Young Woman Purchases Abandoned House for $16,500 and Transforms It Into Beautiful Home

She quickly fell in love with the quaint city, but she had no plans to purchase a property in the area until she stumbled upon the McLain House. After putting down $16,500 for the historic property, Sweeny was ready to transform the McLain House into a masterpiece.

Sweeney was attracted to the home’s location and the architecturally appealing neighborhood that surrounded it. The home was constructed in 1892 and still had ample original attributes and a large outdoor lot. For Sweeny, the McLain House was a dream, but it was nowhere near livable. Revamping the property would require a lot of time, effort, and money.

Speaking of the house on an Instagram post, Sweeny said, “It’s very old and needs lots of work,” but she was ready to dive in head first. She decided to chronicle her home-remodeling endeavor online and frequently updated the progress on her blog.

She also acquired a construction loan for $100,000 to fund the home’s major overhaul. As a homeowner, Sweeny’s monthly living expenses were modest at $1,047 per month. This included her mortgage payment, property taxes, homeowner’s insurance and utilities.

The renovation process was long and arduous, lasting from summer 2020 until fall 2021. For a while, it seemed like the McLain House would be in a constant state of construction. The property needed new windows, floors, walls, and more. It was important for Sweeny to preserve as much of the home’s original details as she possibly could and she felt more confident with each repair.

She hired a crew to fix the brickwork on the facade, but spent four months of her nights and weekends grinding to repair other sections of the house on her own. Because her other historic restoration projects were on hiatus during the pandemic, Sweeny could focus all her attention on breathing new life into her vintage home. 

All of her hard work was finally paying off. The increase in value was enough to give Sweeny the extra push to forge ahead with even more renovations. She refinanced the house and took out another loan to begin working on the kitchen.

The three-bedroom and one-and-a-half-bathroom home had become livable after 18 months of repairs. The finished product was something to marvel at. When first entering the McLain House, visitors are met by a grand stairway and a charming sitting room with a corner fireplace. Comfort is the key for Sweeny’s newly remodeled historic home.

Sweeny describes her kitchen as “a combination of original and modern,” because new built-in cabinets with a time-honored look were installed. She revealed that the master bedroom, laundry room, and master bath are all still a work in progress. She also noted that she plans on tackling the third floor for her “next big project.”

She is proud of her decision to restore the house and bringing the neighborhood’s value up. The once-vacant building is now being lived-in and loved, bringing a revived sense of community to East Wheeling. Buying the McLain House for an incredibly low price and investing her resources into its restoration process was a true labor of love.

She feels incredibly fortunate to live in an area where she is friendly with her neighbors, can safely walk to work, and is on a first-name basis with the baristas at the local coffee shop. According to Sweeny, taking a chance on a “cheap, old house,” was one of the best decisions she’s made.

Sweeny also takes followers on other restoration project adventures. One of her more recent posts has teased an exciting renovation project that appears to be in the works. “Trust the process,” she wrote. “This vacant lot is about to look a lot more intentional.”