Peter Larson inherited his grandfather’s home, which was originally built in the 1860s. Peter and his wife, Hilarie, knew that they wanted to turn the house into a cozy family home. But there was a problem: the house had been abandoned 20 years ago and needed a lot of work.
Peter and Hilarie didn’t have the money to hire contractors, so they decided to take matters into their own hands. Peter didn’t have any professional construction experience, but he was determined to fix up the house anyway. He bought a small trailer and parked it on the old barn foundation where they lived while he worked on the house.
Peter’s first task was to remove the old kitchen and fix the foundation of the house. He removed each stone by hand, saving them to build a low stone wall at the edge of the property. He also had to improve the rest of the foundation, adding concrete to the lime and sand mix to prevent erosion.
Next, he moved onto the roof, building his own scaffolding and replacing almost everything. He then slowly worked his way around the exterior of the house, replacing the siding one portion at a time. He even added a new porch that he designed himself.
The inside of the house was a bit more challenging for Peter, so he hired a general contractor to help him. Together, they built partition walls, added insulation and drywall, and installed radiant heating throughout the floors.
With the help of the contractor and his sub-contractors, the house was finally finished, and it looked almost the same as it did when it was built in the 1860’s. Peter’s ancestors would surely be proud of the amazing work he did.
In the end, it was Peter’s determination, hard work, and resourcefulness that brought his ancestral home back to life. It just goes to show that with a little research, some ingenuity, and a lot of elbow grease, anyone can achieve their dreams of owning a beautiful home.
See the incredible home in the video below!