Look inside renovated 109-year-old mansion in North Carolina
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Abby Brothers knew that the Page Mansion was her forever home when she first saw it listed online.
However, the house measuring 6000 square feet in Aberdeen North Carolina was still not livable. The six-bedroom mansion – which had been vacant for roughly 40 years – had shattered windows and collapsing floors. Abby Brothers (31) and Trey Brothers (33), were not afraid to take on a challenge and paid $155,000 for this property in 2018. The couple was impressed by the structure, grand staircases, vintage furniture, and historic integrity of the home.
“When we came to see the house for the first time, we didn’t need a key, we didn’t need a realtor – you could just crawl through the busted-out windows or just open up the front door because there was no lock,” Abby tells CNBC Make It. The elements had taken it over. [and]It was extremely, very run-down.”
The house – which was originally built by a local wealthy family in 1913 – ended up needing roughly $268,000 worth of renovations. The couple didn’t spend the most money on tearing down walls and rebuilding new amenities. The couple instead used most of their budget to preserve the home’s original components, including its 109-year old wooden floors.
Trey Brothers and Abby discovered the Zillow listing for Page Mansion (109 years old) before Trey Brothers and Abby moved in 2018. It was vacant for about 40 years.
Photo by 704
Abby agrees that keeping the original home’s details was vital because of its history. The home isn’t the same as it was in 1913. These details don’t look the same. They can be very pricey if these details are important to you.
Indeed, the renovated house’s most recent valuation was $900,000 – but the duo, along with their 1-year-old son and family pets, have no plans to move. This is how the couple came up with the idea to turn their vacant home into their dream house.
The leap to real estate faith
They were both living in Baltimore when they first found the listing. Trey had been considering quitting the military and Abby worked as a registered nurse. They wanted to go back to North Carolina to reunite with their families.
Abby says that they didn’t intend to buy a house, especially one over 100 years old. She was drawn to the house “nearly condemned” because of its past: The Page family were rich industrialists who established several North Carolina towns and brought railroads into the state.
It was built originally for one of Page’s daughters. Before it was bought by another family, several members of the Page family lived in the home during the Great Depression.
Trey and Abby went to the home, but there were no traces of the past. Abby says that there was furniture in all rooms. It was like an old time capsule. You could find stacks upon stacks of magazines. It looked as if someone had just left a party and put confetti all over the place.
Once Trey – who now works in IT – saw that the original structure of the brick home could be salvaged, he knew it had potential. It needed extensive renovations. Nearly every window was broken and the kitchen on the first floor had begun to sink into the basement. There was also a huge leak in the roof.
They spent $268,000 to renovate the Page Mansion. The house was kept largely intact with its original features and furnishings.
Photo by 704
To estimate the costs of special projects such as electrical, plumbing, and electrical work, Abby met up with contractors. They realized that flipping the house could be a lucrative investment and decided to take a leap, Abby states.
Historical character restored
Most of the house was torn down and had to be replastered before they could move in. They wanted to preserve the original hardwood floors that had been laid on each floor. These renovations required nine months of work.
Abby comments that minor modifications were made to the structural plans of the house in order not to alter its originality. She added a bathroom underneath the stairs and expanded the kitchen and master bedrooms. We had a completely modernized kitchen. [but tried]Trey states that Trey wanted to integrate it with the original house design.
The restoration of more than 100-year-old wooden floors in the home was one of the biggest jobs for the couple.
Nathanael Berry for CNBC Make It
The first-floor kitchen has a new and improved layout. It now includes a refrigerator, double oven, freezer, and two-basin sink. There is also a washer/dryer in the pantry. Trey loves the large staircase that leads to the foyer. This was one of his favorite areas of the house.
The couple kept the house’s original doors and lighting, and refurbished couches, chairs and wardrobes left in the home – some from the 1800s. Abby describes that every room has a piece original furniture.
Home sweet home
Three years ago, the Brothers family lived in the renovated and updated home. A few remaining projects include the completion of the wainscotting.
After waiting nine months, the Brothers Family moved into the home and began to restore it.
Nathanael Berry for CNBC Make It
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