Couple transforms abandoned house from 1976 with renovation and surprises with the final result. They took 4 months and showed the behind-the-scenes of the work on social media.
Transforming an abandoned house into a functional home in just four months was the challenge taken on by a couple who decided to invest in an intensive renovation full of unexpected events.
Structural problems, the presence of termites, and real-time decisions marked the beginning of the work, which started even before the architectural project was finalized.
“The project was made with the work already underway. We had in mind what we would like to do more or less. So I started with the demolitions while the architectural project was being made. The planning ran kind of alongside the execution,” explains Gabriel Ribeiro, civil engineer.
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Renovation of the abandoned house began with unexpected challenges
Right from the first stages, the old structure revealed difficulties common in old constructions. Electrical and plumbing installations needed to be completely updated, while part of the internal environments was demolished to make way for a new layout.
Additionally, the presence of termites delayed the schedule and required extra interventions. Even with half of the deadline already compromised, the couple maintained the goal of making the house livable within the planned four months.
This scenario required quick decisions, showing that the renovation of the abandoned house would be much more complex than it initially seemed.
Abandoned house appeared unexpectedly
Interestingly, the property was not part of the initial plans. Gabriel was looking for land for investment when he found the 1976 construction.
The state of abandonment did not deter interest — on the contrary, it sparked curiosity.

Upon visiting the site, he realized the potential of the structure and decided to share the discovery with Nathália Thomaz Ferreira.
Upon seeing the abandoned house, she was also enchanted, leading to the decision to invest in the renovation.
“I was enchanted from the first day I stepped into that place because the construction is from 1976 and the architectural details caught my attention. It was a house that looked like a home. So, in reality, we weren’t looking for the Abandoned House; it just appeared in our lives,” recalls Gabriel.
Couple decides to change their lives after visiting the property
Before the discovery, the couple lived in an apartment decorated in a minimalist style, nicknamed “Pinterest Apartment.” The move was not a priority, but the experience of visiting the house changed that perspective.
The desire for more space, a yard for the dogs, and an environment designed for the family’s future weighed heavily in the decision.
Thus, what started as curiosity quickly transformed into a concrete plan for renovation and a life change.
The old abandoned house began to represent not just a property, but a new chapter for the couple.

Renovation becomes content and brings couple closer to the public
During the process, Gabriel decided to document the entire transformation on social media. To do this, he created characters that helped tell the story of the work in an engaging way.
“We have always loved the content creation part. I was casual at the beginning of the renovation, I started making videos and posted them without the intention of gaining the scale that it actually did. The initial desire was really to document our life so that in the future, we could watch it with our children, and it ended up taking on a huge scale, and my profiles grew a lot with the renovation of the Abandoned House,” he shares.
The renovation of the abandoned house began to attract attention precisely for showing the reality of the process, with challenges and achievements. The content helped create a connection with the audience, who began to follow each stage of the transformation.
Project bets on minimalism and comfort
In the final phase, the couple focused on creating a cozy, functional environment with identity. The proposal follows a minimalist style, with light colors, good natural lighting, and spacious areas.
The idea is for the new home to be comfortable and versatile, ideal for hosting guests and accommodating the family’s future plans.
The previously forgotten abandoned house begins to gain a new function, combining memory and modernity.
With the renovation, the couple shows that it is possible to transform an old property into a current, welcoming space full of meaning.
With information from Casa Vogue

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