What would you do if someone offered you a house for $1? That’s exactly the situation I found myself in, and I said yes. The house had no heat, no water, and no electricity. It had been used as storage for over 30 years, the floors were caving in, and at one point the previous owner was going to hand it over to the fire department just to burn it down as a training exercise. But the moment I walked through the door for the first time, I knew I could turn it into something beautiful.
The previous owner had a deep emotional attachment to the place — it was his childhood home — and he told me he’d practically give it away if someone was willing to restore it. So I gave him $1 to make the paperwork official, and the project began. All in, this abandoned house renovation before after transformation cost me around $40,000. I funded it by selling my previous home and by sharing the journey week by week with people who were rooting for this old house just as much as I was.
If you’ve ever looked at a rundown property and wondered whether it was worth saving, this post is for you. I’m going to walk you through every stage of this renovation — from the roof down to the floors — so you can see exactly what it took, what I learned, and what the finished result looks like. And if you love budget renovation content, make sure to check out my guide on 10 Home Renovation Ideas on a Budget for a Dated House for even more inspiration.
Tackling the Roof First — Replacing Rotted Decking Without Losing the Original Wood
The roof was one of the first things I had to face head-on. When I got up there and really looked at it, I found three distinct layers: standard asphalt shingles on top, then a layer painted with aluminum paint, and underneath all of that, original cedar shingles. One corner in particular was dangerously soft — you’d fall right through it — while the rest of the deck was surprisingly solid.
I pulled out the rotted sections and replaced them with OSB, but I made a point not to replace the entire roof deck. The original 1924 wood was actually just as solid — if not more so — than the new OSB I bought. That’s a lesson worth remembering: old-growth lumber is dense and durable, so don’t rip it out just because it looks dated. Be selective about what you replace. The roof also required Tyvec house wrap, roof underlayment, and careful installation of cap trim and end trim to seal everything up before any weather came in.
Speaking of weather — I had multiple days where thunderstorms and high winds forced me off the roof entirely. When you’re working on a steel roof and you see dark clouds rolling in and trees bending sideways, you come down. It’s not worth it. Use those days to work inside instead.
Running Electricity — Getting Power to a House That Had None
This house had zero electrical service when I bought it. The electrician had to dig a trench from the street all the way to the house to run the new service line underground. Watching them open up that trench and drop the wiring in was a huge milestone — it meant this house was actually going to have power for the first time in decades.
Once the panel was in and the rough wiring was done, I had a foundation to build everything else on. New switches went in throughout the house, and I planned out the lighting for each room carefully so I wouldn’t have to redo anything later. If you’re dealing with a house that needs a full electrical overhaul, hiring a licensed electrician for the service entrance and panel is the right call — but there’s plenty you can do yourself once the rough-in is complete.
Plaster Repair — How to Work With Old Walls Without Tearing Them Down
One of the decisions I’m most glad I made was choosing to repair the original plaster walls instead of ripping them out and drywalling everything. The plaster was in genuinely good shape in most rooms — no mold, good structure — and it has a character and solidity that drywall just can’t replicate. I used an oil-based primer on all the repaired surfaces, and that made a massive difference.
Before I discovered oil-based primer, I was applying five or six coats of water-based primer to get good coverage. Once I switched, one coat did the job. That single tip saved me hours of work across every room. When it came to the actual plaster repair technique, the key lesson I learned is to let go of perfectionism. Plaster is a messy, organic process — the more you try to make it look perfect, the worse it looks. Work quickly, match the texture of the surrounding wall, and let it dry completely before touching it again.
There was one wall in the bathroom where the plaster had completely detached from the backing. Rather than tearing it out, I applied adhesive throughout all the cracks, let it sit for several days with the weight of the clawfoot tub holding it in place, and it bonded back beautifully. Sometimes patience is the best tool you have.
Bathroom Renovation — Expanding the Layout and Adding a Clawfoot Tub
The original bathroom was a cramped, straightforward layout: tub along one wall, toilet right next to it, vanity in the corner. By taking down a wall and reconfiguring the space into an L-shape, I nearly doubled the usable area. That one structural change transformed the entire feel of the room.
The plumber had to dig through the subfloor — and in some spots through concrete — to run all the new drain lines. Once the rough plumbing was in, I installed a vanity, marble tile on the floor, and a new faucet. I added an exhaust fan for ventilation and finished the walls with floral wallpaper on a black backdrop — which pairs perfectly with the clawfoot tub and gives the whole space a moody, vintage feel. I also added a mirror and a soap dispenser to finish it off with the right details.
The bathroom walls got painted sage green after priming, and the transformation was immediate. Even before the final details were in, walking into that room and seeing one cohesive color everywhere felt like a completely different space. For a similar budget-focused approach, take a look at my post on Bathroom Renovation Without Replacing Fixtures: $1,750 Makeover.
Fixing the Subfloor — Discovering What Was Hiding Under the Hardwood
This was the most alarming moment of the entire renovation. When I started pulling up the hardwood floors in the kitchen and bathroom to prep for tile, I discovered that the subfloor underneath wasn’t just weak — it was falling through. There was essentially no structural support left beneath it. I still don’t know how it held up as long as it did without collapsing.
I had to sister in new joists and replace the failed sections of subfloor completely before any new flooring could go down. I used 2×4 framing, joist hangers, and solid blocking to make everything structurally sound again. There was also a trap door in the floor that I had — let’s just say — personally tested when I fell through it. That got sealed up permanently. Lesson learned: always pull up a few test boards in an abandoned house before you assume the floors are solid.
Installing the New Furnace and Duct Work
With no heating system at all when I started, getting a new furnace installed was a non-negotiable early priority. The HVAC contractor came in and installed a new unit along with a full duct system running throughout the house. Before the duct work was fully connected, some of the vents were open, so I stuffed towels in them to keep the heat from dumping straight into the basement — a small trick that made a real difference in efficiency while I waited for the job to be finished.
Once everything was sealed and connected properly, the system ran dramatically better. If you’re renovating a house with old or non-existent heating, don’t try to shortcut the duct work — open ducts in the wrong places will waste a huge amount of energy and your heating bills will reflect it immediately.
Drywalling the Kitchen and Bathroom — A Multi-Day Process Worth Getting Right
After the subfloor repairs and rough plumbing were done, the kitchen and bathroom were ready for drywall. This was an eight-hour first day just to get the first coat of mud on, and the full process took three coats over several days — each one needing 24 hours to dry before the next could go on. By the third coat, the walls were genuinely smooth, even up close.
Sanding is the step everyone warns you about, and they’re right — it’s the most tedious part. But giving the mud a full 24 hours to cure completely before sanding makes the job easier and gives you a cleaner result. I used caulk around all the edges and corners before priming to get tight, clean lines. Once the primer went on, the rooms finally started to look like finished spaces.
Refinishing the Hardwood Floors — Uncovering 100-Year-Old Beauty
The hardwood floors throughout the living areas and bedroom were original to the house — and once I got a floor sander on them, I was blown away by what was underneath decades of grime and wear. The grain patterns in the wood are stunning. I rented the drum sander for $50 a day, which is one of the best tool rental values out there for the impact it delivers.
I started in the bedroom and worked my way through to the living room. The corners required a smaller edge sander to get into the spots the drum couldn’t reach. Once all the sanding was done, I applied a clear protective coat that brought all that grain and color to life. If your old house has hardwood floors hiding under carpet or vinyl, refinishing them yourself is one of the highest-ROI projects you can do — and it’s very achievable as a DIY project. Check out my full breakdown of 9 Home Renovation Projects With High ROI for more ideas like this.
Kitchen Tile Floor and Backsplash — Laying Tile Over a Wood Subfloor
For the kitchen floor, I chose to lay floor tile directly over the repaired wood subfloor rather than adding the hardwood layer back on top. Stacking both materials would have created too much height and added unnecessary weight. I used a wet tile saw for all the cuts, an edge trowel to spread the mortar evenly, and a tile backsplash to finish the walls behind the eventual counters.
Grouting is the step where patience really pays off. I let the tile set fully before grouting, and I needed one additional jug of grout beyond what I had on hand to finish the job — so budget a little extra when you’re estimating materials. Once the grout cured and I cleaned everything up with a microfiber cloth, the kitchen floor looked sharp and intentional.
Installing Ceiling Tiles in the Living Room — A Surprisingly High-Impact Upgrade
The living room ceiling tiles were one of those upgrades I didn’t expect to love as much as I do. Paired with the craftsman-style trim and the warm orange paint color on the walls, they completely changed the character of the room. The T-shaped dividers between the tiles got painted orange as well to tie everything together.
Installing ceiling tiles is a more manageable DIY project than most people assume. The key is getting your layout centered and working outward from the middle of the room so you don’t end up with awkward partial tiles at the edges. A laser level is your best friend for keeping everything straight when you’re working overhead. I used liquid nail to secure the tiles and brad nails to hold the trim in place while the adhesive set.
Window Replacement and Trim — Sealing Up the House Before Winter
The original windows were in terrible shape — rotted frames, no seal, basically open to the outside air. Before I could even think about running the new furnace efficiently, I needed new windows. I replaced them all and used window flashing tape around each one to properly weatherproof the openings.
I also installed a large 60×60 picture window in the living room, removing two smaller windows to create one dramatic opening. From outside, it looked a little out of place until I added trim around it — but once the exterior paint goes on and the new front door is installed with its hardware, everything is going to tie together beautifully. Inside, I ran window trim throughout the house to give each opening a finished, intentional look. I also added curtain hardware to all the windows once the rooms were painted.
Interior Trim, Baseboards, and Painting — Pulling Every Room Together
Trim is one of those finishing details that makes or breaks how polished a renovation looks. I installed baseboards throughout the house and added craftsman-style casing around every door and window. By the time I was done, I estimated we’d put up somewhere between 200 and 300 individual pieces of trim — and every one of them matters.
For paint, I used Sherwin Williams paint in the main living areas and bedrooms. The sage green in the bathroom, the warm orange in the living room, and the colors throughout the bedrooms were all chosen to complement the original character of the house rather than fight against it. For efficiency on the walls and ceilings, an extendable roller stick saved my back on the ceilings, and a quality paintbrush handled all the cut-in work along the trim. I also used masking tape to protect the trim lines wherever I needed a clean edge.
Lighting — Upgrading Every Room With the Right Fixtures
A house that sat empty for 30 years had exactly zero functional lighting when I bought it. Once the electrical was roughed in, I went through every room and planned out a lighting scheme that felt right for the space and the era of the house. I installed a new light fixture in the main living areas and added sconces in the bedroom for ambient lighting. A ceiling fan went into the bedroom as well for airflow.
Throughout the renovation process itself, I relied on LED shop lights to keep the work areas bright enough to work safely. And once the rooms were finished, I switched to LED lights in all the fixtures for energy efficiency. Good lighting is one of the most underrated parts of a renovation — it changes how every other design decision reads in the room.
Door Hardware and Interior Doors — The Details That Finish a Space
By the end of the renovation, I had installed doors throughout the entire house — and the process of getting them all hung, shimmed, and plumbed was its own project. I upgraded all the hardware to matching door hardware throughout the house for a cohesive, finished look. The moment the last door went in — no more doors left on the floor, no more openings — felt like a genuine milestone.
For tighter spaces, I looked at Pocket doors as an option to save floor swing space. Getting doors plumb and operating smoothly requires patience with shims and a good laser level to check your plumb and level as you go — don’t skip that step or you’ll be fighting a binding door for years.
What’s Next — The Exterior, Porch, Shed, and Half-Acre of Land
As much as the interior transformation is complete, the outside of this house still has a lot of work ahead. The exterior needs paint, the front door needs to be properly framed and finished, and the existing front porch is structurally failing and needs to be replaced entirely. I’m also planning to build a shed — possibly even a garage — out back.
The property came with half an acre of land that I’m planning to transform into a cottage garden. That means clearing overgrown areas with a Chainsaw and weed eater, setting fence posts with a Post Pounder, installing stepping stones, laying landscaping fabric, and using Edging Material to define garden beds. There’s also a basement that needs finishing — if that’s something you’re interested in, I’ve already done a deep dive on Basement Finishing on a Budget: How I Did It for Under $10K.
Tips and Best Practices for Renovating an Abandoned House
After going through this entire process from a $1 purchase to a finished home, here are the most important lessons I’d pass on to anyone taking on a similar project:
Always assess the structure before anything cosmetic. The subfloor collapse in my kitchen was a wake-up call. Before you buy tile, paint, or fixtures, get under the floors and into the walls and understand what you’re actually dealing with structurally.
Oil-based primer is worth every penny on old plaster and drywall repairs. One coat vs. five or six coats — that math speaks for itself. Don’t let anyone talk you into the water-based version on a major renovation.
Rent equipment you’ll only use once. The floor sander at $50 a day was one of the best decisions I made. There’s no reason to buy a drum sander for a single project. The same goes for a wet tile saw if you’re only tiling one or two rooms.
Work in phases and don’t skip the drying time. Drywall mud, grout, plaster repair — every one of these needs its full cure time. Rushing it creates more work, not less.
Keep a tape measure in your pocket at all times. Measure everything twice before you cut, order, or install. This is obvious advice that’s easy to forget when you’re moving fast on a project this size.
Budget for surprises. I found rotted subfloor, detached plaster walls, and a completely non-functional electrical system. On any abandoned house renovation, add at least 20-25% to your budget estimate for the unexpected.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to renovate an abandoned house?
Costs vary widely depending on the size of the house and condition it’s in, but a full renovation of a small abandoned home — including all systems (electrical, plumbing, HVAC), structural repairs, and interior finishes — can run anywhere from $30,000 to $100,000 or more. My renovation came in around $40,000 for a small house that needed essentially everything replaced or repaired. Doing as much of the labor yourself as possible is the single biggest way to reduce that number.
Should I repair old plaster walls or replace them with drywall?
It depends on the condition of the plaster. If it’s structurally sound — no mold, no major delamination, good adhesion to the lath — I’d strongly recommend repairing it rather than replacing it. Original plaster has better soundproofing, better durability, and more character than drywall. Use oil-based primer after repairs and you’ll get a beautiful result with far less material cost than a full drywall replacement.
Can you lay tile directly over a wood subfloor?
Yes, you can — but the subfloor needs to be solid, level, and deflection-free first. Any flex in the subfloor will eventually crack the tile or grout. I had to fully repair my subfloor before tiling, which meant sistering joists and replacing damaged sections. Once the structure was sound, I tiled directly over the wood and have had zero issues. Using the right mortar rated for wood subfloors is also important.
What’s the best way to refinish original hardwood floors in an old house?
Rent a drum floor sander and start with a coarser grit to remove the old finish and surface damage, then work progressively finer. Use an edge sander for corners and along the walls. Vacuum and tack-cloth the entire floor before applying your finish coat. A water-based polyurethane gives a clear, durable result, but oil-based finishes tend to bring out more warmth and depth in old-growth wood like what’s typically found in pre-1950s homes. Budget $50–$75 per day for the sander rental — it’s absolutely worth it.
Final Thoughts
This abandoned house renovation before after transformation is proof that a house most people would write off as a total loss can become something genuinely beautiful with the right approach, the right tools, and a willingness to put in the work. From a structure with no heat, no water, and no electricity — that was headed toward a controlled burn — to a home I’m actually living in and loving, every phase of this project taught me something new.
The total cost came in around $40,000, but the knowledge, the skills, and the satisfaction of having done it myself? That’s not something a contractor can give you. If you’re staring down a similar project and wondering where to even begin, start with the structure, get your systems in place, and work room by room. It’s a long road, but every single step forward is visible progress — and that keeps you going.
If this kind of full-scale DIY renovation content is your thing, explore more of what I’ve covered here on The DIY Journey — including my complete guide on How to Tackle a Full Gut Old Home Renovation Project Step-by-Step. And if you have questions about any specific part of this project, drop them in the comments below — I read every one.
