A couple who bought the vacant home next door without ever looking inside have shocked the internet by revealing what they found when they finally entered.
Homeowners Ray, 57, and Tracey, 53, who reside in Chicago, bought their second home in New Buffalo, Michigan, several years ago after falling in love with the lakefront location. Three years ago, they learned that the house next door was vacant, and rather than letting it lay dormant, they wanted to revive it.
Tracey told Newsweek that they’ve “bought and renovated several other homes” in New Buffalo, and they love being able to transform a space into something beautiful. But there was one problem: they’d never seen inside the property and if they wanted it, they would have to buy the house without ever seeing inside, known as sight unseen.
“The seller wouldn’t allow us to go inside the house, show us pictures, or tell us anything as far as floor plan, number of beds, baths,” Tracey said. “All the windows and doors were completely covered up too.
@houseontheharbor / TikTok
She continued: “We had no idea what was inside, but knew the land itself was valuable because of the lakefront location. And even more valuable to us because we wanted to prevent someone from tearing it down and building next door to us.”
It was a big risk to buy the home without knowing what was inside, and Tracey said “there weren’t any perks” to it. They would have much preferred seeing what they were working with, but the first time they saw the interior was when they picked up the keys on December 14, 2024.
The couple were “very nervous” as they opened the front door and stepped inside the home. They were incredibly shocked by the chaos inside that awaited them.
“We hadn’t been told anything about the condition of the home. We had no idea what we’d find when we walked in,” Tracey told Newsweek. “We were taken aback by the amount of stuff that was still in there, and by all the personal belongings they left behind and the condition they were left in. It looked like the house had been ransacked.”
As they made their way round the lakefront home, the couple found rooms filled with old furniture, stacks of boxes filled with belongings, and even a hidden attic room that was completely untouched.
@houseontheharbor / TikTok
Needless to say, Tracey and Ray have a huge task on their hands to turn this outdated home into a modern and vibrant place people want to stay in. They’ve found mold in some of the rooms, and damp throughout, which will need to be addressed.
They’ve started by clearing out the items inside the house, and then will be able to start on the renovations, which they expect to take at least six months.
“We hope to keep as much of the original structure as possible, but a lot depends on what we find when we open up the walls,” Tracey continued. “There’s a lot of water damage, but we weren’t that surprised since the roof is covered by a tarp.”
Social Media Reaction
The couple started documenting the experience of buying the house sight unseen on social media (@houseontheharbor on TikTok) and the clips went viral. The first video, showing what they found when they walked in, had amassed over 1 million views and 22,200 likes at the time of writing.
Alongside the clip, the caption joked that they’ve “bitten off more than we could chew.”
Despite the challenge, Tracey tells Newsweek that they “don’t regret it at all” and they’re excited about the DIY project that awaits.
Tracey said: “The social media response is a total surprise. We’ve been trying to buy this house for three years, and when we finally got the keys, we thought it’d be fun to document seeing the house for the first time, and that’s how the post came to be.”
As for the advice they’d share with anyone else considering buying sight unseen, Tracey jokes that they should put very little stock in the structure being entirely stable, and just “hope you’re pleasantly surprised.”
The couple’s decision to buy the neigbor’s home without seeing inside has astounded many people, leading to more than 590 comments on the viral TikTok video. Indeed, there are plenty of social media users who look forward to following along with their renovation journey in the months ahead.
One comment on the TikTok post reads: “It’s in good shape. As someone who used to buy and flip properties, you are EXTREMELY lucky.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “Some beautiful old pieces there! Just go slow, it all has great potential.”
While another commenter added: “I actually think it has the bones to be a charming mid-century house!”
Do you have any viral videos or pictures that you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@newsweek.com and they could appear on our site.
