These millennials gave up traveling full-time and bought a 1970s cabin for $83,000. They spent a year renovating it into their light-filled, colorful dream home — see inside.

Kelsey NeubauerAug 12, 2023, 16:38 IST

Summer Ginther and her husband, Ryan, in front of their home.Courtesy of Summer Ginther.

Summer Ginther, 28, and her husband, Ryan, gave up living and traveling in an RV to buy a home.
In 2021 they moved back to their hometown in Illinois and purchased an A-frame house for $83,000.

In 2019 Summer Ginther, 28, and her husband, Ryan, decided to hit the road with a Shasta Compact camper and travel full-time.

Ginther and her husband, Ryan, in the back of the 2016 Ram ProMaster van they purchased after moving into their home.Courtesy of Summer Ginther

They drove through all of the US and parts of Canada for nearly three years, including through the pandemic.

La Push Beach, Washington.Erich Schultz/500px/Getty Images

After a summer of extreme weather in the Pacific Northwest, where temperatures reached upwards of 115 degrees and wildfires ravaged the coast, the stress of being on the road became too much. They decided it was time to buy a home.

Ginther and her husband, Ryan, in front of their home.Courtesy of Summer Ginther.

After a summer of extreme weather in the Pacific Northwest, where temperatures reached upwards of 115 degrees and wildfires ravaged the coast, the stress of being on the road became too much. They decided it was time to buy a home.

So the couple moved back home, to Southern Illinois, and bought a 1970s A-frame cabin for $83,000.

The couple's A-frame cabin after the renovation.Courtesy of Summer Ginther

They spent a year renovating it into their dream home.

The couple's A-frame cabin after the renovation.Courtesy of Summer Ginther

The exterior renovation included a new door, a fresh coat of paint, and a metal roof. The roof was one of the priciest parts of the project at $8,000.

The A-frame cabin before and after the renovation.Courtesy of Summer Ginther

When you walk in the front door, there is an open floor plan with a living area, dining area, and kitchen.

The renovated living room.Courtesy of Summer Ginther

The couple tore down a second bedroom above the front door to create a vaulted ceiling. Now light pours into the living area.

The living room before and after the renovation.Courtesy of Summer Ginther

The kitchen sits under the primary bedroom on the other side of the house.

The renovated kitchen.Courtesy of Summer Ginther

They replaced the existing countertops with butcher block, Ginther said.

The kitchen before and after the renovation.Courtesy of Summer Ginther

They took out some of the upper cabinets and replaced them with open shelving. Ginther also added a patterned backsplash.

The renovated kitchen.Courtesy of Summer Ginther

Then, Ginther used a pink vinyl wrap for cars to cover the stainless-steel refrigerator.

The kitchen's pink refrigerator.Courtesy of Summer Ginther

The kitchen is now colorful and bright.

The renovated kitchen.Courtesy of Summer Ginther

The first room they renovated upstairs was their bedroom. They lived in their camper on the half-acre property until this was finished.

The bedroom before and after the renovation.Courtesy of Summer Ginther

They completely redesigned the bathroom. Ginther replaced the floors with a black and white penny tile and painted the walls pink.

The bathroom before and after the renovation.Courtesy of Summer Ginther

They transformed the space by taking out the old shower and replacing it with a black claw-foot tub. Ginther's father and brother, who are both carpenters, helped with this part of the project.

The bathroom before and after the renovation.Courtesy of Summer Ginther

They transformed the space by taking out the old shower and replacing it with a black claw-foot tub. Ginther's father and brother, who are both carpenters, helped with this part of the project.

The couple also added a deck to the back of the house.

The deck.Courtesy of Summer Ginther

Ginther has landscaped the property. Now it's filled with flowers and a vegetable garden.

The garden.Courtesy of Summer Ginther

While they now have a permanent home, it hasn't stopped them from traveling. They still live in a converted van and travel part-time.

Ginther and Ryan in front of the converted van they now travel in.Summer Ginther

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These millennials gave up traveling full-time and bought a 1970s cabin for $83,000. They spent a year renovating it into their light-filled, colorful dream home &mdash; see inside.

In 2019 Summer Ginther, 28, and her husband, Ryan, decided to hit the road with a Shasta Compact camper and travel full-time.

They drove through all of the US and parts of Canada for nearly three years, including through the pandemic.

After a summer of extreme weather in the Pacific Northwest, where temperatures reached upwards of 115 degrees and wildfires ravaged the coast, the stress of being on the road became too much. They decided it was time to buy a home.

So the couple moved back home, to Southern Illinois, and bought a 1970s A-frame cabin for $83,000.

They spent a year renovating it into their dream home.

The exterior renovation included a new door, a fresh coat of paint, and a metal roof. The roof was one of the priciest parts of the project at $8,000.

When you walk in the front door, there is an open floor plan with a living area, dining area, and kitchen.

The couple tore down a second bedroom above the front door to create a vaulted ceiling. Now light pours into the living area.

The kitchen sits under the primary bedroom on the other side of the house.

They replaced the existing countertops with butcher block, Ginther said.

They took out some of the upper cabinets and replaced them with open shelving. Ginther also added a patterned backsplash.

Then, Ginther used a pink vinyl wrap for cars to cover the stainless-steel refrigerator.

The kitchen is now colorful and bright.

The first room they renovated upstairs was their bedroom. They lived in their camper on the half-acre property until this was finished.

They completely redesigned the bathroom. Ginther replaced the floors with a black and white penny tile and painted the walls pink.

They transformed the space by taking out the old shower and replacing it with a black claw-foot tub. Ginther's father and brother, who are both carpenters, helped with this part of the project.

The couple also added a deck to the back of the house.

Ginther has landscaped the property. Now it's filled with flowers and a vegetable garden.

While they now have a permanent home, it hasn't stopped them from traveling. They still live in a converted van and travel part-time.

These millennials gave up traveling full-time and bought a 1970s cabin for $83,000. They spent a year renovating it into their light-filled, colorful dream home — see inside.