Welcome to Our Fixer Upper Journey at Katie Bee's Homestead

There’s something special about walking into a house that’s brimming with history and potential, knowing that, with a little (okay, a lot of) love and elbow grease, it can become something beautiful again. My husband and I have always dreamed of taking on a fixer-upper, but the timing was never quite right—until now. This particular house holds an even deeper significance for us as it’s been passed down through my husband’s family. We are thrilled, nervous, and excited to pour our hearts into restoring it, and we hope and pray that we can revive it for future generations to enjoy.

Our journey has just begun, and we’re ready for the challenges ahead. It’s going to take a lot of hard work, time, and patience, but we believe it will all be worth it in the end. Already, my husband, his brother Jonny, and his dad Mil have tackled one of the first major projects—cutting down two enormous trees that could have fallen on the house. (I even loaded up all that firewood the next day!) I am incredibly thankful for their expertise and willingness to dive into this project. My father-in-law’s years of experience in construction and Jonny’s own experience building a house, combined with the support they’ve given us in building our log cabin, are invaluable. Their knowledge and problem-solving skills are making this fixer-upper journey a little less daunting.

For those of you who’ve been following us, you know this isn’t our first rodeo with big projects. A few years ago, we went through the journey of building our log cabin. While we didn’t do the logs ourselves, we were hands-on with so much of it, working alongside roofers, plumbers, electricians, family, and friends to bring our vision to life. One day, I’d love to share more of that journey with you too!

Now, for the first big challenge of this new adventure: clearing up the jungle of trees exposed me to a fresh wave of poison ivy. Despite avoiding it all year at our house, I managed to end up with a full-blown reaction. So, it was back to the steroid shot for me, though I’m hopeful to find some natural remedies that might work again the second time exposed to it from my husband. As someone who’s always had a rough time with poison ivy, I’m eager to discover new ways to manage it.

We’ve always admired Chip and Joanna Gaines (honestly, who hasn’t?), and we’re so excited to try our hand at bringing this house back to life. We know it won’t be easy, but we believe that God wants us to dream big. Even if your dream isn’t a fixer-upper, I truly believe we were all meant for more. You never know who you might inspire or help along the way, just by following your own path.

I’d love for you to follow along with us on this adventure, and I’d really appreciate your input. Let me know in the comments what you’d like to see us document—whether it’s through videos, blog posts, or something else. This journey is just beginning, and I’m so excited to share it with all of you!

Below, you’ll find pictures and the first TikTok video of our fixer-upper journey, along with updates from the first and second stages of the project. I’m also posting the TikTok video and our second update from my Facebook group, so be sure to follow along on both platforms for all the latest progress.

@katiebeebowers
Our first fixer upper! Always wanted one and this house has been in the family. It was a jungle and now we can see what we are working with on the outside. Demo day was fun for me! Stay tuned on this cute little house. #fixerupper #tennessee #houseremodel #remodel
♬ snowfall – Øneheart & reidenshi

Below is the facebook video link. It would not currently let me embed like tiktok did.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/Yd1S34FG36AKRt9L