A Text Message From A Friend Led This Couple To Their Own Cheap Old House
“I love looking back at the original post on Cheap Old Houses and seeing how far we’ve come with our home, and how much more we are in love with it today than we were back in March 2019.” – Sam
Smack dab between St. Louis and Indianapolis is Olney, IL, where Samantha and Elliot Brazil, and their little girl Katherine and a cat named Bella are bringing their young-family energy to a big old house in a small town.
Sam grew up in Olney, left for college, then came back. Elliot, her husband, grew up in various places overseas, including China, Singapore and Australia, but visited his grandmother in Olney when he was a little boy. “He has some core summer memories as a child here and made friends along the way. Elliot told me once that this is his favorite place he’s ever lived, which is saying a lot for a boy who grew up everywhere!”
Fast forward to 2019 and Sam and Elliot were living in a home that was about 700-square-feet. “We called it the tiny house. I could vacuum our whole house without unplugging the cord!” They had been looking for a house for years, and nothing fit the bill. Until our post on Cheap Old Houses caught the eye of Sam’s friend, who texted it to her straight away.
“We had been house hunting since 2016 and never felt like any homes we looked at resonated with us. I was sitting at work one day and my friend texted me the link to the Cheap Old Houses post via Instagram, telling us we had to look at the home ASAP. We live in a smaller town and are both quite familiar with the area, so the fact that we saw this post on Cheap Old Houses was fun and exciting for us.”
They toured the house twice and then made an offer that was accepted. They paid $72,000 for their c. 1890-ish Queen Anne Victorian. “We were told 1920, but my neighbor found Sanborn Insurance Maps that show our house from around 1890!”
Sam told me there was so much to love about the house that they weren’t seeing in other properties. “The rich character, woodwork, architectural details and historic nature of our home is so unique. I also really admire the layout of our home and think it’s a very well thought out floor plan. It functions nicely for us, especially when we brought our daughter into the picture. I don’t think we could ever live in a newer home or build a new home—it just doesn’t feel like who we are as people. We enjoy the quirky nature of our home, especially the woodwork, the tall ceilings and windows, and big heavy wooden doors.”
It’s details like this that started my whole fascination with old houses from when I was very little. There is so much more personality, character and wonder to the materials and details that old houses contain… no two old houses are ever alike, and that’s what makes the journey of finding one to call home so amazing. And when you do find one that resonates with you, it’s amazing to be a steward of something that came before, and will outlive you, too. These homes give us so much!
Sam told me these past six years have meant a lot of work on the house, from a full exterior polish up, new storm windows to protect the originals, wallpaper, tons of paint and new work on the front and back porches. There’s still more to do, including a kitchen renovation in 2025, but now that Sam and Elliot have a little one, they relish having the space to enjoy watching Katherine grow up in the house they love. “It’s like the perfect kid home because our first floor makes a big circle. It’s great for running around.”
Seeing how the journey unfolded has been a thrill, says Sam. “I love looking back at the original post on Cheap Old Houses and seeing how far we’ve come with our home, and how much more we are in love with it today than we were back in March 2019.”
The Cheap Old Houses book was written specifically to capture special stories like this. If you’ve ever dreamed of living in an old house or just need a little inspiration—pick up a copy and dive in. I promise, stories like this will remind you that the opportunity to have the home you want is sometimes closer than you think! 💛Now go find a great listing on Cheap Old Houses and text it to a friend. You just might change their life!
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