Divorced mom renovates old house with her kids to start a new life, what they found inside… shocked everyone

What happens when rock bottom comes with a mortgage? For Rebecca Taylor and her two children, their fresh start looked like this. Peeling paint, a sagging porch, and more problems than one mother with a broken heart and empty bank account could possibly handle. Before we continue, let us know where you’re watching from.

Six months after signing her divorce papers, Rebecca Taylor stood in the pouring rain, staring at what was supposed to be her salvation. A 1930s craftsman home in her childhood hometown, the place she hadn’t lived in for 20 years. The real estate listing had used words like, charming and full of character.

What it should have said was neglected and on the verge of collapse. Sophie, 14, artistic and withdrawn since the divorce, refused to even look at their new home. And 10-year-old Noah’s excitement about a new adventure had just transformed into visible disappointment.

Well, here we are, Rebecca said with forced cheerfulness, her voice echoing in the empty foyer. Home sweet home. The smell hit them first musty, damp, with a hint of something that had died long ago in the walls.

The real estate photos had been strategically cropped and filtered, hiding the water stains that bloomed across the ceiling like yellow flowers. Sophie stepped inside cautiously, her headphones still firmly in place. I can’t believe you made us move here, she muttered heading straight for the stairs.

I’m finding my room. Be careful on those stairs, Rebecca called after her. The inspector said they might be.

A creak and a crash interrupted her as Sophie’s foot went straight through a step. Mom! Sophie screamed. Her leg disappeared up to her knee in splintered wood.

Noah’s eyes widened in fear. Is the house eating her? Rebecca rushed to pull her daughter free, splinters catching on Sophie’s jeans. Are you okay? Are you hurt? Sophie yanked her earbuds out.

This place is a death trap. I hate it here. I hate it.

Six months ago as Rebecca sat across her lawyer, pen hovering over the divorce papers. Once you sign, the house goes to him. Her lawyer reminded her.

Are you sure you don’t want to fight for it? Rebecca shook her head. The kids need stability, not parents who are draining their college funds on legal fees. I’ll figure something out.

That something had come in the form of a phone call from her hometown’s real estate agent. A property had come on the market, the old Wilson place, the house that had belonged to her grandmother’s best friend. The house where she’d spent countless afternoons as a child.

The price was shockingly low, too low, as she was now discovering. That night, the three of them huddled in sleeping bags in the barren living room. Rain continued to pour, finding its way through at least three separate leaks.

Rebecca had placed pots and pans to catch the water, creating an irregular symphony of drips. Remember when we went camping that time in Yosemite? Rebecca tried, passing out slices of cold pizza. This is like that, an indoor camping adventure.

Noah nibbled his pizza, except there are no s’mores, and Dad’s not here. The words hung in the air like the dust motes visible in the beam of their single working lamp. Mom, Sophie said quietly, what happens if we can’t fix this place? We don’t have anywhere else to go, do we? Rebecca swallowed hard, pushing back the panic that threatened to overflow.

We’ll make it work. This house just needs some love. She forced a smile.

Besides, your great-grandmother used to visit here all the time. This house has good bones and good memories. We just need to find them again.

After the kids had finally fallen asleep, Rebecca stepped onto the sagging porch with her phone, trying to find enough signal to make a call. Megan? It’s me. I think I’ve made a terrible mistake.

Her best friend’s voice was a lifeline across the miles. Talk to me, Beck. How bad is it? Remember when I said it needed a little work? I was off by about a century.

Rebecca’s voice cracked. The inspector clearly took a bribe. There are structural issues, electrical problems, plumbing disasters.

I don’t even know where to start. Can you back out? Get your money back. I used everything I had from the divorce settlement.

If I walk away now, we have nothing. Rebecca wiped away a tear. I can’t let the kids see me fall apart….