A Gen X woman bought a crumbling 1890s manor. She thought she'd be done restoring it a year into the project, but the work kept coming.

• Tabetha Heemstra bought a crumbling 1890s manor in Rensselaer, Indiana, in July 2020.
• She's been restoring the 3-bedroom house ever since and plans to turn it into a vacation rental.
• She enjoyed it so much that she even bought the fixer-upper next door for her next project.

Near downtown Rensselaer, Indiana, stood a charming old house that Tabetha Heemstra fell in love with at first sight.

The Queen Anne-style property was in disrepair, but even with paint peeling off its exterior, Heemstra could see its potential.