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Whitney Anderson is renovating a former Methodist church in Michigan into what she calls a “chouse,” combining a church and a house. She bought the property, which included a parsonage, for $45,000 and has reported close to $200,000 in renovation cash flow; the project is still underway, and she has said its financial sustainability is uncertain.
Whitney Anderson is turning an abandoned Michigan church into a home, a renovation she has documented on Instagram and discussed in a video interview with CNBC Make It. Anderson bought the church with an accompanying parsonage for $45,000 and has described close to $200,000 in renovation cash flow, while warning that the project’s long-term financial sustainability is not certain.
The church was built in 1898 as a Methodist place of worship and came with an altar, pews and bell tower. Anderson, who grew up in New York City, told CNBC Make It that a childhood love of stained glass helped prompt her search for a church to renovate. She calls the combined church-and-house project a “chouse.”
According to the Hunker report, Anderson found a parsonage property for sale in Michigan that included the church. She negotiated its price down from a $125,000 asking price to $45,000 and paid cash. The building’s historic features have been part of the project, but the report also describes substantial structural work, including repairs for water damage.
Anderson saved for years before buying the property, building a reported $250,000 in savings. She has handled demolition and much of the flooring work herself, while hiring outside help for tasks she could not take on. Hunker reports that her Instagram account, @houseofvitrail, led to sponsorships and free materials and labor, alongside an appearance on Magnolia Network’s Home Reimagined. The source describes renovation cash flow as close to $200,000, not as a final audited project total.
The Cost of Reusing a Church
Anderson’s renovation shows how repurposing an old religious building can involve both distinctive possibilities and serious costs. Features such as stained glass, pews and a bell tower give the church a character that would be difficult to reproduce in a conventional home, while water damage and other structural problems can require specialized work and additional spending.
The project also illustrates how its financing differs from a typical home purchase. Anderson’s cash purchase avoided a mortgage payment, while her own labor and social-media-related support helped offset some expenses, according to the report. Those circumstances are not guaranteed for other buyers. The report’s figures describe Anderson’s experience and should not be treated as a general estimate for church conversions or as a completed budget.
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From Parsonage Listing to Chouse
Anderson’s plan began with a search shaped by her interest in stained glass. The property she found was not just a church: the Michigan listing included a parsonage house, and she negotiated the asking price down before purchasing it. The former church’s 1898 construction date gives the renovation a historic dimension, but the source does not detail any formal preservation designation or restrictions.
Hunker’s account, drawing on Anderson’s CNBC Make It interview and project posts, describes a renovation supported by several sources: personal savings, work Anderson did herself, hired labor, sponsorships and donated materials or services. Her Instagram following also brought broader attention to the project. The report presents the conversion as still in progress, rather than a finished home with a final cost or completion date.
““It’s still 50/50 if this is going to be a sustainable chouse … or if it’s going to be what bankrupts me.””
— Whitney Anderson, in an interview with CNBC Make It, as quoted by Hunker
Budget and Completion Remain Unclear
The available report does not establish the renovation’s final cost, a completion date or the church’s present condition. It describes close to $200,000 in renovation cash flow, but does not provide a fully itemized account showing how that figure is calculated, how much came from Anderson’s own funds, or the value of sponsored and donated work.
Anderson’s own comments leave the project’s financial sustainability unresolved. The source also does not specify what structural repairs remain, whether the building has received any required approvals, or whether historic-preservation rules apply. Those details cannot be confirmed from the reported material.
Further Work and Costs Ahead
The renovation is described as ongoing, but the source gives no schedule for the next phase or for moving into the converted church. Further updates may come through Anderson’s Instagram account, while the report does not identify a specific forthcoming construction milestone.
The clearest next measure of progress will be whether Anderson can complete the remaining repairs without the project exceeding what she can sustain financially. Until a final budget and completion status are reported, the $200,000 figure should be read as the source’s description of renovation cash flow to date, not a confirmed total for a finished home.
Key Questions
Who is renovating the former church?
Whitney Anderson is renovating the Michigan church and documenting the project on Instagram as @houseofvitrail.
How much did Anderson pay for the property?
Hunker reports that she negotiated the price from a $125,000 listing to $45,000 and paid cash. The property included a parsonage as well as the church.
How much has the renovation cost?
The report describes close to $200,000 in renovation cash flow. It does not provide an itemized final budget, and the renovation is still described as in progress.
Is the church conversion finished?
The source describes the project as ongoing and gives no completion date or confirmed move-in status.
Why did Anderson choose a church?
Anderson told CNBC Make It that her childhood love of stained glass influenced her search for a church to convert into a home.
Source: rss
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