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Whitney Anderson is renovating a former Methodist church in Michigan as a home, documenting the project on Instagram and appearing on Magnolia Network’s “Home Reimagined.” She bought the church and an associated parsonage for $45,000 and reports that renovation spending has reached close to $200,000; the project is still underway, and its long-term financial viability is uncertain.
Whitney Anderson is turning an abandoned 1898 Methodist church in Michigan into a home, a renovation project she says could still prove financially unsustainable. Anderson bought the church with an associated parsonage for $45,000 and has put close to $200,000 into renovations, according to a report by Hunker drawing on a CNBC Make It interview.
The property was originally listed for $125,000, Hunker reported, before Anderson negotiated the price down. She had moved from New York City and was drawn to the project by a childhood interest in stained glass. She calls the combined church-and-home idea a “chouse.” The church still had features including an altar, pews and a bell tower when she acquired it.
Anderson said she spent years saving and built up $250,000 before searching for a property. She paid cash for the purchase, avoiding a mortgage on the property, and handled demolition and much of the flooring work herself. Other repairs, including work addressing water damage, required hired help. The source report says the renovation outlay has reached close to $200,000, but does not give an itemized budget or a final project cost.
Anderson has shared the work on Instagram through @houseofvitrail. The account brought sponsorships and access to free materials and labor, according to Hunker. She also appeared on Magnolia Network’s “Home Reimagined.” These sources of support have helped fund the work, but the report does not specify their value or how much work remains before the building can function as a finished home.
The Costs Behind a Church Conversion
Anderson’s project shows the gap between a low purchase price and the cost of making an old building usable as a home. While she bought the property outright and took on some labor herself, the reported renovation spending is several times the church-and-parsonage purchase price. Structural repairs, materials and specialist labor can make a bargain property an expensive undertaking.
Her experience also illustrates how social media and television exposure can affect a renovation budget. Sponsorships and donated materials or labor helped Anderson, but those benefits are particular to her project and should not be treated as routine funding available to other buyers. Her own account frames the outcome as uncertain, not as a guaranteed financial success.
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From Methodist Church to Chouse
The church was built in 1898 as a Methodist place of worship. Its age and former use give the project distinctive architectural features to preserve, while also presenting repair demands. Hunker describes the building as having substantial structural issues, though the report does not detail each defect or provide an independent assessment of its condition.
Anderson’s approach combines savings, hands-on work and paid help. She used cash for the purchase and avoided a mortgage payment, while taking on demolition and much of the flooring herself. The renovation, however, has included work she could not handle alone. Her project is being followed through social media and a television appearance, giving it a public profile beyond the property itself.
“It’s still 50/50 if this is going to be a sustainable chouse … or if it’s going to be what bankrupts me.”
— Whitney Anderson, in a video interview with CNBC Make It, as quoted by Hunker
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Renovation Costs Remain Unsettled
The project is described as ongoing, but the source report does not state when the home will be complete, how much work remains or what the final cost will be. It also does not establish whether Anderson will be able to live in the renovated church full time or whether the property will generate enough income to support its upkeep.
Anderson’s roughly $200,000 renovation figure is reported without a detailed breakdown, and the value of sponsorships, donated materials and labor is not specified. The source offers no independent estimate of the building’s repair needs or appraisal of the finished property. Her warning about possible financial strain is her own assessment, not a confirmed outcome.
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Completion and Financial Viability
The next milestones are completion of the renovation and a clearer account of the remaining work and total spending. Anderson continues to share the project through @houseofvitrail, which may provide updates, but the source report identifies no completion date or scheduled announcement. Until further details are available, the end cost and whether the church becomes a financially sustainable home remain open questions.
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Key Questions
Who is renovating the abandoned church?
Whitney Anderson is renovating the former Methodist church in Michigan as a home, which she calls a “chouse.”
How much did Anderson pay for the property?
According to Hunker, Anderson negotiated the price of the church and associated parsonage down from a $125,000 listing to $45,000 and paid cash.
How much has the renovation cost?
The report puts Anderson’s renovation spending at close to $200,000. It does not provide a detailed budget or final cost.
How has Anderson funded the work?
She saved $250,000 before looking for a property, paid cash for the purchase, did demolition and much of the flooring herself, and hired help for work such as water-damage repairs. Hunker also reports that her Instagram following and television appearance brought sponsorships and free materials and labor.
Is the church renovation finished?
No completion date is given in the report, which describes the renovation as ongoing. Its final cost and financial sustainability are still unclear.
Source: rss
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