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Whitney Anderson is renovating an 1898 Michigan church into a home, a project she calls a “chouse.” She bought the church and a parsonage for $45,000 and has put close to $200,000 in cash flow toward renovations, according to Hunker’s account of a CNBC Make It interview. The project is ongoing, and Anderson has said it remains uncertain whether the home will be financially sustainable.
Whitney Anderson is turning an abandoned 1898 Methodist church in Michigan into a home, using a renovation project she calls a “chouse” to pursue a lifelong interest in stained glass. Anderson bought the church with an adjoining parsonage for $45,000, according to Hunker’s account of her interview with CNBC Make It; the renovation is still in progress, and its long-term financial viability is unsettled.
The property was listed for $125,000, but Anderson negotiated the price down to $45,000 and paid cash, Hunker reported. The church came with the parsonage and retained features including an altar, pews and bell tower. Anderson, who is originally from New York City, said in the CNBC Make It interview that a childhood love of stained glass helped prompt her search for a church to renovate.
The building’s age has brought substantial work alongside its historic character. Anderson has handled demolition and most of the flooring work herself, while hiring others for tasks such as repairing water damage, according to Hunker. The source describes the building as having numerous structural issues but does not give a full list of repairs, their cost or their status.
Hunker reports that Anderson spent years saving $250,000 before looking for a property. With the purchase paid in cash and no mortgage payment on the property, she was able to direct funds toward the work. Her renovation-related social media account, @houseofvitrail, also led to sponsorships and free materials and labor, and she appeared on the Magnolia Network program “Home Reimagined,” Hunker reported. The source puts renovation cash flow at close to $200,000; it does not state that this figure is a final project cost.
The Costs Behind a Church Conversion
Anderson’s project illustrates the gap between buying an inexpensive property and making it livable. The $45,000 purchase price was only one part of the undertaking: the church needed repair work, and the renovation has drawn on Anderson’s savings, her own labor and support connected to her online audience and television appearance.
That mix of resources matters when readers weigh the project against their own plans. Hunker presents Anderson’s cash reserves and lack of a mortgage payment as key parts of how she funded the work. Sponsorships and donated materials or labor also helped. The account does not establish that a similar conversion would be affordable or financially viable for other buyers.
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A Historic Church and Its Parsonage
The building began as a Methodist house of worship in 1898, according to Hunker. Anderson found it while looking in Michigan and bought it together with a parsonage. The church’s surviving interior features and its age shape the renovation, but the source does not say what historic protections, if any, apply to the property.
Anderson has documented the work on Instagram and appeared on “Home Reimagined.” Those outlets have helped bring attention and practical support to the project. The source frames the renovation as a personal effort rather than a completed restoration: Anderson is still weighing the cost and whether the house can be sustained financially.
““It’s still 50/50 if this is going to be a sustainable chouse … or if it’s going to be what bankrupts me.””
— Whitney Anderson, in a CNBC Make It video interview, as quoted by Hunker
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Completion and Costs Remain Unclear
The renovation is still underway, and the source does not provide a timeline for completion or a final total for purchase and construction costs. Hunker’s figure of close to $200,000 refers to renovation cash flow, not an explicitly confirmed final bill.
Anderson has described the project’s financial sustainability as uncertain. The available account does not detail the full scope of structural repairs, the value of sponsorships and donated work, or whether the completed church will meet all applicable building and occupancy requirements. Those details are needed to judge the eventual cost and feasibility of living in the converted property.
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Further Repairs and a Viability Test
Anderson’s next steps are the continuation of the renovation and the work needed to address the church’s reported structural problems. The source does not name a completion date, specific upcoming construction milestones or a planned move-in date.
The key measure of progress will be whether she can finish the necessary work without costs exceeding the resources available to her. Until Anderson or a later report provides a final budget and project status, the outcome remains open.
DIY church to home conversion guide
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Key Questions
Who is renovating the church?
Whitney Anderson, a DIY renovator originally from New York City, is converting the Michigan property into a home.
How much did Anderson pay for the property?
Hunker reports that she negotiated the price from a $125,000 listing to $45,000 and paid cash for the church and its parsonage.
How much has the renovation cost?
Hunker reports close to $200,000 in renovation cash flow. The account does not describe this as a final total, and the completed project cost is not yet clear.
Is the church renovation finished?
No completion is reported. Anderson’s project is still in progress, and no move-in or finish date is given in the source.
Why did Anderson choose an old church?
Anderson told CNBC Make It that her childhood love of stained glass helped inspire her search for a church to renovate.
Source: rss
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