There are many ways to keep a renovation budget tight. Tim Seggerman chose the hardestâbut most rewardingâpath: he designed, sourced, and built it all himself. When he found a rundown shack in rural New Jersey, he saw not just a house to fix, but a chance to create something timeless. Over 7 years, Tim crafted a Japanese-inspired open-plan home. The result is a spacious, light-filled cabin that seems to breathe with the forest. A true labor of love, and a reminder of what patience, craft, and respect for materials can bring to life. Come take a look at Timâs timeless renovation in this week's repost. đČâš watch video on watch page
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How hard is it to switch from a conventional suburban or urban life to a life in the countryside that blends ruin restoration and gardening with strategies like workshops, teleworking, etc. for income? With little money but the idea to teach others how to restore an abandoned hamlet in the Italian Alps, Maurizio Cesprini and Paola Gardin transformed a crumbling medieval home in Ghesc into a warm family haven for themselves and their young son Emil. Check this repost out if you want to know more about the people transforming places from ruin to renewal in remote, affordable areas. It's not easy and requires work, but it can be done :) watch video on watch page
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We'd heard about David Lee Hoffman's "The Last Resort", but on our visit we discovered so many interesting things we didn't expect involving tea, vermicomposting, old appliances working perfectly for decades, and the drive of building a two-acre off-grid sanctuary where nothing is wasted. Grey water from the kitchen? Cleaned by worms, plants, and filters, then sent back to the garden. Human waste? Transformed into soil. When your bedroom is made from salvaged wood and heated by the warmth of naturally fermenting tea, you are doing things your way. Feel free to watch this repost and say hi to David. Have a nice weekend y'all! watch video on watch page
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We've met many people trying to push the envelope and also preserving heritage places, but before visiting Adam Kalkin we never envisioned an old farm inside a hangar that serves as a house shelter (and a part of the house, or put by Adam during our visit: âitâs kind of a ship in a bottle type of thingâ. If you have ever wondered whether a house could hold the past and the future in one breath, this video story from the archive is for you. Let's revisit rural New Jersey with Adam & family & have a great weekend y'all :) â”đ« watch video on watch page
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âWait⊠this castle isnât actually medieval?â đ°đ€Ż Since we posted this video, many people have messaged us in disbelief: how could this castle â and the hamlet around it â not be centuries old?đNear GuĂ©delon, France, a group of passionate builders began constructing a real castle from scratch using only medieval tools and techniques. No cranes. No electricity. Just muscle, stone, and time. Started in 1997 by two brothers whoâd restored a chateau they bought for a few francs, GuĂ©delon Castle is now a living archaeology site: its great tower rises 15 meters high, the chapel is complete with vaulted ceilings, and even the ovens and cisterns are medieval-authentic. It's also a testimony of what can be done with planning and determination. You won't believe that, what you see in this video, didn't actually exist before 1997. We hope you enjoy this repost as much as we did. watch video on watch page
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Sometimes, the way we look at things can turn challenges into once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Our San Francisco friend Johnny Sanphillippo used to rent houses he couldnât dream of affording (back in pre-tech days, when things were MUCH more affordable). One day, Johnny overheard the owner of a five-unit building saying he was ready to sell. He also knew the tenants were all leaving. So Johnny called a few friends and they all decided to pool money and buy the whole apartment building. "None of us could afford a home alone. But together? We bought the whole building." No bank wanted to lend to five working-class folks unless they pretended to be investors. So they did. "Told them weâd be slumlords. That got us the commercial loan." Back in those days, people were already saying you have to be rich to live in San Francisco. Johnny preferred to say, "be poor creativelyâwith friends.â Let's learn from Johnny with this repost, and have a great rest of the week y'all! watch video on watch page
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đ Weâre feeling grateful. đ
To all of you whoâve supported Life-Changing Homesâby buying it at your local bookstore or online (itâs climbing high in its categories on Amazon not just in the US, but globally!)âthank you.
Last week at the Mrs. Dallowayâs bookstore presentation, it was especially moving to see some of you in person. It reminded us: behind every handle, thereâs a human. And together, weâre building something powerfulâone inspiring home, one bold idea at a time.
Weâve also been hearing from many of you that Life-Changing Homes feels like the perfect uplifting gift for Fatherâs Dayâfull of practical projects and utility, but also escapism and enchantment. A book to dream with, and to build from. đ âš
Letâs keep the momentum going. Letâs make this message evergreen. đ±
đ Life-Changing Homes www.abramsbooks.com/product/life-changing-homes_97âŠ
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Alright, itâs BOOK GIVEAWAY day! đ
But firstâa message to EVERYONE:
To the winners, the participants, and even those who just liked, read, or shared the Giveawayâthank you. We truly believe youâll love LIFE-CHANGING HOMES, and we hope it becomes a book you keep close, flip through often, and find useful over time. This book was made for Y'ALL.
Why do we think LIFE-CHANGING HOMES is relevant?
Because itâs built on some of our (and your) favorite storiesâ10 thematic chapters, dozens of homes, over 250 color photos, and thoughtful textâall designed to spark ideas, take you on a journey, and maybe even nudge you closer to your own dream space.
It took a while to make... but we think itâs a keeper.
Now, about the Giveaway:
We asked you a two-part question:
Which of our stories inspired you the most, and how did it influence a change in your dwelling or everyday life?
Your answers blew us away.
They reminded us why we do what we do: to share stories that inspire, teach, and remind us weâre not alone in trying to live a bit more intentionally.
Honestly, every single comment felt like it deserved a book.
đ ANNOUNCING THE WINNERS đ
Weâve selected 10 responses that really resonated. Youâll find our replies under each winning commentâlook for a heart and a personal response from Kirsten (under her nickname). Weâll also be linking directly to those comments in this post as we go.
đ© TO THE WINNERS:
Please message us through our contact form here:
đ faircompanies.com/contact/
Include your YouTube nickname in the message.
Weâll then reply with a specific word for you to post as a comment under this announcement, just to confirm itâs really you. Once thatâs done, weâll coordinate delivery privatelyâno need to share any personal info in public.
Itâs been a joy reading your responses and turning this milestone into a real conversation. We hope LIFE-CHANGING HOMES becomes a companion for your own journeyâand that we get to keep learning and growing together.
With gratitude,
âKirsten, Nico & kids
The book is out on May 27, BUT you can already preorder it at your bookstore of choice. Let's make it climb the lists! www.abramsbooks.com/product/life-changing-homes_97âŠ
WINNERS' LIST & LINK TO THEIR COMMENT:
@impossiblemel7 (link to comment:www.youtube.com/channel/UCDsE...)
@scoutdatdog842 (link to comment: www.youtube.com/channel/UCDsE...)
@FanOfTheEarth20 (link to comment: www.youtube.com/channel/UCDsE...)
@ChaosandFlow (link to comment: www.youtube.com/channel/UCDsE...)
@shaldonberndt (link to comment: www.youtube.com/channel/UCDsE...)
@theendlesscompassion (link to comment: www.youtube.com/channel/UCDsE...)
@thepyropaladin8608 (link to comment: www.youtube.com/channel/UCDsE...)
@alexandermichev4116 (link to comment: www.youtube.com/channel/UCDsE...)
@spencers-adventures (link to comment: www.youtube.com/channel/UCDsE...)
@kayelyward8714 (link to comment: www.youtube.com/channel/UCDsE...)
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Wow, wowâwhat a response!
Just a week ago, we invited you all to join our BOOK GIVEAWAY to celebrate the big milestone: 2 MILLION subscribers (huge thanks again đ). And⊠you really showed up!
If you missed it, here's the original post with all the details (as of now, 810 likes, 97 comments):
đ Previous Giveaway Post www.youtube.com/channel/UCDsE...
The comments have been INSPIRINGâso many thoughtful stories about which of our videos inspired you the most and how it sparked change in your home, your project, or your life: sometimes, little changes make a huge difference. Reading them has been heartwarming, and honestly, a little overwhelming (in the best way).
Weâre now getting ready to choose 10 of those responses to receive a free copy of our new book, LIFE-CHANGING HOMES.
(P.S. It hits stores on May 27, but you can already preorder it here:
đ www.abramsbooks.com/product/life-changing-homes_97âŠ)
đ If you somehow missed the previous post but would still like to participate, thereâs still a 1-day grace period! Just comment on the original post or right here with your answer to the giveaway question, and weâll count you in.
REMINDER:
On Thursday, May 15, weâll reply directly to the 10 selected comments, congratulating the winners and sharing instructions to claim your book.
Thanks again for being part of this communityâit means the world to us.
Letâs keep building, dreaming, and rethinking âhomeâ together. đĄđ«
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Two weeks ago, we shared a message celebrating 2 million subscribers (THANK YOU ALL AGAIN!) and asked for your thoughts on the best way to do a BOOK GIVEAWAY for our first official book about the channel: LIFE-CHANGING HOMES, coming later this month via Abrams NYC.
Thanks to your votes, weâve decided to keep it simple and meaningfulâwith one question, right here in the community tab:
QUESTION:
Which of our stories has inspired you the most, and how has it influenced a project or change in your dwelling or everyday life?
(Mention the story and the change it sparkedâin one single comment below.)
We'll keep the giveaway open for one week, to give everyone a fair shotâregardless of time zone, schedule, or circumstance.
After that, weâll pick 10 responses, and weâll ask those folks to email us with proof of their username + postal address to get a copy of the book, fresh off the press.
WHAT YOUâRE GETTING:
A high-format, carefully curated edition with 250+ color photos and 10 chapters highlighting some of our favorite storiesâdesigned to spark ideas, take you on a journey, and help you dream (or build) your next version of home.
As we said in the survey, LIFE-CHANGING HOMES is about transformation in all its formsâand we really think this book lets you travel and return with something useful. Guaranteed. www.abramsbooks.com/product/life-changing-homes_97âŠ
Alright, letâs get this going!
We canât wait to read your stories. â€ïž
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Videos about simple living, self-sufficiency, unconventional (and unique) homes, backyard gardens (and livestock), alternative transport, DIY, craftsmanship, and philosophies of life.
Also produced/filmed by NicolĂĄs Boullosa faircompanies.com/nicolas-boullosa/