Joanna and Chip transformed a crumbling and practically abandoned old house in Marlin, Texas – a rural community about 30 miles outside Waco – into this stylish and attractive home for a family of three. New exterior enhancements provide plenty of curb appeal although, with the house located on a 2000-acre ranch, there's not a curb in sight!

Since the living area was already a large, open space, not much was needed in terms of structural changes for this area. However, the house overall was in such bad shape prior to the renovation, it had to be taken down to the studs and essentially re-created from the ground up. Joanna referred to the project as "building a new house inside an old frame."

The house had belonged to homeowner Sterling Zan's grandfather and, in years past, it had served as a focal point for holiday get-togethers and other family gatherings. Joanna and Chip's remodel creates a revitalized space that's ideally suited for extending old family traditions and fostering new ones.

Chip and Joanna pose with homeowners Casey and Sterling Zan on the front porch of their newly renovated family home. The Zans knew from the start they wanted to restore this cherished and inherited home, so there was no purchase decision for this particular fixer upper. The challenge was in the damage the house had undergone and in pulling off a full makeover within Zans' $160,000 renovation budget.