Stacie Grissom and Sean Wilson lived in New York Metropolis for nearly a decade, after which the covid-19 pandemic hit.

In early 2020, Grissom was pregnant with their first little one and dealing in advertising and marketing at BarkBox, whereas Wilson was working as an orthopedic surgeon in NYC hospitals.

Seeing the state of town throughout that point made Grissom understand she was prepared to maneuver again to Franklin, Indiana, their hometown, which is about 30 miles from downtown Indianapolis.

“We had a reevaluation that it is the individuals who matter essentially the most, so we needed to maneuver again to our hometown to be by our households,” Grissom tells World Head News Make It.

“We bought our chosen household in New York, and it is the very best metropolis on this planet, however we needed to go the place our household was.”

A few months after their son was born, Grissom contacted a realtor good friend in Franklin and instructed him to begin “bizarre outdated homes.”

“I instructed him the quirkier, the higher, and to ship us a fixer-upper,” Grissom says. “His dad noticed a faculty on the market and instantly stated, ‘Ship it to Stacie.'”

Since Grissom and Wilson had been nonetheless in New York Metropolis on the time, they requested her dad and mom to take a look at the property as a substitute.

Grissom says the constructing was a faculty for native kids between 1914 and 1934. After the schoolhouse closed, it was used as a barn.

Since Grissom’s dad had expertise working a business actual property enterprise, she knew he would give her an sincere and professional opinion on the varsity’s state.

After getting her dad and mom’ approval, Grissom and Wilson made a suggestion on the schoolhouse with out ever seeing it in particular person themselves — and it was accepted inside 24 hours.

“We would not have purchased it if my dad and mom hadn’t agreed as a result of we knew with this type of challenge we had been going to want all the village,” she says.

Every week after Grissom and Wilson closed on the previous schoolhouse, they noticed it in particular person for the primary time.

“I feel again then I used to be much more naive than I’m as we speak, however I used to be so excited to see it and its potential,” Grissom says. “You may see that there might be large home windows, tall ceilings, and open areas for an enormous household to return collectively across the holidays.”

“It is like a Midwestern fort in the course of some cornfields of Indiana. It is a gorgeous little brick constructing that’s house now,” she provides.

After the couple closed on the previous schoolhouse, the true work started. By the autumn of 2021, the couple bought the varsity right down to its naked bones, however a renovation they thought would take two years ended up taking three.

The couple was nonetheless dwelling in New York Metropolis on the time.

“Issues had been just a little sluggish to get going however then the brand new roof began moving into February 2022 and issues began to maneuver however it ended up taking us three years as a result of we had been principally constructing a brand new home inside an outdated shell of a constructing,” Grissom says.

Grissom declined to touch upon how a lot the couple spent on the renovation however says they’re nonetheless getting by way of it and never fully finished but.

Whereas cleansing out the property, the couple and their contractors discovered random issues, together with a board that will maintain outdated chalkboards with the phrases “Hen coop” written on it.

“It was actually cool to see as a result of that is such a gorgeous little college constructed by farmers for the youngsters on this rural space. The group was actually pleased with the varsity,” Grissom says.

Although the couple needed to nearly begin from scratch with the schoolhouse, they had been in a position to hold the flooring in a single classroom, the entire brick, the unique doorways and a water fountain that they’re attempting to revive.

“The time it took was undoubtedly an enormous problem and having to renovate from afar was robust. I do not assume we had been naïve going into it, however now I do know we’re not renovating something once more after this,” Grissom says. “We did it, and we’re glad we have gone by way of, however no extra outdated buildings for some time.”

Regardless of how exhausting the renovation was for the couple, Grissom says her favourite half was attending to work alongside her dad.

“It has been actually cool to undergo my dad’s renovation boot camp, from learn how to work with different contractors to learn how to do the work ourselves. We discovered plenty of trade-like issues over the three years,” she provides.

To pay homage to the previous college, the couple used the identical colours that had been initially painted on the partitions again when the varsity was nonetheless open. Grissom additionally made two mosaics for the entrances with the title of the varsity and its date of creation.

Of the décor, Grissom says they’re “attempting to get as a lot college furnishings as we are able to put again into the varsity.”

Grissom admits that nothing concerning the renovation has been simple, however a spotlight of the expertise has been with the ability to focus full-time on being a content material creator and sharing the schoolhouse journey on social media.

“It has been enjoyable to doc this course of and discover this outdated house renovation group on-line. I by no means thought my home might be a job,” she says. “It is good to have the ability to make an revenue from a few of the storytelling whereas additionally getting recommendation and having a group of people that like restoring outdated stuff.”

Amid ongoing renovations, the couple and their now two children moved into the house in September of this 12 months.

“Shifting into the schoolhouse was simpler than transferring into any New York Metropolis condo we ever had,” Grissom says. “It was good to get up and see the dawn over the cornfields. It is going to be a twister in right here for some time, however it was actually loopy to lastly arrange a spot that we have been fascinated about for 3 years and pouring all of our cash, power, sweat, and tears into.”

The schoolhouse now has 4 bedrooms and two and a half baths, all on the 4,000-square-foot higher degree. The couple nonetheless has a decrease 4,000-square-foot sub-basement that they’re attempting to determine what to do with.

The most effective a part of lastly transferring into the schoolhouse and being again of their hometown, Grissom says is that her children will develop up round their households.

“After dwelling by way of the pandemic and the entire stress and anxiousness, all of us had a confrontation with our mortality at a a lot earlier age than most generations do and that completely shifted stuff in my mind. It is stunning to see my dad and mom are wholesome, our children are blissful and simply recognize the small issues,” she provides.

Since transferring in a couple of weeks in the past, Grissom says that whereas she realizes it was a protracted street to maneuver in, she would undergo it once more.

“I by no means wish to lose the naivete of no matter made us say that we needed to purchase a faculty and it was going to be our home,” she says.

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