See how a young couple turned a neglected Los Angeles bungalow into a midcentury marvel and romantic proposal spot with just $50,000 in renovations

Angelina Murphy's and Skyler Johnson's LA bungalow.Courtesy of Angelina Murphy.

• In 2020, Angelina Murphy and Skyler Johnson had a tough time finding an affordable Los Angeles home.
• After months of searching, they eventually found a small starter home on the market for $525,000.

Angelina Murphy and Skyler Johnson, a young millennial couple from Los Angeles, had always wanted to become homeowners. The problem: They began their home buying journey in May 2020, a time in which rock-bottom interest rates sent the US housing market into overdrive.

"We were looking to buy and weren't having much luck," Murphy told Insider. "There weren't a lot of homes on the market."

After weeks of searching, the couple felt demoralized. They just could not seem to find an affordable home in LA, a city renowned for its equally competitive and expensive housing market.

"We were feeling discouraged because we were on a budget," Murphy said. "We were looking for a fixer upper because we knew that our money could go further."

In August 2020, the couple's luck changed.

They came across a Zillow listing for a 1950s bungalow on the market for $595,000 — right in their budget. The only catch was that the older home needed considerable work. To them, it was unlivable.

While the home had been inhabited, its interior had deteriorated significantly and presented many safety concerns. Torn wallpaper lined the walls and where there was none, drywall was left exposed. The home's floors were in serious disrepair as its carpet was stained and its wood was badly splintered. The kitchen was also falling apart and they suspected mold was growing under its vinyl floor.

The couple estimated that hiring professionals to resolve the issues would have cost them around $250,000, a figure they knew they'd never be able to afford.

"We definitely saw a ton of potential in the home," Murphy said. "It just needed a lot of work. I kept asking Skyler 'are you sure we could afford this?'

Johnson assured her that they could afford to renovate the home. As a contractor, he planned on doing all of the work by himself, a decision he knew would save them thousands of dollars.

"We loved the house and the neighborhood," Murphy said. "We knew that as long as we could fix it up, it would be perfect for us."

The first-time homebuyers did just that.

Over the course of five months, the couple completely renovated the home. They ripped up floorboards, tore down walls, replaced appliances and even expanded rooms, all for the cost of $50,000. They documented the project in length on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

"Taking on the renovation process ourselves was the best way to have a really nice home that we could afford," Murphy said. "It also allowed us to customize the home the exact way that we wanted to."

See how Murphy and Johnson transformed the more than 70-year-old three-bedroom, one-bathroom home from a crumbling pad into their forever home without breaking the bank.

Do you have a similar story you'd like to share with Insider? Get in touch with reporter Alcynna Lloyd at alloyd@insider.com.