Would you ever take on 6,000 square feet of fixer-upper? They did.
“We pulled in the driveway, and I’m like, That’s our house. And it was in shambles. But I immediately saw our future there…” – Abby
It was partially meant to be an April Fool’s joke when Abby Brothers stumbled upon the listing for the dilapidated Page Mansion, and sent it to her husband, Trey, with the wild idea that they buy and renovate it together.
When he responded, “send me the link,” she almost couldn’t believe it. “I knew he didn’t want a fixer upper.” But the historic Page estate looked compelling, and two weeks later they did a walk through of the c. 1913 Colonial Revival mansion with nearly 6,000-square-feet of space and six bedrooms.
Abby knew right away that this house was for them. “We pulled in the driveway, and I’m like, That’s our house. And it was in shambles. But I immediately saw our future there. I saw raising our kids there, family Christmases, birthday parties. Everything.” They bought the property, which includes eight acres of land, for $155,000.
Now, Abby and Trey raise their two small kids in the big mansion (and are preparing for epic games of hide-and-seek for when the kids are a bit older). But it took a lot to get to where they are today, says Abby. While they are just the third family to own the epic house, there was a lot of neglect to the property over the years, with leaks, broken windows and doors, cracked plaster and extremely outdated systems that kept the house from functioning properly. “It was a complete overhaul,” says Abby, who described how they replaced the electrical, heating, plumbing, and added insulation to shore up the house.
Abby says that the name of the home comes from the Page family, the first owners. “Mr. Allison Page helped build the railroad that comes through our town. This was just one of the homes he built for one of his children.” Abby told me that when they bought the house, they also inherited its contents, which included a lot of antiques and even a vintage couch that dates back to 1873.
Thank you, Abby and Trey, for saving this amazing cheap old mansion! Do yourself a favor and follow their fun old home adventures @turningthepagemansion. And if there’s a cheap old house that caught your eye, send it to someone who might be up for an old house adventure (no need to wait until the next April Fools rolls around).
Saving an old house can change more than just four walls—it can change your purpose. Our Cheap Old Houses book is filled with inspiring mansion transformations and family adventures just like this one. Get ready to dream big.
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