Moving into a new home is an exciting time for any family, but there’s a family in Elkhart that’s taken on quite a project.
Their new home is actually really old and their plans are to restore it. While they work on the inside, they’re hoping the crew from Linton’s Enchanted Gardens can work on the outside.
Our second finalist in the 16 Curb Appeal Contest is the Housands.
Brian and Beth recently bought an 1862 Italian farmhouse through a sheriff's sale. Old pictures show how lovely the home was then, and it's still beautiful, at first glance. This home needs a lot of TLC.
“Quite a bit more than I expected; when you look at a property, when you look at a house, you don't really see all the things that need to be done,” Brian said.
Forget the exterior, there's a lot of work that still needs to be done inside to save the home.
“We are redoing a lot of the electric and completely redoing the plumbing, the heating and the cooling. Basically all of the mechanics,” Brian said.
“When we first moved in, we thought we would start working on the yard right away, but with everything inside, it has just been too difficult to juggle it all,” Beth said.
These parents are juggling more than home repairs. They have two active boys. The oldest has had severe and debilitating epilepsy since birth.
“We need to make the interior safe for him and handicap ready.”
That leaves little time or money for the neglected landscaping out front. If they should win, they hope that Linton’s can help them create the inviting and beautiful landscaping this historic home deserves.
Look past the weeds and the rutted up lawn and this place has potential for looking like a real gem again.
As they work to make this house their home, this couple admits it's a labor of love...
“We just love the historic part of it. And the boys will enjoy it here for sure.”
Voting is underway and continues through Sunday, August 7. You can watch all three stories of our finalists and then vote by clicking here.
The winner will receive $5,000 worth of landscaping from Linton’s.
