer, who interpreted the gesture as another bid.Just like that, the couple had bought the property for $20,000 more than Tyler’s planned maximum.“It was a roller coaster of emotion; at first I just was confused, then thrilled, then panicked, and finally, just excited to call Lauren and tell her that I’d done it,” Tyler told PEOPLE.Lauren’s reaction was less about the unexpected price and more about the fact that they had actually secured the property.“When she found out that we’d got it, she was so happy that she cried, which made me cry, and we just had a moment of happy tears together while it all sank in,” Tyler said.The excitement did not last long before the couple had to deal with the condition of their new home.
An abandoned house with a bigger problem
The property had been left abandoned and required far more work than the couple initially anticipated.There were missing floors, a collapsing staircase, no kitchen and extensive overgrowth around the property. An abandoned swimming pool presented another problem. It was uncovered and unfenced, filled with dark water and snakes.The couple had expected a substantial renovation, but their original plan was to complete most of the work within about a year by working nights and weekends.That estimate proved unrealistic.“I think we should have been more worried than we actually were, but we had a level of confidence that’s only possible when you don’t know what you’re truly facing,” the couple said.Structural problems, specialist repairs and rising costs after the pandemic disrupted materials and contractor availability pushed the project well beyond its original budget and timeline.Instead of abandoning the renovation, the Bouldins changed their approach.They began reusing materials, searching for cheaper options, taking on more of the work themselves and accepting help from friends, family and people they met through social media.The cost also affected how they lived while the work continued.“We lived with both of our parents at different points to save up money to make this project possible, and gave up five years of eating out, vacations and other lifestyle comforts in exchange for drywall, flooring and late nights working,” the couple said.
The snake-filled pool becomes a garden
The pool was eventually removed rather than restored.The couple demolished it and converted the area into a garden. They also worked to make the surrounding property less attractive to snakes by clearing overgrown areas, removing debris and dealing with rodent habitats.The decision reflected the broader approach they had adopted for the renovation: work with what they had rather than trying to complete everything at once.“You can complete any project by picking two of these three things: good, fast and cheap,” the Bouldins said. “Most of the time, we decided to pick good and cheap if we could — sometimes all we could manage was good, but that’s better than paying a lot for fast.”
Five years later, the work continues
The Bouldins have now spent more than $300,000 on renovations, in addition to the $460,000 they paid for the property.After roughly five years of work, The Forge is about 85% complete.There is still work ahead, including projects involving the roof, windows, barn and chapel, as well as the gardens and other parts of the property.But the couple no longer treats completing the house as a race.“Instead, we focus on being productive when we can, while not losing sight of what’s important to us,” the Bouldins said. “If we rush, overcommit or measure our success by how much progress we’ve made against ‘done’ we’d never be able to enjoy the amazing family and home that we’ve built together!”
