No one gave a second thought to this knocked-down wooden house until one family saw potential in it! 😍😮 Our heroes Max and Marina determined to restore it from the groud up but they definitely weren’t ready for such AMAZING results! 🫣🔥 They transformed the former school building into a charming cottage of which everyone dreams now! 🫠💘 See the final outcomes in this article! 👇
When it comes to choosing a home, we all have different preferences. Some of us crave grand, historic estates, while others seek the simplicity of a small cabin. But for one determined family, the dream was to restore a decaying wooden house from the ground up.
This family’s dream of owning their own home led them to purchase a former village school building. Despite the building’s sorry state, their hard work turned it into a charming cottage. After three years of saving, they finally managed to buy the property, and the following two years were dedicated to its complete renovation.
Before buying the property, the house was in a pitiful condition.
Marina, the homeowner, had always been fond of the area. She and her family would often visit, enchanted by the tranquil surroundings. The area was filled with wildlife, including hares and wild boars, which frequently roamed near the house.
They had initially considered buying a house in the nearby village, but the prices were too high. Then a friend introduced them to the school building. They hadn’t even noticed it while driving by, but once they saw it up close, they knew it was the perfect opportunity. Without wasting any time, they decided to purchase the property.
The house was extremely old, and they even had to lift it to replace the rotting wooden beams.
During the winter, it looked like a complete mess.
Had they inspected the house more carefully from the start, they would have discovered numerous problems. In fact, it might have been easier to build a new house from scratch rather than try to restore the ruins. However, Max and Marina took on the challenge, painstakingly dismantling and rebuilding the structure. Much of the work was done by hand, and every bit of effort was poured into it. Although there were a few imperfections along the way, they persevered. With determination and a clear vision, they turned their dream into a reality.
Now, after two years of hard work, here’s what the house and surrounding land look like.
Max took full responsibility for the construction, with Marina providing input on the design details, such as color schemes. They replaced everything that could be salvaged—walls, floors, ceilings. It was a massive undertaking.
They did most of the finishing work themselves, even planing the wood by hand. They kept costs down wherever possible, but they made sure to allocate enough money for essential systems like heating, plumbing, and ventilation. They knew these were the most critical parts of the renovation and wanted them to be done right.
For the heating system, they created a setup that works on weekends. The system is off during the week but automatically starts up on Friday afternoon, warming the house in time for their arrival, and shuts off on its own by Monday morning.
There were originally four stoves in the house, but they immediately removed them and decided to build a beautiful new gate instead. Everyone in the family pitched in to help—Max, Marina, their children, and even the matchmakers. They had so many bricks that they also used them to build a cellar gate, which they dug and constructed themselves. Max spent countless hours working on the project, determined to create the perfect home.
As for the cellar, it was originally used to store apples, but the sweet aroma attracted local bats. To solve the problem, they decided to store only canned goods there from then on.
As for the furnishings, there was nothing high-end or designer about them. They bought the furniture during big sales at IKEA, opting for practical, affordable pieces that suited their new home perfectly.