Story from Jam Press (Cheap Home)

Couple buy abandoned property for just £577 and transform it into dream home

With pictures and video

Byline: Grace Donohoe

A DIY couple reveals they managed to bag their dream home for less than a grand by buying an abandoned property.

Sarah, 32, and Josh Feldsche, 35, decided they needed to get creative when searching for a new house, fearing they'd be unable to afford anything on the market.

Looking at alternative options, including foreclosures and short sales, the couple attended a sale and decided to place a few bids, not realising the success they'd have.

Landing their dream home, the couple has shared their journey on TikTok (@sarahxjosh ), where they have gathered over 12,200 followers by documenting the transformation of their bargain buy.

"We were so excited when we purchased the property and realised what we had got for that $700 (£577)” Sarah, from Missouri told http://Needtoknow.co.uk .

She said: “We had bought this property blind and honestly just wanted the land, the home was a pleasant surprise.”

Settling down where they had both grown up, the pair were overjoyed with their three-bedroom mobile home.

“The home itself has some cool features like a built-in stereo and the original wood panelling!

“The purchase came with four acres, as well as a small shed and some items left behind from the previous owners.

“Luckily a lot of the items left were usable and needed.

"Other items we are focusing on cleaning up and removing."

Despite the very low price tag, the home was in "overall great shape", only needing a deep clean and basic household repairs such as new taps and wallpaper.

She said: “We spent three weekends just cleaning every surface of the home.

"The land is in great condition, there are some trash-type items around but we will work on getting those removed over time.

“We don't have a budget for the land, we plan on just slowly acquiring items as we find them and building it into the property we have dreamed of.

“A big goal of ours is to use found and repurposed items or those we can purchase at auctions, yard sales or estate sales."

So far, they have spent only £247 ($300) renovating the home, planning to spend a further £825 ($1,000) on fresh paint, decorations and furniture.

However, one major risk came with the abandoned property, leaving the couple vulnerable to eviction.

During the first year, the previous owners may reclaim the property, but luckily that time passed without incident and, now, the home is officially theirs.

Proving a little love goes a long way, the pair haven't experienced any unexpected issues and are happier than ever in their home.

She said: “We have been lucky enough to have wonderful neighbours who support us and who appreciate that it is being lived in again.

"The warm welcome from not only the direct neighbours but the whole town has just reinforced that we made the right choice.

She said: “So far it has been a wonderful journey, we have wanted a property like this for years and we had re-fallen in love with the area as adults.

“We [both] grew up in the country with gardens and animals and we just want to get back to that after years of living all over the US.

“We envision cows, goats, chickens and a giant garden.

"We just want a place to be together, spend that time and spoil our dogs.

“Every time we get to stand on our back porch and realise we found our forever country home we realise how worth it it all was.”

Sharing their journey online, the couple want to encourage others to think outside the box when hunting for houses.

One user commented: “I’m obsessed with this journey.”

Another user commented: “The fact this came with land to!!! Such a freaking dream! I wish nothing but the best for y’all!!!” [sic]

Jess commented: “I hope you guys make this into something amazing!!”

Nicandro commented: “For being a old trailer home it looks hella mint.” [sic]

Kimberly commented: “Great job! I’m certain you already have hella equity in that property. Excellent investment and home.”

Sarah added: “It took a lot to find the information and then even more to understand everything.

"It takes time to research the properties and find the right ones to focus on but there are great properties out there that just need some elbow grease”

ENDS