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.

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The exterior of the manor.
The crumbling exterior of the 1890s Queen Anne house that Tabetha Heemstra bought in 2020.

McKinley Manor

A couple spent 2 months building a floating tiny home on a lake. They say they'll never go back to living on land.

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The couple built a floating home in the middle of a lake in North Carolina.
The couple built a floating home on a lake in North Carolina.

Brandon Jones and Sarah Spiro/keepingafloatwiththejoneses

A backpacking millennial discovered he craved a slow and simple life, so he built a tiny house in France for himself and his cat

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The exterior of a tiny wooden cabin.
The exterior of Celard's cabin.

Geoffrey Celard/La Cabane — Mini Habitat

A retired Gen X couple moved from New York to the Philippines and built a $140K dream home facing the sea

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A drone image of the couple's home, which is located on a mountain.
A drone image of the couple's home.

Greg and Wilma Maroney/Building the Philippines

They viewed 16 apartments in 3 days, and finally bought their dream home for $371,000. It wasn't even on their initial list.

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A balcony-like area with a bar table. The window overlooks the park next door.
A balcony-like area with a bar table. The window overlooks the park next door.

Amanda Goh/Insider

Their mortgage was bogging them down, so they sold their apartment in Singapore and bought a smaller one for $220,000. It was a blast from the past.

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A combined kitchen and dining space, with poured concrete floors and exposed brick feature walls.
The centerpiece of the apartment is the kitchen island and adjoining dining table.

Amanda Goh/Insider

A millennial dad of 2 bought an abandoned home in Japan for $23,600. He says restoring it is easier than expected.

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The renovated exterior of the akiya that McAskill bought. Although it was considered abandoned, the property was in relatively good shape.
The renovated exterior of the akiya that McAskill bought.

Eric McAskill

He moved from Reno to rural Portugal, bought a house for $300,000, and makes travel videos for a living: How one American guy pieced together his dream life at 32

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The exterior of Dave Alastair's house in Portugal.
The exterior of Dave Alastair's house in Portugal.

Dave in Portugal

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