When looking for a new home for their family, Jim and Connie Martin found a stone farmhouse in Bucks County they liked, but knew it would take a lot of work and time to save it, writes Laura Hoover for The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

But this did not deter the couple. They purchased the rundown building in 1998 and decided that the first step was to turn the back into its front. 

“The bones of the house were good,” said Jim. “The stone itself was in good shape. There was nothing working. I had to upgrade everything.” 

They started by painting the 1753 home and updating the electric. They removed the shingle roof, along with the colony of bats that made their home on the third floor. And for the kitchen, they decided to keep the original space but redo everything else. 

“It’s been a lot of blood, sweat, and tears and bandaged thumbs,” said Connie. 

Still, the work was going well and in 2000, they started on an addition, which included a large den and deck. Many more things changed over the years but today, the Martins have exactly the home they wanted. 

Read more about Jim and Connie Martin’s farmhouse in The Philadelphia Inquirer.