Victorian Visual Culture

I recently read an article titled “Cheap old homes draw U.S. millennials escaping pandemic cages” which I think is interesting in terms of how Victorian architecture and homes are being treated in modern times.

The article’s main subjects are Kate Reinhart and her husband Cameron who bought a house near Norwich, Connecticut built-in 1885. The couple bought the home for $85,000, however, the selling of the home was contingent upon them renovating it. So the couple also took out a $100,000 renovation loan. Kate has been documenting the renovation on her Tik Tok account @the1880soctagon. The couple has chosen to renovate the home in the gothic style. While going through each room Kate provides historical details on what the original owners of the home would have used each room for.

Buying and renovating a Victorian Home was always a goal for Kate and Cameron, however, according to the article cheap Victorian homes are allowing Millennials to become homeowners. The Instagram account @cheapoldhomes founded by Elizabeth Finkelstein has over 1 million followers and has helped many couples find a cheap historic home to renovate and move into. Finkelstein said that she started the account in order to help Millennials, who are statistically less likely to own a home, connect with historic homes and become homeowners.

Although the homes may be cheap, the renovations are not. Some of the people who have bought homes through the site have renovation budgets of $125,000. Some of the couples have chosen to renovate the homes true to gothic style, while others have chosen a more modern approach. Personally, I feel this is the most interesting part of this. Millennials are buying these homes and stripping them of their culture and beauty. However, I am looking forward to now following Kate and Cameron’s home renovation journey.

Works Cited

Hoffower, Hillary. “Millennials Are Finally Buying Homes – and It’s through Instagram, of Course.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 8 Aug. 2020, https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-buying-cheap-historic-homes-through-instagram-2020-8.

Today. “Cheap Old Homes Draw U.S. Millennials Escaping Pandemic Cages.” TODAY, https://www.todayonline.com/world/cheap-old-homes-draw-millennials-escaping-pandemic-cages.