Jenna Phipps takes us inside her ambitious abandoned-home renovation

When DIY content creator Jenna Phipps and her partner, Nick, saw a local listing for an abandoned home, they saw potential — not problems. They had been looking for a fixer-upper, and this one checked all the boxes: a breathtaking water view, mid-century modern details and even a pool.  

“You appreciate what a home really is when you get to do it on your own,” Phipps said. 

Even though the house was in rough shape, they quickly fell in love with the property. “I saw a home that once was really loved and probably had a really good life, but it just needed some more love,” she said.  

By early 2024, the house was officially theirs. Now, they could start making every detail their own.  

A home frozen in time

Inside, the home looked frozen in time. Furniture still sat in place, while the structures deteriorated. Among the belongings that they sorted through, they found clothes, a working piano and several hand-printed books from the 1800s. Even an old recliner was surprisingly comfortable.  

But time had taken its toll. While it was fun going through the random items, the house’s condition meant they had their work cut out for them. Water damage ruined the floors. Parts of the ceiling had collapsed. Ants had moved in. Then, a pipe burst. 

Still, they dove in with a can-do attitude about renovating on their own.  

“This is the time in our life (when) we can do it,” said Phipps, who had started documenting their journey on social media. “My content really shows what it’s like working here at the house, like you’re just a fly on the wall.” 

Before Phipps made the leap to home renovation, she was an avid DIYer on social media. Her content included making clothes, crocheting and light furniture flips, among other crafty projects. 

“It was never to the scale of like a full-blown renovation construction,” she said. “It’s been a crazy journey from someone who was just knitting on my couch with my dogs to sharing this renovation with so many people.”  

Trading yarn for power tools

Trading yarn for power tools was scary at first. But Nick encouraged her. 

“I had zero experience with power tools,” she explained. “It was something that I learned completely on the job site. It’s something that I just had to dive in and get that confidence.” 

Over the past year, she’s filmed the amazing moments — and the awful ones, too. Going in, she expected the physical labor would be the hardest, but it was keeping a positive mindset that proved more difficult. She has learned that “there’s something magical about failing. And then, having that success afterward.” 

Now, as the house nears completion, she sees how rewarding renovating your own home is. “You spend so much time in your home, why shouldn’t it be perfect to you? And that’s why I love renovation because you can make it perfect for you and you can do it on your own.”  

Even though it’s been a labor of love, Phipps says she wouldn’t change a thing. She can’t wait to move in and wake up in a kitchen she designed tile by tile.  

“I didn’t know all the variables, all the things that go into a home until I built it,” she said. “Now, I appreciate how much love, how much effort it takes to build a home.” 

It takes heart.  

Her best advice for anyone thinking about home renovation? 

 “Just start.”  

Have a dream renovation idea? Enter USA Today’s Project Home Improved giveaway for a chance to win $100,000 toward it.