A homeless man managed to transform a grim, abandoned house into a lovely home for himself and his wife after patiently renovating the property room by room over a decade.
Michael Gray, from Detroit, US, was going through a rough time in his life when he was in his 50s in 2008.
Despite having graduated from Spring Arbor University with a double major in English and psychology, he had a hard time finding a job.
He was working as a day labourer, was homeless and living in his niece's basement as he had no savings.
But he managed to turn his life around when one day, he was hit by a car as he was riding his bike.
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After the accident, Michael used some of the settlement money to buy the property at the price of $1,500 (£1,200).
After an accident, Michael used some of the settlement money to buy the property at the price of $1,500 (£1,200) (Michael Gray)He moved in straight away as soon as he bought it in 2009, despite most of the infrastructure in the house not being functional.
All he had was an air mattress to sleep on, which he placed on the upper floor.
According to Gray, when he moved in, the property was in a very bad state and was infested with mites, spiders, and mice.
Even the toilet could not be used as it was not functional. But a roof over his head was enough for him.
The property was in a very bad state and was infested with mites, spiders, and mice (Michael Gray)In the same year, Michael married his then fiancé, Cynthia, and vowed to offer her a house she could call home.
Speaking to Business Insider, Michael described his dedication to his wife, and how he acquired the skills to do the work required.
He said: "My wife had been with me through thick and thin, and I told her that I was going to give her a house that she would be really proud to keep, live in, and show off."
The house was in utter disrepair, with cables hanging from the ceiling, rusty appliances, paint peeling off the walls and torn-off flooring and construction materials (Michael Gray)He started repairing the house by himself, and gradually renovated each of the rooms one by one.
He said: "I began to craft my rehab skills working as a labourer for guys who were fixing up homes to rent.
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"I was on a project in Monroe, Michigan. When I was part of that renovation team, I watched the guys, I asked questions, and I said, 'I can do this.'"
The bathroom used to be not functional but now it's fully renovated and adorable (Michael Gray)"[In my house] I tore everything out, all the way down to the studs."
The house was in utter disrepair, with cables hanging from the ceiling, rusty appliances, paint peeling off the walls and torn-off flooring and construction materials.
The purchase of the house was achieved after Michael came to an agreement with his nephew, Sylvester, who was a broker for Global Property Investment Group, a commercial real estate agency.
Michael Gray started repairing the house by himself, and gradually renovated each of the rooms one by one (Michael Gray)The company acquires properties from a variety of different sources. When properties don't fit into the company's business model, they are sold to independent purchasers, which is how Gray came across the house.
Michael explained: "In Detroit, if you're not there, or you don't have someone there, someone will come in and take your stuff. It's gone in a matter of 15 minutes, gone."
The house was in utter disrepair and Michael used to sleep on an air mattress, but now it looks beautiful (Michael Gray)A decade later, after Michael's consistent work, the house looked completely unrecognisable, fully functional with nice furniture and beautiful decorations, as seen in the pictures.
Michael said of his wife: "She had picked out the paint she wanted for each room and after the drywall went up, I put the primer on and painted. I was closing out the rooms as we completed them."
The finished house has three bedrooms, a walk-in closet, and a fully renovated, functional bathroom (Michael Gray)The finished house has three bedrooms, a walk-in closet, and a fully renovated, functional bathroom.
Now 69 years old, Michael works as a machinist in Ohio and spends his quiet days at his adorable, warm home in Detroit with his wife, Cynthia, by his side.
The couple celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary in November 2019 at the home.
Over the years, Michael invested over $70,000 into the house and hasn't stopped making improvements.
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