We bought an old elementary school - 3 YEARS (in 30 minutes) Timelapse Start to Finish
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- Опубліковано 6 лют 2025
- While editing this video, I was hit with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for everyone who’s poured their time and energy into this project. We might be a bit crazy for taking it on-okay, more than a bit-but even with all the moments that this schoolhouse has made us lose our minds… it’s still SO worth it.
What you don’t see in this video is all the behind-the-scenes help and support from our families and siblings. They’ve been here every step of the way and we never EVER would have taken on this daunting project without their blessings and excitement. From letting us live in their houses the last year with two wild toddlers, to babysitting, we are so deep in the hole of favors that we owe to our families… especially my dad. He gets extremely annoyed when I put him in UA-cam videos but never in 1 million years could we have done this without his wisdom.
Also just so incredibly grateful for all of the house renovation nerds out there that have been following along this last year or so. The comments, advice, and encouragement during the renovation doldrums has been such a surprising element of this project.
Below are the amazing contractors we’ve used so far, if you’re looking for good folks in Central Indiana… they’re the best. If you're in the area and need someone's contact, please DM me at schoolhomestead@gmail(dot)com!
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S&F Marble & Granite: Saul, Adolfo, Fernando, and Jason are the best. Truly a hidden gem of a place with incredible remnants. Watch my whole episode about them!
Dave and Chris our painters- two more detailed and meticulous folks- they have painted my entire family’s houses + things for my parents business! (And my mom trusts no one with the details haha.)
*Madison Street Salvage: an AMAZING little shop in our hometown of Franklin, Indiana. You never know what treasures you'll find and our little town of antique shops, cafes, and boutiques is definitely worth a trek!
Guardian Flooring Advancements: Kristen, Dave, and Micah run a tight ship and have been incredibly detailed for every layer of refinishing + putting in our new wood flooring. Can’t recommend them enough.
B & E Masonry: Brad, E, and Brentley, Hez- Brad the mason is basically the king of the schoolhouse. For almost a year these guys worked on repointing the entire exterior of our school and then moved inside for repairs.
Breeden Electric: Shawn Breeden is a meticulous and thoughtful electrician. He worked on commercial buildings for many years running projects in Indianapolis and just started his own business.
*Patton Plumbing: Mike and Jared and James have done our whole project, really love working with them!
Arrow Earth Services: Adam Yount and his team are the best. Adam is so thoughtful and considerate, and extremely quick and communicative.
Affordable Spray Foam Insulators: Fast, no-nonsense, and they do great work!!
Specialty Concrete: Chance and Kenny helped us pour a new slab in our basement. Their team was super impressive and they are really lovely to work with.
Chad Findley: Chad is our friend and he has been hanging all of the 100-year-old doors and doing trim around the school. He’s a perfectionist and I am so thankful he loves the creativity it takes to make things look alright in this wonky old building.
Greg Waltz: Greg is our lovely, meticulous, and incredibly kind tile guy. He has not once complained or been frustrated by the complicated tile plans I gave him.
Dowty Construction: We used Pat's company to build our deck and I loved working with them!
Harmon Construction: Rob, Josh, and Jerry have been the backbone of a lot of interior things we’ve been doing from the school. They’ve been integral to everything we’ve done.
Masonry by Mohler: Gaby and the Mohler crew of masons were SO slick and fast at getting our garage built!
*HVAC guys: Derrick, Phil, Brandon, and Ricky-- even the inspector said to me, this work looks fantastic.
Schott Design: Emily Hillyer and the folks at Schott Design helped us get the final architectural plans and a lot of other details. So thankful we got to have some of Emily's wisdom!
Smart Crawl: Craig Dukate and his team installed a French drain and waterproofed + insulated the underground basement walls!
Robert D Young Construction: Colin, George, Hugo and their crew did all of our framing and drywall. They are beyond detailed, fair and I am so grateful to have their expertise on this project.
Tree Buddies: Robert Wilson and his team at Tree Buddies were the first folks we hired and they helped us with a TON of demo +cleanout.
Quality Roofing Services: Greg Blatz and his team were fantastic to work with for our new roof.
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Want to work with us?
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With all due respect to all the tradesmen who are clearly amazing at their jobs, your tile man is the star of the show. Beautiful work.
100% Ive never seen anything like that
👍 Seeing him working down on his knees like that made my similarly-aged arthritic knees, back and hips ache just watching him! 😳 😄
I've worked closely with various different construction/renovation contractors for almost 20 year now and they all looked really professional except for this man. This man is NOT a professional... he's an artist!
I must agree Greg is phenomenal. I wonder if he’ll do any work in the western New York area.
And the BRICKMASONS!
The hardest part of any construction are honest and reliable contractors…..you got awesome people.
This is true in every country. In Germany we have thatfor a building diary, were you make daily notes what has been done and by whom. There will allways be at least one who does shoddy work.
So true! My aunt is restoring a country house from 1901 in Spain and her renovation is being stalled by unreliable lazy contractors!!
The hardest part of any construction are honest and reliable home owners that pay for the work they ordered. FTFY
@@LupusMechanicus Homeowners always think they could do what the Contractor does if they had the time. Sure, perhaps, but consequently, they don't want to pay what it costs, and what it costs is never enough for the stress, the planning, the execution, the sales, satisfying the customer. Trades people are treated like modern day peasants if they allow it and homeowners are happy to treat them as such and don't believe they're doing anything wrong. They believe that their white collar office job is incredibly challenging and being a carpenter should be fun and they can't understand why you aren't excited to do and shepherd them through every decision of their $100,000 renovation that should be a $200,000 renovation, during which they will constantly nag, question your expertise, assume stuff is finished and critique it, say stuff like: "I didn't know it was going to look like that", hire a shitty architect, hire a shitty designer or none at all, take the cheapest price, complain why it's so expensive, blame the contractor, be horrible at making decisions, blame the contractor again, never learn from their mistakes, take an eternity to pay their bills even though their bills spell out exact costs...
The hardest part of any construction in a large city is dealing with the local code authorities and inspectors who hate the idea of your dream.
the older gentleman who did the all the tile work is amazing at what he does!
Yes I need him with the massive amount of tile I have and need to rid myself of....
It's so well done ... I didn't really like that green tile tho ☺️
❤🩹❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Yes.❤❤
Yea but it was stupid and tacky af its no longer a school so why put the name of the school there
Respect to all of those Tradesmen, they keep the world going. Also, I respect you guys for preserving a piece of history.
hey
@ hello
my aunt bought a school house in 1964 and turned it into her home, at the time the county was asking 3 thousand dollars, she told them she had 1, 000 in cash they accepted it. she gave our family the playground equipment. It turned out quite nice.
This comment.i love
I went to a 1 room schoolhouse in 1967. Wished I bought it.
❤
How big (or small😁) is it?
Did yall keep it or resell it?
I am 70, a cabinet maker of 40 years, retired now. Would have loved to work with this crew!
Fabulous results all round! God Bless all.
I cringed a little when I saw them building and installing IKEA cabinets! This place deserves so much better. They look nice, but….
but what? They can use whichever materials they choose...jeez🙄🙄
@@woohunter1agree, it calls for more substantial solid wood cabinets.
@woohunter1 why, such a young building deserves furniture with a young vibe surely?
@@woohunter1They’ve invested so much money in their house , maybe this is somewhere money can be saved. The kids are young and they can be rough on furniture. I’m sure that some day in the future they’ll be able to upgrade to something better than Ikea.
Wow! That was the exact school I went to for 5 years in Indiana! I have so many memories there and it’s amazing seeing the building given a new life instead of destroyed.
This is the comment I’ve been searching for. With almost 4k comments, I was hoping at least one person here either attended or lived near this amazing building. I love old buildings and their history.
I felt a sadness watching this building being lovingly restored. Last year while reading my mother's 1943-1945 letters to my dad in WWII South Pacific, I went to the High School where she and my dad grew up in Gary, Ind. Dad's old house backed up to the School's football field. So fun to look up in Google maps to see their respective houses. Mom's house being humble as her dad was a Police Officer. But the lovely school where my mother was taught Latin and Dad went on to Law School; Lew Wallace High School was completely gone, flat. Amazing what invasion does to a town. To have this lovely mid-west school saved is a monumental event...not many get that. My parents went to their HS reunion for 50 years, it was a very close group of individuals until the end. My HS was a joke during the heavy handed racial bussing that went on in Dallas at the time. A real nightmare that I never wish to revisit at age 66.
@marithag2319 the WWII generation despite the war and Great Depression had a good childhood and long lives. They still knew what it was to have farm or garden grown food, loving extended family and good neighbors around them, and faith in our good God. Every generation since has been atomized and robbed.
@@brandywineblue Well, guess my parents taught me well, at 66 I still run my homestead with chickens and rabbits and can them in the winter for food...makes great tacos. No refrigeration when the lights go out. Trying to teach all the young families around me how to do this too. The middle aged women are hopeless in the kitchen mostly. Most can't afford a place to even start accumulating what is necessary. This economy will kill our people. Famine is coming......
Another one in Southern Indiana looks just like it.
We have become such a throw away Society, how refreshing that a building gets restored instead of wasting all of that beautiful wood work and history. AWESOME JOB!!!!
hey
I'm a Mason from Toronto,Canada. I specialize in restoring 100+ year old homes and buildings. Oldest I've completely restored is a Church built in the 1890s.
I would have sincerely loved every second of restoring this old schoolhouse,in and out. It's an absolutely stunning building and property.
Thank you kindly for preserving history while modern markets,instead, demolish and erase it.
Many,many thanks.
I hope that someone does a good job if my parents are really going to sell my grandpas house. I’d hope they’d make it a smaller scale mansion inside lol
1890? Like my whole street was build before then
@Ladybird765-m3u most cities have pockets of original Victorian era structures. The areas they're built on were normally settled much earlier,with cheaper materials, like wood at the time. Roads wouldn't have even paved yet when the brick homes went up.
Smaller towns,removed from bigger cities, tend to still house more of these older buildings. Sadly, some left to fall into disrepair.
@@drezonb9546most towns and cities in England are Victorian and before
@@Laura-l2u6tWe have a Tudor house in ours, plus many Georgian houses.
the fact that this took ONLY 3 years is insane to me, considering how slow some new construction is, amazing
That’s what I was thinking.We added onto our living room onto our front porch. Our contractor told us 4-5 weeks but it ended up taking them 7 months!! They only worked 2-3 a day or didn’t show up. Big mistake hiring them!🤬
Money talks and some contractors suck
That woman annoys me
@@timmurphy5137 Annoying woman is how it was done so quickly! 😂
@@cindyb3028 hilarious. You can frame a new house in 1 week with a good crew
I am SO IMPRESSED with your restoration of this beautiful old building! Mu daddy was a Master Brickmason, born in 1893, and he would “tear up” seeing how you saved the brickwork and so much of the original craftsmanship in your beautiful home! Congratulations!
My brother also. same
The brick❤❤❤
I began a small preschool on my property in 1982 in 2020 I retired and we have converted the space into living space. Not nearly as extravagant or large a space. But I think it's so fun that you have done this. It's a beautiful project. Schools have such amazing lighting what a delight. I hope you are all still happily living there! Love watching the video!
Old buildings like this deserve to be renovated.
Oh, but to heat it in winter😢
I love old buildings and think the same when I see them! Unfortunately, everything is so expensive these days!
But it's not "old" it's only 100 years old 😂😂😂
Luckily that has happened in Phila.
I used to live in a renovated old hospital. So the exterior walls were over a foot thick. It does have historical certification.
It's the old Wills Eye Hospital founded in 1832. The bldg I lived in opened in 1932. And stayed a hospital until 1980 when it was converted to residential living.
It was an honor to live in such a place ! ❤
@@skepticalobserver2135 I honestly don't understand why people keep saying this.....100 years isn't "OLD" goodness, my first home was georgian, my second was victorian, and now I own a young 1920's bungalow in a road of houses and bungalows built together!
In 1931, my father was born in a one room schoolhouse on the way to the hospital in town, 20 miles away. My grandfather later bought the old schoolhouse and had it placed on his property, which he remodeled to replace the old, old family house that they currently lived in. The schoolhouse has doubled in size since my grandparents passed, and it is still in the family, and the gorgeous brickwork is something to see. Thanks for the great video, which brought back some lovely memories for me.
Thank you for sharing ❤
Very nice. Thanks for sharing. I wonder if these schools are a lot cheaper than buying a house and how it is taxed. Please comment if you do know. Thanks again.
Aw, that's so lovely. ❤
There was a one-room schoolhouse on my grandparents’ dairy farm. When my mom was little, she’d sit in the bicycle basket of one of the older girls and stare in the window. When she was 4, the teacher gave up and just let her come in. Of course she was a star student. Because the teacher started her at that age, she graduated from high school 5 months after her 17th birthday. By 23, she had her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Mom didn’t do anything halfway.
I hate when I drive by and see an old building going into complete decay... So happy you can renovate this one, what a gift!
Me too. It feels like such a waste.
My granny bought a condo in a renovated school and it was gorgeous. She taught herself to read and cleaned bathrooms for a living so that was such a treat to see her in this beautiful condo with cathedral ceilings substantial windows and brick mortar.
Your building is very similiar. Absolutely beautifully restored building. Sunshine’s everyday 🌞 through those windows. 😊Blessings to you.
Massive respect for you guys for restoring the old doors and trim instead of just binning it and buying contemporary run of the mill doors and panels. Despite a complete transformation you have retained the soul of the building.
Ditto for saving some of the plaster!
they probably bought it cheap
Plus this new stuff does not have the bones like the old stuff.
Motherfucker those doors and that trim were 'run of the mill' when they were installed.
@@uuuultraThere is nothing cheap about what's going on here.
I LOVE THIS!! 50 years ago, when my husband & I were married, I told him I wanted to buy an old school & turn it into our residence. He said, in no uncertain terms, that it wasn't happening. I realized we didn't have the money, time or "know how" to accomplish such a thing. But to vicariously experience this through your family was so delightful. Enjoy your beautiful new home...and a very nice job.
You don't know how much I love you for restoring it with all of those art deco vibes and funky historical colors instead of just painting it gray and chopping it up into that awful Scandinavian Minimalist style that has ruined so many other historical renos.
Scandinavian minimalist style has a place, too and can function beautifully - just not in these old buildings, which have their own unique syle they should retain.
The gray has taken over so many houses for sale that I view. Just seems brain dead to me. Don't think, just make it all gray. I'm in a 1920s house that has walls & beauty. When I thought I was moving, clients all wanted to gut every wall. No! It's a bungalow❤
@@1940sDream good for you!!! Keep saying no! I live in a 1924 house not many updates. Rock solid and affordable.
AMEN!!!!
tile guy is an artist. u can tell he’s been doing this a long time and enjoys his work
As a former tradesman, historian, author and lover of all things preserved and good, this transformation made my heart sing! I wait for another video where your imagination soars yet further and your library is come. ;) A very satisfying video and I praise your efforts. Keep up the good work. Thank you for sharing.
I used to live in an elementary school that had been converted to apartments. Two schools were closed down in the 80's and were going to be knocked down, but a local carpenter wanted to save both schools, so he bought them and slowly converted them into apartments over the years. He is retired now, but his son now runs the apartments and is still converting the last couple spaces 40 years later. Honestly, it was one of the best places I have ever lived. It was in a quiet residential neighborhood with a nearby grocery store, the thick walls kept everything nice and warm in the winter and kept noise out, and the character and history of the school was really cool. The only disadvantage was that you had to walk outside to the detached garages that were built in the old school parking lot, but that was a small price to pay for a great place to live.
The parking lot was turned into garages! Wow that is so cool.
God bless whoever keeps this place clean.
The glossy finish on the floor with all the great lighting will show every spec of dust... I grew up with hardwood floors not that glossy but great natural light and mom dust mopped every day.
@@alienonion4636 20+ years ago we built our home and have all hard flooring. I bought a dust mop and found my new best friend!😁
A few robot floor cleaners would be a tremendous time saver for Mom! 😊
@@LightoftheMoongee, I wonder if it could save Dad some time, too…
They can probably afford to have a janitorial staff
Ok so I am going to try to vent too much yet tears are streaming down my face. Lived on a 29 acre farm a stones throw away… sonlusted after old style bricks, old wood, barn siding. I am losing it over how great those old doors look. Great job guys…simply thank u for taking the time to not only invest in this county but to showcase what a creative absorbing project this has been. You sharing it for free …just know I am grateful…blessings!!!
I’m so impressed with the reviews the homeowners have given all the tradespeople! The appreciation and kindness is wonderful to see! I built a home 30 years ago. I had one rule. We were all to be kind to each other. We didn’t have to agree but we did have to be kind. There are ways to disagree that do not demean another person. I didn’t allow my children to call each other names. I wouldn’t allow it on that job. I had my general contractor’s nephew banned from the project. He didn’t take me seriously! Respect for ALL…regardless! 🥰
Way to go. Awesome.
I really loved that too, I read really far into the contractor reviews. It says a lot about a person, that they prioritize praising people, and the things they value shine through.
good for u. i had friends who added a second floor to their home. they decided to do their own finish work. my best advice to them was that if they wanted to stay married they should work in different rooms and not get caught checking on each other's work lol.
As a contractor I just had to comment and say amazing job on the home and the video. I hope all the hard work is enjoyed and used for generations.
I always wanted to live in an old church, firehouse or school. May you enjoy it for many years and future generations.
Amazing. I went to a school like this for 7 years, in the 1960's. I remember walking up the stairs. The worn out stairs. This is so great. I love everything.
LOVE this so much!! The other day my 20-year old daughter was in her room and I heard a voice and said, "What are you watching?" She told me it was a family that was renovating an old school house. I described you and she said "Yep! I've been watching them for a while." We had no idea that we both had been following your family's story. I loved that moment and I love this one! It's official -- there may be finishing touches, but the first toy has been placed and move-in can begin! CONGRATULATIONS on coming to a close with all your hard work and dedication. It's a beautiful tribute to what existed before and is such a love story to your family about what it will be for years to come. Thank you for sharing your journey with us!!
oh my gosh that's so crazy about your daughter!! 😂 And thank you so much!
@@Schoolhousehomestead. What about protecting around the school house with metal fencing. Something strong enough to protect your family and friends. It is said in the bible that there will be rough times ahead for all of us. With your schoolhouse being right off the road. It will be easy for anyone that has negative energy and thoughts come and cause harm especially with all the unprotected windows. I as a Christian woman don’t know you personally but feel it’s my job to just send a little reminder Please include some strong protection on the outside of your property. Keep up the good work and congratulations
@@tiffanyokunola We have security and will ramp it up before actually moving in, and then yes we do have a fence planned! thank you!!
That was amazing! Incredible vision!
I know this old school house! My sister and her family live very close. East Enterprise, I’d drive past school going to visit. Great to see someone bring it back to life!
My mom and dad wanted to rehab an old "little red school house" after we kids were grown and gone. Dad died before I was twelve, a dream never materialized. Good for you to following your dream.
I used to be a contractor, and the level of a thoughtful historical renovation and construction you all did was very high! I am VERY impressed. Congratulations and I hope many happy years raising your familt in this old/new schoolhome
What a beautiful testament to family, community, and perseverance! The way you honor everyone who contributed to this schoolhouse transformation - from family to contractors - shows the true heart of renovation projects. Simply inspiring!
As a now retired contractor who had a project featured in a magazine, I have to say you have (or your designer has) excellent taste. Restoring the pre war era doors and woodwork, if its not warped, will be much better than anything you could buy new. Chefs kiss right there.
Thank you for preserving such a wonderful old building and not throwing up another McMansion somewhere. Restoring so much of the original materials is what is so special. There's another lifetime and more in those old doors and trim. This is beautiful.
Someone won the lottery, lol. I lived in an old school that had been separated into large breezy apartments when I was young. It was great. This is absolutely beautiful. Well done.
Bet it wasn't breezy when the kids were sweating thru fall and spring classes.....but sure was breezy all winter long!
She didn't win the lottery, but she does work her ass off from what I hear.
There is a place in Indianapolis. It was an old ballpark and they remodeled in into apartments. They kept the ballfield and all the apartments overlook the ballpark.
I have so many questions....but mostly I want to say, WOW!! What a laborious and phenomenal job! I love that you saved so many of the doors and floors where you could. You also had some amazing contractors who understood the assignment. Job well done! Thank you for sharing.
As a retired teacher with several family members in education, we all LOVE old schools. Your family repurposing this beautiful old school is amazing and thanks for sharing this joy with us. God bless.
I, too, am a retired elementary school teacher. As a child, all of my old schools were of brick construction so I have a special bond with the style. My first assignment as a first year teacher just happened to be one of the oldest schools in our district and could have doubled for the one in this series. Special little nooks and crannies that just begged to be explored---and I did! It still had the old voice tubes to each room originating in the principal's office down on the lowest floor! Yuip, this series was a balm to my antiquated soul.
Bob Villa would have loved this. One of the best things I’ve seen. This should get a documentary it’s such a labor of love. The doors, the windows, the tiles - oh my.! I can’t imagine living in such a gorgeous place.
Agreed on both points. This was amazing to watch. Such a breath of fresh air seeing someone renovate old with a soul as opposed to building something new and sterile.
Beautiful
Bob Villa is a joke
As another local, I've been passing this school for over a decade, and I'm so glad you've made it your home! 🎉
Does anyone know where this is?
@@terrythoreson2158 out off 252 just past Nineveh Indiana
@@terrythoreson2158 It's in Mexico.
@@terrythoreson2158somewhere in Indiana.
@@fazbearanimations2622bruh.. what?
Needless to say: OUTSTANDING JOB!!! Y'all are so brave to take a great (and a "solid built") building and re-claim it as a home. My husband and I bought a 1920' Catholic Rectory and restored it for our home. It was a diamond in the rough, but so it was so worth it. The older buildings are by far so much better that any "new-builds" will ever be....builders back then were true craftsmen and took great pride in their trades. Loved the wonderful job you did with original doors. And excellent choice on using "spray-in" insulation: it's a real game changer. May cost more but it seriously delivers!
And I appreciate the your attention to the details....LARGE and small, it shows the love you have for this beautiful home to be.
Really happy for you.
The paint colors, the sunlight peaking through as you built the kitchen, the hours of hard work, the brick!! The green bathroom!!! Ahhh this is such a dream 🥰
If this was a disney cartoon that old school house would be so happy. May it give you many wonderful memories.
Damn, I love those old doors. The whole place is just incredible.
Just absolutely awesome. I love when people repurpose old and give it new life.
I can’t even begin to comprehend the expense involved in a project like this. My fiancé and I bought a house built in 1927 (3200 sq ft) and the cost involved in just getting it up to code has been overwhelming. Kudos to you for taking on such a project. It’s beautiful.
3200 Sq ft starter home ? Of course the cost will be astronomical ... bringing it up to code, and up to your expextations. I wish you all the best, and hope that your pockets are as deep as your dreams are lofty.
While 99 percent of us couldnt afford this, its lovely to watch and dream! I bet it will be lovely when its all furnished and had decor and landscape.
I can't even fathom how much this reno cost.
@@TonySmithJrprobably between $750k to $1m. Possibly more. 😬
@@evergreenvalleyhomeimprove7269 That's like a townhome where I live... I might have to start considering this.
I'm just glad someone is renovating an older building instead of tearing it down and putting who knows what there!
@@evergreenvalleyhomeimprove7269I'm guessing at least 2 or 3 times that much.
I built custom homes throughout the 90s to 2008.
That was the haydays of affordable homes.
Nowadays the prices just make me gasp.
The prices for comparable homes have went up 3 to 4 times as much.
I'm sad for this new generation trying to make ends meet.
I am retired now living in one of the last homes I built. This is were I will die.
IMPRESSIVE!! Not just your bravery and vision, but you didn't just demo the interior! You saved and restored so much! What a gorgeous home this is going to be for many many decades to come!!! Amazing!
This level of commitment to a project is so inspiring to me. There are NO SLACKERS in this family. Thank you for sharing your journey. I am so impressed.
I´m so happy when a beautiful old building is saved!
I do too. But that is a lot more space than a single family needs. This is one reason why there is a lack of affordable housing for blue collar workers.
Am I the only person who DOESN’T consider this to be a ‘beautiful building’? In fact I think it’s a very plain and rather ugly, municipal looking building. I have great admiration for all the trades who did a great job, as I have for the homeowner who certainly rolled her sleeves up and got stuck in too. But I can find nothing aesthetically pleasing about the ‘house’, if you can call it that, either inside or out. What on Earth will they do within the building? It will inevitably lack a homeliness about it due to its cavernous design. Their heating bills and running costs will be horrendous, or they’ll freeze, which is the reason that the original school had to close down after only twenty years of use and the children divided into other smaller schools 80 years ago. They will be heating the air 8’ or 9’ above their heads!
Each to their own, but I’d have thought that for the cost of the building plus the cost of the renovation they could have built or bought a truly beautiful house.
We're YOU going to restore it?@@LRCW1
@@moyrahoodway to encourage people.
My wife and I are renovating an old train station in Germany (1865) it’s been a journey and a labor of love. I feel your pain, joy, heartbreak and jubilation great job you guys. 🎉
Sounds VERY interesting! I wish the process was on UA-cam!
@@jonothandoeser we are seriously thinking about starting a channel I will let you know.
That sounds like a super cool project! Maybe someday I will get to watch your progress on it as well
Basic economics. People with money spend that money, the people that work for them take that money and pay their bills and spend the money in their communities. Those businesses hire people that get paid..... the circle goes on and on. Now, if you taxed these people at 75% or more like liberals want to do.....that money circle gets broken.
@@sjastram Nobody’s talking about taxing the wealthy 75%, at least in this country, and at the most EQUALLY prosperous times in American history, the wealthy were taxed more than double what they are now
You’re making the same factual misstatement all apologists for the wealthy make - suggesting something absurd to make people turn against about something fair
“One of the greatest scams of the millionaires is to convince somebody making $100,000 that it’s the guy making 25,000 who’s the real problem”
When I was Arlo's age, my great grandfather would take me to his buddy's shop while the guy worked and they talked. Since it was Serbian I understood none of it so I just hung out and watched. He was an upholstery shop.
18 years later and my mom wanted to recover a Victorian side chair. I said "we can do that!" I then proceeded to tell her everything we would need.
We went out and bought it and did the chair.
My mother had NO idea how I knew how to do that
Several years later in conversation she mentioned that Grandpa's friend was an upholsterer.
Arlo will have learned all of this but won't know how he knows. Show him the films.
What a great job. What a lovely family. Than you for sharing
Incredible make over and dedication to historic preservation. Gregg's tile work was top notch. Everyone well done!
Wow! As an electrical contractor myself, I can say you guys had a lot of highly skilled tradesman on site. The transformation is impressive. You guys do nice work too! There was so much to do. Such a huge building to make into a home. I would love to see more as well. Thanks!
My Dad could do it all. Carpentry, Electric, plumbing, repairs on cars, and everything was level at our home. Watching this brought back memories. Thank you.
My dad too and I miss him.
Wow..what a beautiful restoration.👍. When I was a young boy my dad made me take my little red flyer wagon across the field to an old little school house being torn down. I collected the old on-site kiln fired bricks that were used to build the school. I made endless trips as an 8 year old and every evening after supper I would sit and knock the old mortar off the bricks.
Fast forward to today..I’m 62 and getting ready to sell my parents home after both had passed away. Dad(July 2019) Mom (May 2024). The whole front of their house is done in the old bricks from the schoolhouse that I had gathered as a child.
I remember getting big outdoor trash cans and filling them full of water to put all the bricks in to soak for a couple days prior to laying them. If you didn’t soak the old kiln fired bricks prior the brick would draw all the moisture out of the new mortar and you would end up with joints that needed tucked pretty immediately when it dried.
My dad taught me endless skills of the carpenter trade and it’s sad to say those trades are slowly diminishing in our fast pace times today.
I see all these post here about the cost this cost that…yes everything cost money but what you and your family have here will last generations. I applaud you for the dedication and detail of taking such a huge project head on✌️♥️.
♥
What a wonderful story about you and your father. Such a blessing!
First of all, LOVE seeing things like this! I see the word overwhelming in the video description and that's an understatement. THAT is a lot of work and the years of time to do it is easy to understand. It's also a LOT of money that went into this project. I can do quite a bit of the work that was done, minus the machinery outside shaping the land. Having done mainly carpentry and tile/flooring installs, I have the utmost respect for that older fellow on his hands and knees doing the amazing tile work. I was sore for a good while after doing just two rooms in my house and granted, I'm in my 50s, but I've seen quite a few older at it.
I KNOW WHERE THE "FAMILY" GET-TOGETHERS ARE GOING TO BE!!!
And the lucky kids, what an indoor playground!! 😊
Im from this area of Indiana and recognized it right away. I remember passing it multiple times a week and remember being in this old school house soooooo many times when I was a kid. I have since moved to Florida but whenever I visit my family back home I see it again. Im so glad it found a great family to preserve it!
Is this right outside of Allen County/Fort Wayne?
@@mosin9349 Johnson County, IN-- just south of Indianapolis.
So adorable when the little boy said to his sister: Margot, dont fall in that hole! I loved watching every moments of that incredible job. So well done! Big up and congratulations to all the workers and the family.
WOW!!! What an adventure and how many amazing memories you're creating with your family and community! It's nice to see people still restoring old buildings instead of demolishing them. I know not every building can be saved, but if you have the funds and it can be done - why not? I love everything you've done and so glad you took the plaster off and refinished the existing brick in some of the rooms! And the mosaic tiles are just exquisite!
My goodness! I can't even imagine taking that project on, but I am very happy to get to watch the progress. I want you to be sure to tell everyone 1) cost of the schoolhouse in dilapidated condition; 2) square footage and 3) total cost of renovations. Fabulous work. I guess neither you nor your spouse work full time, because this is enough work for everyone for years and years. Can't wait to see the end result. Precious children too.
Beautiful,can't wait for the next steps,thank you for sharing this
It helps when you come back to your small town w/a golden parachute!
Like millions of Americans, I attended an elementary school in the 60’s identical to this design. Beyond fascinating to see your reclamation of this building. Loved it! Bravo. 👏
I absolutely love that people are doing this to old schools. They are historic and they don't get torn down.
my wife found the pictures ua-cam.com/video/FebXfPBu0H0/v-deo.html
it would have cost more to tear down than to sell
I drove past my old school and saw that it had been torn down. But that was fine since it had no character.
Absolutely overwhelmed how you renovated this building. You had great craftsmanship working for you on this project. Great job, it gave me great joy watching you build your new/old home. I am so happy for you and your family and I hope you will live a full happy life in it. Congratulations, keep dreaming and living your dream.
I am so glad this building is not being left to rot away. It makes me sad to see these beautiful buildings in decay. We have too many in this country. We lived in Germany years ago and I can remember only seeing one abandoned building. Thank you for sharing your adventure.
I Commend you for hiring all the tradesmen to renovate this historic building. The wealth it takes to do a project like this is not something most people can do, so using your wealth to put people in the community to work, rather than a spec house in a new construction neighborhood, is responsible and respectful.
spec houses still use tradesmen, and employ people one way or the other
my wife found the pictures ua-cam.com/video/FebXfPBu0H0/v-deo.html
they all look like American citizens
@@uuuultra
What's your point?
@@uuuultra wow....imagine assuming someone's citizenship status based on their looks. I realize that you're rage-baiting here, but Jesus, Mary, and Joseph I wasn't expecting it on this wholesome video.
You're going on the prayer list.
Ya'll have gotten a lot of hate in the comments and that's unfortunate. I appreciate the artistry of the project by both the homeowners and the various contractors. I especially appreciate the fact that it took three years and wasn't a hurried project for the sake of viewership. If anyone wants to advance to the tile work, it starts around minute 21!
Only jealousy and IGNORANCE !
There should be no room for hate. it is a kind desecration conflagration type of thing. A love of passion and instead of just bulldozing an ancient master piece shrine these folks just worked with what they had. I mean that old brick work is world class even the bricks themselves are something that will never be made again. The masons that took that animal on were awesome folks. There is nothing hateful to say about someone living out their dream works. Stains and some materials may not be what they used to be but I mean overall only a lunatic. Skip that only a Biden voter would say something stupid about the project.
😊@@thekingsilverado3266
@@thekingsilverado3266This has nothing to do with politics. Take that drama somewhere else.
You had me agreeing until you threw politics in there. @@thekingsilverado3266
This is amazing at every turn.
Thank you for not bulldozing that gorgeous old school!
What an awesome place to live, and I hope to see it before it's all said and done.
Thank you for sharing this part of your life with the rest of the earth.
My husband and I remodeled 3 houses from a brick shell to beautiful homes. We did most of it ourselves (with professional craftspeople doing the plumbing and masonry), ran all the wiring and conduit runs, put in the bathrooms and finally drywalling and decorating.
But we were late 20's, 30's, 40's and early to mid 50's. Right now, I'm turning 72, hubby is 65+, and the energy and money for taking on a big product is gone! Congratulations and best wishes. DO IT WHILE YOU'RE YOUNG!
Yep..... I agree!
Amen to that 😂👍
Most young people don’t have the wealth to do this anymore. Americans in their 30’s and 40’s now have only 25% of the buying power as their peers even 50 years ago. It’s sad, but most places like this will have to be saved by the wealthy who care
I love it when old buildings are repurposed and brought back to life. This is excellent 👏🏽
You guys put a lot of money into this old building and as a retired tradesmen, thank you and to all your tradesmen who helped you in this endeavor thank you I love when people take these old buildings and bring them back to use warns my heart
This is my dream. I literally tell my husband at least once a month someday we will buy a school. This is awesome! I want to convert one into a home/foster home/community center. I know, dream big, but i think that would be the coolest.
The way the whole community is benefitting from your wealth is so beautiful. This is the way!
The carbon footprint they created redoing this building for a small family is so massive it's shameful.
@@whaterfoo yet building new from ground up would use massive amounts of new material.
@@whaterfooHate to tell you but Carbon Footprint is just double speak for Human Being. They want to reduce humans not some mythical score they created.
@@whaterfoo 🤣 People really assume a lot, eh? They’ve just started their family. Maybe they’ll have a dozen children 🥰
They would have benefitted more from turning it into an affordable multi family dwelling with smaller starter homes around it for blue collar workers. This country needs more affordable housing for blue collar workers.
Tremendous amount of work in three years. Took a lot of planning and meticulous TLC in every single stage of the remodel/renovations. The gentleman who did the tile was certainly the best in his field. Flooring is gorgeous. Everything is looking so wonderful. Can't wait to see how you furnish it. Definitely a masterpiece. ❤🎉
I agree! Everyone did a fantastic job, but Greg The Tile Guy was a shining star!
Wow, I can only imagine the gratitude of the community around this old school for y'all saving it and restoring it. Granted, you changed a lot, the original structure still stands.
I don't know what exactly did it but something about how you meticulously and lovingly brought this beautiful school back to greatness brought happy tears to my eyes. I dont know you but I know you are AWESOME people 😊. Thank you for sharing!!
This schoolhouse is not far from where I grew up. Thank you for all the work you've done and for repurposing this building! Such wonderful work!
Nice but it’s too bad the City did not get this building and turn it into affordable housing because of the amount of unused space. Or at least some type of community building for all to reminisce on and enjoy. They did a good job though but I see a lot of old buildings like this that could be restored for the homeless. You will never use all that space.
@@oliviadennis6476 and who would foot the bill, pray tell
@@oliviadennis6476It wouldn't be practical for homeless people to live there. Homeless people tend to live in towns/cities.
Is this right outside of Allen County/Fort Wayne?
@@mosin9349 - the schoolhouse is in central Indiana
When you hit 30 - this becomes your fantasy. Glad somebody is living it.
Just takes fat stacks.
@@GeminiWoods It does take a lot of monetary investment, but you can see this couple put a LOT of sweat, time and thought into this project. Quite a few folks with the capital to do this would have contracted the whole thing out and claimed all the credit. The fact that they showed most, if not all, of the contractors and gave props to them helps the community out also. Stand up folks in my book. And a beautiful transformation also.
Yes!
@@kenbrown5449perfectly stated.
Absolutely amazing…..what memories for your entire family. I love so much to see anything old saved from the wrecking crew. Great job!
Im in my 50s and dont think I have made as much money in my lifetime as that renovation had to cost. Its awesome and yes, Im jealous.
They're definitely loaded to the gills.
@@trevorthomas4053 They have to be. I bet they are over 1 million in, probably a LOT more. It would be interesting to know incase other people want to try something like this. Most can't afford it, at least, that is what I think...
They did a huge amount themselves. Kudos!
I have 10 yrs of owning my own business in cleaning homes. I'll be happy to help you lol
That was my thought.. I wonder what they do for work to be able to afford something like this! 😮 Good for them though.
This is a work of LOVE in action....Their home will mean so much more to them by building it up as they go... Prayers for you & family.... Have a blessed life ! God is certainly blessing your hard work !....
There is an old schoolhouse on Harsens Island, Michigan. Looks extremely similar. It sat empty for a few years until a restauranteur bought it. It is now called The Schoolhouse Grille. Excellent food. We're so glad it was saved. They kept it as original as possible.
That is just so cool!
That style of building must have been extremely common at a certain point in time. There are so many old school buildings in Iowa that look almost identical to that. Probably some kind of depression era government building program?
Wow, that is a name I haven't heard in decades and decades. Grew up near there, nice that they turned it into a restaurant.
This brings good memories. In 1937 my dad bought an old one room school house built in the 1870's 5 miles west of Oxford Ohio in Indiana. He and his father converted it to our family house. They raised the floor 3 feet to change the ceiling height form 13 feet to 10 feet. We had windows 8 ft tall from the floor on up. This was a true brick builing and not just a brick facade. The roof was the original slate roof. The yard had become a junk car lot. Total floor area was about 900 square teet. thnaks for the vidieo.
I grew up in northern Indiana--went to TWO old schools--both of which have since been torn down. So many old midwestern schools have been torn down. What a waste. Thank you for saving this one!
As someone who used to do Urban exploration and documentation on these abandoned schools, this is quite the amazing project! I always get a little sad where I see these old magnificent structures neglected and rotting back into the ground.
That building held so many good memories for so many people over the years. I'm so glad you were able to rescue it. I'll bet all the local contractors enjoyed taking part in bringing it back to life. It's going to be a point of pride for the entire community.
Where is this
@@opallynch4815 Johnson County, IN--south of Indianapolis
So I've been a Facilities Management Director for many years caring for about 100 schools in my career. Sadly, I've seen many schools like this demolished. What you did is deeply intelligent. I congratulate you!
watching this you can see why they get demolished....the amount of work, cost to renovate and in the end I wonder how many buyers there would be considering price, location plus HVAC costs? They must have deep pockets!!
@@giorfi-n7v If you pay for other people to do all the work for you. Obviously certain jobs like the roof need a contractor. But, if you do the work yourself, room-by-room, it might take you ten years (or so), but you'd end up with similar results. As long as you're happy to live in a building site for a decade (or more) knowing what the end result will be.
@@aaronleverton4221 In the end it is a trendy cool idea....beware of trendy cool ideas...sometimes they do not make sense. In ten years will they still be in love with the idea? Perhaps...or perhaps not. Hard to say. I hope so...and it seems like they are very happy with it whcih is great....dont get me wrong. Just go into it with your eyes open is all.
@@giorfi-n7v a house like this dosnt need HVAC! its a real house, not one of your toothpick stacks!
@@auweiheating and air conditioning?
Oh my! I can’t believe you accomplished all of this in just 3 years! It’s a huge project. Amazing!
My late husband and I built our own 4000 sq ft straw bale house. This was kind of like reliving it all again! Love your 'new' school house! You did a stunning job!!
I got sort of emotional seeing you refinish those beautiful old doors instead of replacing them. What a labor of love! How many woman-hours did that actually take? The end result is just wonderful.
As a amature historian and lover of anything old, you have no idea how much joy its brings me to see you keep so much original stuff, instead of scrapping it all and turning it to the souless "modernest ascetic"
Your tile guy is really really great. Those mosaics were amazing everyone who touched the school house were fantastic. I'm so glad you saved this historic schoolhouse
last of a dieing breed.
I thought this would be kind of cool to glance at and fast forward through... I watched every minute of this video and was amazed. You all did it right and it is beautiful! After just having a house built I am acutely aware of the cost of everything...and you all did it right! Thanks for sharing...and tell the old guy installing the mosaic school name...GREAT JOB!
Even if you bought it for $1 can't imagine the yearly taxes, electric and cost of renovations. I'm too broke for that. It's a mansion. Happy for y'all though ❤😊
Yeah I knew when I saw "Cocktail cellar" these people had some money.
It was maybe sold cheap even for taxes they also have this channel.
@@retroredo9850I don’t know how much revenue they bring in from this channel but it wouldn’t put a dent in the cost of living at this property.
This is in Indiana, which has a lower than average property tax.
I dont think i could pay off those new wooden floors in my lifetime
And I cry over a $600 job from a contractor....wowza!! Such a beautiful transformation!
They’re millionaires, what do they care. Acting like they are just homesteading and being this midwestern dream family is a joke.
@@timcarter817 how do you they are millionaires?
@@jeniferwhittington9083 she's high up at a $300m company
@@jeniferwhittington9083 You think you can do this type of work without being a millionaire? In what world do you think this job could be done for cheap? You have to have no clue what these things cost and what it costs to do all the work done, if you don't know this.
@@jeniferwhittington9083obviously Bay Area escapees?
Look at all the people you put to work. This town must love you guys..
💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰
The very first business listed in the notes if based in Massachusetts so don’t assume it’s all local.
Also it’s not like most contractors are short on work. Whenever I want something done I usually need to call several just to find one who will even bother returning my call. And most won’t bother with smaller jobs of the average Joe because they all want the big money jobs from wealthy people like the people in this video.
This was my first thought.
getting lost in your own home. How do you create a living atmosphere here without making it look like a big compagny office?
Not necessarily true. Most rural towns can't stand people like this. They move in from the city, over pay for property, driving local prices up and then keep voting the same exact way that ruined the places they fled from. Many complain about local smells and slow traffic while insisting on new regulations. I hope that is not the case here but more often then not that is what happens.
Lots of room for Mom & Dad along with the kids. Have fun and enjoy every day!
I think the cutest thing I have ever seen is a toddler helping Dad with the excavator.
I thought that was the most dangerous thing. Children don't belong on heavy equipment no matter how cute.
Cheers to the tradesmen contractors and suppliers involved in this project. You did it right.
A medallion would make that first light even better. This video has a lot of joy in it.
I remeber watching the original video while I was waiting to have my daughter...Cant believe its been three years for the both of us! This was a great journey to watch.