Couple who bought an abandoned dilapidated SCHOOL without ever seeing it share its ongoing transformation as they renovate it into a stunning family home

A couple who bought an abandoned, dilapidated school without ever seeing it have shown off its incredible ongoing transformation as they renovate it into a beautiful family home.

Stacie Grissom and Sean Wilson, of Franklin, Indiana, bought the 9,000-square-foot property two years ago — and quickly got to work.

The couple, who have two children, have since overhauled the 1914 building in the hope of turning it into a family home, documenting their progress on social media.

Stacie admitted that the past two years have been “very anxious and ridiculously busy,” but shared that the couple is finally starting to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

In the YouTube video, which has been viewed more than 1.7 million times to date, Stacie took viewers back to the beginning of their renovation journey.

‘Two years ago we did something crazy and bought an old school in the middle of the country to turn it into our house.

“We didn’t even see the school in person before making an offer.”

The couple, who had been dating since high school, had grown up seeing the imposing property and ‘always wondered what it looked like inside.’

In 2012, the duo moved to New York City to further their careers, but after welcoming their first child, they told their real estate agent they were looking for “a quirky old house in central Indiana.”

And the school later came up for sale.

Stacie explained: ‘I jumped up, started sweating and called my parents to ask if they could explore this place since we were still in New York at the time.

“Sean and I are pretty crafty, and there are few things I love more than a DIY project.

‘But this project level was simply too high for us. Fortunately, my parents run a small commercial real estate company and are much more knowledgeable about building repairs, as well as a long list of trusted people to get the job done.

“So after my parents toured the school, my dad said, ‘Yeah, I think we can work it out.’ So we bought it!’

The old school building has four large classrooms, an entrance area, a basement and two ‘bucket rooms’, where students hung their coats.

It ceased operation in 1934 and was used as a barn for cattle, pigs, chickens, sheep and turkeys for the next twenty years.

She explained: ‘Since 1956 it has been home to another family,… actually a former student – who divided the school into two apartments.

“It’s quite a large building that requires a lot of maintenance, so by the time we bought it it needed a lot of work.”

The mother-of-two spoke about the renovations that had taken place so far: “Phase one was the cleaning. We wanted to tear down the school down to the last detail so that we could repair the major items.

‘We removed the non-original walls, the suspended ceilings and anything that had water damage.

‘A number of ceiling and floor beams also had to be repaired which had been badly damaged by leakage.’

The couple was also forced to overcome a series of hurdles – including supply chain issues – before getting a new roof “so it could stop raining inside.”

Next was waterproofing the building’s foundation, installing a French drain, pointing out the brickwork and reinstalling the 65 windows and seven doors.

Amid the extensive construction work, Stacie and Sean also welcomed their second baby – which meant the couple also had to juggle two children under the age of two.

But Stacie, who has turned her attention to the details of interior design, said she “wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Plumbing and electrical work is still underway, and the avid DIYer admits: ‘I’m real grateful that we have good contractors who help us with all the important things.’

While discussing what’s next for the family, Stacie asserted, “Next, we’re finally going to finish the windows, put in some insulation, do some drywall, HVAC, refinish all the floors… and then hopefully start building the kitchen!’

She concluded: ‘It’s been a very anxious and ridiculously busy two years, and I still can’t believe that so many things were coming up in our lives to buy this building with so much history.’

Viewers were quick to praise the project in the comments section, as one wrote: ‘It’s always satisfying to find someone who wants to renovate instead of demolish. Two thumbs up.’

Another said: ‘What an absolutely amazing story! I love these old brick buildings. I like the idea of ​​them being reused for new generations. What a trip!!! I’m curious to follow the rest.’

A third said: ‘I love it when people breathe new life into old buildings.’

And someone else commented: ‘I’m so grateful for those who have the will and skill to save these old historic buildings.

‘I wish there was more conservation. Thank you so much for saving this historical gem.”