Awesome - Parents Left Four Teens Alone And Return To A Shocking Sight
When two hard-working parents finally took a much-deserved vacation, they didn't think their four daughters would get into too much trouble when left alone. A week later, however, cameras recorded Chip and Karen Schoonover's reactions to a home that was nothing like how they'd left it. How did so much happen in so little time?
Karen and Chip
After raising four wonderful daughters, Karen and Chip Schoonover from South Carolina were due for a vacation. They had finally saved enough money and were heading out for a week to themselves around Christmas time.
Four Girls
The couple left worry-free because their daughters — Haley, Hollie, Heather and Halice — were now old enough to stay home unsupervised without causing any trouble... or so the Schoonovers thought.
The Oldest
See, their oldest daughter, Heather, was already married and had moved out of the house a few years prior. Knowing her parents were leaving town for a week, however, brought her right back to her old doorstep.
Creative Ace
Although Hollie's hobbies mainly consisted of make-up art, acting, and singing, she concocted a totally different kind of scheme that would eventually have her parents' jaws on the floor.
Halice Joins In
Hollie needed help, however. Her plans couldn't be carried out alone, but luckily, she had sisters. The second oldest Schoonover daughter, Halice, attended nearby Coastal Carolina college. She was available to help her older sis.
Heather's Expertise
Heather, the third daughter, was able to come through as well, despite having moved more inland where she'd taken a job as a marketer for a real estate company.
Haley Behind the Camera
Because their plan was intricate and had several stages, Hollie asked her younger sister Haley to record and document their entire process right from the start. The sisters were all on board with Hollie's plan. The team was together.
The Perfect Moment
Patiently, the girls waited for mom and dad to drive away so they would have the whole week to themselves. Only then could they carry out their secret plans. Boy, would their folks be surprised once they came back from their trip!
Incredibly Close
Because the sisters with a close bond, wanting to show appreciation for their parents, decided to spruce up the house from top to bottom! This, they figured, would be a fantastic Christmas gift.
Christmas Surprise
And while a spic-and-span house would already be a wonderful gift to most parents, Haley, Healther, Hollie and Halice wanted to do more for the duo that raised them. They agreed to take their gift to the next level.
Interior Renovation
The girls had saved up all their money and invested in some new carpet, curtains, paint, and anything else they needed to update the look of their parents' home during that week.
The Big Mystery
The only problem was they had no idea how much work would go into a project like this. None of them had ever done any renovation work before! Would their present even be finished by the time Chip and Karen returned? Would it turn out well?
Speed Bumps
The project didn't start off well. When the girls attacked the rooms with mops and sponges, they discovered piles of old junk that needed to be thrown out. Sorting through everything took the whole first day.
Blood, Sweat, Tears
As the sisters moved on from cleaning to the actual renovations, they realized that this required a lot of hard work, skill, determination and experience. While they were certainly determined, they were in over their heads.
Time Crunch
At this point, youngest sister Hollie began to get cold feet; she worried they would break something or simply not finish on time, and feared her parents would come home to a destroyed home.
Plowing Ahead
However, it was too late to turn back, so the girls persisted, learning as they went about each task. They eventually called in reinforcements from their friends because Hollie did have a point: it HAD to be done in time.
New Furniture
Since their main goal was to update the house as much as possible, the sisters needed to do more than paint and renovate. They had also saved money to buy some new furniture and decorations.
Heavy Lifting
They soon found out that getting the new furniture in was much easier than getting the old furniture out: all their strength was barely enough to push their old couch from the porch into the backyard. Hey, who said this would be easy?
Exhausted
By day three, the girls were near their breaking points. The home was in shambles and they stared hopelessly at a long list of unfinished tasks they didn't even know how to approach!
Paint Everywhere
Although the girls had brought in extra help, painting every room in the house was far more work than they originally anticipated. As the night fell, it took all their willpower to keep from throwing in the towel.
Down to Two
On the fifth day, Heather and Halice had to go home to take care of some things, leaving Hollie and Haley to work alone. With the project already testing them, this was not what they wanted to hear. Nevertheless, they doubled their efforts.
Army Workout
By the end of day six, everything needed to be wrapped up, and it was up to Hollie and Haley to do so. While Hollie showed her new stress-induced acne breakout, Haley said she felt "like she was in the army."
Parents Returning
The day of their parents’ return was sure to be a whirlwind of emotions. The girls were exhausted but eager to share their amazing surprise. The video camera captured all of their energy!
The Diversion
To make their surprise as impactful as possible, Hollie and Haley fed their parents a diversion: they revealed Heather and Halice were home for the holidays. This, of course, would make mom and dad happy, all the while concealing the real surprise.
Driveway Greeting
When Karen and Chip finally pulled into the driveway, relaxed and recharged after their week-long getaway, they immediately felt that something was up. Then, all four of their daughters came out of the house to greet them.
Who Cleaned
Karen immediately noticed that front of the house looked different, and she jokingly asked her kids, "Alright, who cleaned?" The girls just giggled and suggested they all go inside to settle down.
Deep Breaths
The sisters warned their mother to "take a deep breath" before leading both parents into their "new" home, where Chip and Karen finally saw the house in its fully renovated form!
The Big Reveal
When they stepped over the threshold into the kitchen, Karen was suddenly overcome with emotion. Tears ran down her face as she admired the updated living space her daughters had created for their family.
New Room
The walls were now a calming, pale blue, and the cupboards a contrasting dark brown. Amazingly, the girls had succeeded in replacing the old and worn countertops with new polished marble.
Quite a Difference
Of course with a sparkling new kitchen, a fancy new living room is a must. The kids had ditched the old couch and brought in two new ones, along with a rug and a coffee table, making it feel much more like a home than before.
Bedroom Makeover
Meanwhile, in the family bedrooms, Karen was practically dancing on the plush new carpet beneath her feet. Both the master and the guest bed were provided with brand new bedding for a fresher look that you'd wanna dive straight into.
The Best Gift
After the tour, the girls explained to their overwhelmed parents that they wanted to surprise them with the best Christmas present they'd ever received. Looking at the project in its entirety, it became clear what an enormous undertaking it had been!
Very Proud
Karen and Chip were not only ecstatic with the updates to their home, they were also incredibly proud of their daughters. They would've never believed they could've pulled off this kind of project.
Viral Vid
A few days after the big reveal, Hollie posted the edited video of their hard work on her YouTube page. Before long, it had hundreds of thousands of views and had inspired people from all over the world.
Teamwork Triumph
The girls were so happy that the video motivated others to spruce up their own homes or help out loved ones. Their main message: never believe you can't do something until you try it, and even then, don't give up on yourself! Some of their online fans compared their work to other amazing renovations.
Humble Beginnings
Like the Schoonover girls, this pair decided they'd finally had enough of the junk and clutter filling the bottom floor of their house, so they hatched a plan to totally transform it. As you can see, the basement started off as not much to write home about.The space was dirty, filled with random objects, and lacking any real furnishings or niceties.
-375w.jpg)
A Whole Lot Of Junk
The area was so decrepit and out-of-use that the couple rarely even took the time to step downstairs. Apart from storing a leftover wreath from Christmas and some old skis, the basement really wasn't serving much of a purpose. They wanted to change this.
-375w.jpg)
Cleaning House
The first step was to clear out all the junk. And considering how much of it there was, that was no easy process in itself. By this point, the basement was looking...cleaner. But there was still a long way to go to complete the transformation.
Necessities First
If they were going to be able to inhabit the space in the future, as they planned, the couple obviously had to have plumbing. So, they began the arduous process of digging up the concrete floor with a jackhammer.
Piping Up
After the physical labor of tearing up the floor was done, it was time to install the pipes that would one day allow for running water in the dream kitchen and bathroom that they envisioned. Still, they were a long way off.
A Room With No View
There was one crucial issue: The basement, being underground, had no windows. The crafty DIYers planned out the perfect spot for sun to shine through, but first they had to dig up the ground outside. Their efforts paid off.
Here Comes The Sun
The window was not only necessary for their future living space, but also helped them to complete their renovations with a little more ease, now that they weren't shrouded in darkness. It was time for the walls to go up.
Delivery!
They ordered drywall, as well as some lumber, for interior framework. Soon, the dim-looking space began to shape up and take on the look that they'd been looking for. But not without some more elbow grease.
Piece By Piece
The framing started to go up, piece by piece, and slowly the transformation was actually becoming visible. Of course, there was still installation, wiring, and drywall to install, but seeing the room take shape was rewarding.
Shaping Up
The place was shaping up a little by now, but it had been months of backbreaking work, and they couldn't wait to actually furnish the place. They still had one more step to take before it would look like a real home.
Mudding and Painting
The hard working duo engaged in a process called "mudding," a necessity to cover the seams in the new walls. And, of course, they had to paint. A simple white in this case. The results would soon pay off.
IKEA!
They were finally able to begin installing actual furniture and appliances in the basement. Pictured here are cabinets bought from IKEA for a great deal. And, thanks to their plumbing work, the sinks and dishwasher would actually function!
Closer And Closer...
Now we're talking. This looks like a place people actually might want to spend more than a few seconds inside of! The final picture of the kitchen is honestly mind-blowing, considering where they started off...
Finalized Kitchen
Look at that! With hanging lights, a stainless steel fridge, and even granite counter tops, you'd never guess that this kitchen started off as a dusty, windowless room. But the rest of the dream basement still needed work.
Halfway Through
This was the bathroom mid-construction. New flooring still had to be added, and the rest of the junk cleared out. Pretty soon, though, it would be a bathroom to end all bathrooms.
A Luxurious End Result
Look how fancy that is! With a potted plant for good measure and a shower that looks extra roomy, this transformation is making us feel like maybe we made the wrong move by not living in the basement. Each room was better than the next.
Bedroom Construction
Here's the master bedroom while the walls were still being framed. You can see how much work went into it just by looking at the meticulous craftsmanship. But the final result was brilliant.
A Chic Place To Sleep
With a little extra decor and set dressings, this bedroom becomes a sleek and modern space — a far cry from the dark dungeon that held nothing more than a Christmas wreath. But the final room was even more incredible.
The Big Reveal!
Here is the final project. With nine foot ceilings, a flat screen TV and a totally chic couch, we never would have guessed that this isn't a room in a celebrity's guest house. And just wait until you see the before and after shot...
Before And After
No more stacks of rotting chairs, no more unfinished walls and lack of space. This couple decided to take advantage of some extra time on their hands, and although it took a total of five to six months, they must be seriously glad they did it.
Aucun commentaire: