With a little imagination and some hard work, even the most run-down of properties can be turned into a dream home, as these renovations prove. Once the ultimate fixer-uppers, they've been transformed from uninspiring to sleek and stylish homes for modern living. Take a look at these incredible before and after home renovation photos from across America that will make your jaw drop...

Built circa 1982, this home was in need of major reconstruction and updating. Located in East Hampton, New York, the property is in an idyllic setting hidden inside a forest sheltered by white pine trees. Suffering from rot, the still-amazing exterior was in need of a facelift and the interior with its dark, narrow hallways needed to be re-thought. 

Renovated by Murdock Solon Architects, the whole home was transformed beyond recognition. The exterior was clad in cedar with accent cement panels and new windows were installed, which allow you to see right through the house and makes the most of this amazing location. 

The layout of the house was reconfigured by filling in the windowless courtyard to extend the kitchen and dining spaces as well as creating a den and screened porch. It not only allows extra space without extending the footprint of the home but also permits for an open-plan layout.

A palette of natural materials colours and fabrics were used in the décor to complement the surrounding woodland. With wraparound windows, this bedroom is the ideal space to connect with nature.

Located just north of the Ballard Locks in Seattle, Washington, this home needed a complete makeover when Group Architect got their hands on it. The original home featured old wood cladding and a split-level layout inside, and it looked tired and dated with little kerb appeal.

The house is now completely unrecognisable with a brand new design. A new third floor, that's accessed by the new central stairway, gives the property a brand new rooftop deck with views of downtown Seattle and Mount Rainer.

Inside, the team wanted to expose the old structure of the home as much as possible and uncovered existing wood decking and floor beams. The open-plan layout of the lower floor, which has plenty of windows, provides a light and bright living space.

As well as adding an extra floor, the architect decided to add a cantilever design on the top floor. This helps to provide the living space with passive cooling by shading the building in the summer sun and which also preserves the exterior siding materials. 

Before its renovation, this waterfront home was an extreme fixer-upper and not for the faint-hearted. Located in Bradley Beach, New Jersey, a spot known for its pristine beaches and dunes, the property sat on ageing concrete foundations and was clad in old, weathered wood that'd seen better days.

The exterior of the home was given a completely new look by Seth A. Leeb Architect with a beautiful olive green and stone façade. The wraparound balcony and frame have been painted in a fresh white hue and an extension in the centre of the top floor has been added to extend the floor plan. 

Inside, the home is spacious and bright, offering an open-plan layout and views out over the tranquil water. The main living space has been brought up to date with hardwood flooring and a stone floor-to-ceiling fireplace that steals the show as a stunning new focal point.

The spacious kitchen features marble countertops and a centre island complete with a breakfast bar – perfect for grabbing quick meals. With swathes of windows framing views out over the expansive landscaped back garden, it's had a complete transformation inside and out. 

Before its redesign, this single-storey home in the city of Sierra Madre, California, was in serious need of an overhaul. Located at the foothills of the San Gabriel Valley with stunning views over the mountains, the old design featured an uninspiring grey rendered exterior and an overgrown garden.

Following its fresh, modern redesign, the home has undergone the ultimate bungalow transformation. Clad in concrete and wood, the dwelling has been extended upwards to create a spacious interior. The windows were reconfigured to frame views of the nearby mountains, drawing plenty of daylight into the beautiful living areas.

Inside, the open floor plan features clean lines and a minimalist neutral colour palette. Framed by an airy vaulted ceiling, the large kitchen mixes wooden cabinets with white gloss worktops and streamlined appliances. Fitted out with plenty of storage, the clutter-free space also includes floating cabinets and a built-in wine rack.

The small dining area, which sits adjacent to the kitchen, is flanked by sliding doors that lead outside to the sun-drenched patio. The intricate wooden divider serves to zone the living space, while ensuring a seamless flow throughout the home. The new design by MYD Studio is one of the most dramatic transformations we've seen!

Tucked away in the mountains of Heber City in Utah, this A-frame house has been completely redesigned inside and out. Built almost 30 years ago, the cabin was a quiet place for solitude and relaxation. Before the renovation began, the exterior was looking tired and the interior was dark and dated, with pine wood-clad walls, a brick fireplace and an old-fashioned kitchen. 

The tiny cabin retreat was built in the 1970s by the current owner's grandfather as a place to write music and meditate in solitude, so it was due a facelift. The exterior has been given a smart new look with a crisp dark blue stain that picks out the warm wood highlights on the balcony and overhang. 

While the exterior transformation is pretty striking, the main renovation work was carried out inside. This cosy cabin now has three light and airy bedrooms, two updated bathrooms and modern furnishings. The Scandi-style open-plan kitchen and living space play with light colours, wooden highlights and maximum storage for minimal clutter. There's an amazing double-height ceiling too, which wows with beautiful wood cladding.

Named the A-Frame Haus, the home has a triangular design with three floors and lots of glazing framing views of the surrounding forests and mountains. Cosy fireplaces are dotted throughout and the living space has skylights and white wood-clad walls to bounce light into every corner.

Before its overhaul, this Foursquare home in north Seattle, Washington, was run-down and in need of a freshen up on both the inside and the outside. The new owners fell in love with the 1930s original details, which were kept in the final design as much as possible, and saw potential in the bones of this classic example of 20th-century American architecture. But where to start?

The exterior went from drab to dream home, with a transformation you won't believe. It had completely new cladding and was painted with slate grey accents to frame the front door and the original windows. The front garden was also updated with a pergola, front lawn and shrubbery. 

Inside, the house has a fresh, clean look with white walls and light hardwood floors. The original windows have been preserved, plus there's a new open-plan layout that's perfect for modern-day living, making it easy to flow seamlessly through the house.

The dining room is spacious and framed by an original archway. It features a six-seater table, a crystal chandelier and built-in storage that runs along the length of the window. All new floors, finishes and detailing make this house unrecognisable from the tired fixer-upper it once was.

This home in Phoenix, Arizona, was desperate for a makeover. The house was built in a Spanish Colonial Revival style, which limited the potential for a modern overhaul. Looking at it, you wonder what could anyone do to bring it up to date? Well, prepare to be wowed.

The renovation by The Ranch Mine began by stripping back the Spanish-style design features, which just left a two-storey stucco box behind. The floor plan was rearranged to make sure each room had jaw-dropping views, with the main living spaces getting the best of the mountainside vistas. The redesign added 2,000 square feet of shaded patios and a veranda on the first floor with bi-folding steel screens. 

A clean white colour palette with walnut wooden floors, hints of quartz and marble tiles was used throughout the home, allowing the surrounding red rocks glimpsed through the large new windows in the main living areas to take centre stage.

Upstairs, an additional bedroom was added in an extension on the second storey, which cantilevers out over the mountain. This clever design means that the enlarged house didn't compromise the outdoor space. Plus, the extra height gives the feeling that the room is floating amongst the rocky Arizona landscape.

This creepy-looking building was once home to food mogul Oscar Mayer, who lived in the property between 1927 and 1965. The American home was left abandoned until 2016 when property developers Scott Hargadon and Jim Kasteholtz purchased the stately home, with plans to restore it to its former glory. Frozen in time with its dated wallpaper, stained ceiling and dim light fixtures, the old house looked more like the set of a horror film than a stately home.

Captured by VHT Studios post-renovation, the property is a far cry from its previous state. The exterior has received plenty of tender loving care in the form of a newly painted porch and a charming front path that leads up to the front door.

The revamp has transformed the dilapidated interior into a cosy, period-style home. There are many original features still in situ, such as the fireplaces and wooden panelling. A spacious hallway leads straight through to a small living space that contains plenty of windows and a restored fireplace. 

The formal dining room has wood-panelled walls, a banquet-style dining table, grand chandelier and marble fireplace. Spread over three floors, the renovated property has six bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms. 

Originally built in 1989, this two-storey home underwent a recent renovation by Aux Architecture to turn a house that was a mish-mash of architectural styles into a light-filled, modern home with views over the Hollywood Hills and the famous Hollywood sign. The home had previously undergone multiple renovations from different owners, with the most recent facelift adding Spanish tiles for a Southern Californian look.

The architects created a sympathetic design for the renovation that didn't change the structure of the home's distinctive rooflines. Transforming the exterior from drab ivory stucco to smart black, the house couldn't look more different. 

Inside, the new design features bright white walls, expanses of glass, upgraded cabinets and luxury fixtures. The idea behind the renovation was to open the house up to get a view of the Hollywood sign and to emphasise indoor-outdoor living. 

Completed in January 2018, the outdoor space also had a major overhaul. With views of the surrounding neighbourhood, it now features an updated pool and barbeque area plus a new lawn and patio area with built-in seating. We think it's looking 100% better!

While not in bad condition, this 1914 all-American Craftsman house – known as Magnolia – was in desperate need of a new interior layout, backyard and façade to modernise it. Before the renovation, the house was old fashioned and cluttered. The small kitchen space had access to the back garden but there was barely room to walk around the breakfast bar.

The first major change made by SHED Architecture and Design was to add new windows, which have been framed by reusing the home's old white cladding, to completely transform the property. The new grey cladding has given the exterior a brand new look and modern decking has tamed the backyard.

Inside, the revamped home mixes old and new. It's kept some of the original details such as the bay windows and angled walls but added new updates and revamped key areas with a brand new kitchen and bathroom.

The new living room design is filled with light and features the original oak flooring with some subtle updates, such as the stylish rug and fresh white walls. Even the hallway has had a spruce up – the entire house just looks box fresh!

Set within an overgrown plot, this home in Kirkland, Washington, had a cluttered floor plan with oddly placed partition walls. The exterior was outdated and in desperate need of renovation. The aim of the overhaul was to create an open, airy space that would make the home suitable for a modern family.

In the new design, the façade has been completely changed with grey cladding and the addition of a new car parking space has made it more accessible. The house has been extended upwards to make room for vaulted ceilings inside, which makes the 3,000-square-foot space seem much bigger.

The open-plan interior uses a new neutral colour palette with wooden flooring and contemporary materials such as brick and glass to make it a more modern space. The walls adjacent to the fireplace were removed to make the layout truly open-plan with a hearth at the centre.

Inside, the ground floor was made into an open-plan layout which allowed for a bigger kitchen, dining room and larger living space with views out onto the back garden. A clean modern interior is kept homely thanks to the earthy-toned walls and wooden floors.

This New York Dutch barn, which was built around 1770, was run-down and had collapsed into the Colorado snow before its renovation. It has since been transformed by Heritage Restorations from a barn into a dream home which is now a functional, liveable space with a new lease of life. The 18th-century barn still had many of its original features before the renovation, including wooden beam supports.

Post-renovation, the exterior has been given a complete facelift with the addition of a two-storey feature window, sliding entrance doors and a porch. The renovated home was finished off with a new roof taken from a similar Dutch barn, which blends flawlessly with the new-look exterior.

The property’s spacious layout remains intact, while its antique wood flooring and beams have been given a major upgrade. Its gabled roofline has been raised to add height, dimension and just enough space for a loft-conversion bedroom.

The interior design is in a rustic style, with the kitchen featuring a breakfast bar and a statement chandelier that hangs over the centre island. All of the entertainment and family areas are on the second floor so that every space has a mountain view.

The owners of this 19th-century dairy farm were close to calling it quits when Colonial Barn Restoration Inc. stepped in with their vision of turning the battered structure into a contemporary home. Having been left to rot by its previous owners, the structure was on its last legs.

Restored foundations and a resurfaced exterior have completely transformed the property, which now boasts an abundance of light from its two-storey windows. The big grey barn now has four bedrooms and five bathrooms and is surrounded by nearly four acres of land that includes walking trails.

The spacious interior has been completely renovated for modern living. The barn’s incredible height has been retained in its open-plan living area combining the traditional wooden beamed roof with modern gallery lights. A contemporary wood-burning fireplace breaks up the space between the living and dining areas.

Upstairs, the bedrooms and bathrooms boast minimalist and modern design features such as the polished concrete floor. A contemporary four-poster bed is the star of this room and it highlights the property’s wooden-beamed supports.

Detroit is known for its derelict buildings, many of which fell into a state of ruin when the city filed for bankruptcy back in 2013. One such building to have suffered at the hands of the recession is this 1920s property. Prior to its renovation, the dimly-lit house suffered from damp and mould. Its carpeting was covered in stains and the walls were painted in creepy murals.

In 2016, the Detroit house was renovated beyond recognition by Batton Homes. Included in the exterior facelift is the addition of a two-car garage, a new pathway and a restored front porch. 

Today, the property’s bright and airy windows expose it to plenty of light. However, the most noticeable improvement is in the living room where a vintage fireplace has been unearthed from the depressing paintwork it had been sealed under for decades.

The kitchen was completely refitted and modernised and features state-of-the-art equipment. The property also has a brand new roof, heating system and bathrooms, as well as a renovated room on the third floor.

By the time its current owners purchased this beaten-down horse stable it had fallen into a state of disrepair. Rather than knock it down, the couple decided to turn the abandoned farm building into an overnight guesthouse. You won't believe how it's turned out... 

The former stable is now a spacious and modern holiday home. A floor-to-ceiling feature window allows plenty of light into the open-plan studio space, while fresh grey cladding and a red front door helped to match the exterior to the new interior of the guesthouse.

The long interior space and sliding barn doors are the only hints that this structure was once home to horses. Now the airy interior makes the most of the natural light that pours in from the feature window. Inside the newly converted studio, there's a full bathroom, utility sink and private quarters.

The bright and spacious double room is cleverly concealed behind the sunny yellow sliding doors, which add to the traditional charm of the property. A harmonious balance is created between the old and the new with minimalist furniture sat alongside a steel chiminea.

Originally constructed in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, this abandoned building from the 1730s is about as far from a luxury cabin as you could get. Falling into a state of despair, Heritage Restorations took on the challenge of repairing the property, turning a rickety old cabin into a modern-day home.

The property’s most charming quality is the chestnut timber used in its construction, now newly restored to its former glory. Used as a popular building material in the 18th and 19th centuries, chestnut is an extremely rare hardwood and can only be found in buildings that were built with timber from original virgin forests.

Inside, the property features exposed chestnut walls, wooden beam ceilings, an open-plan living area and a mezzanine loft conversion, which further extends the interior space.

Furnishings have been kept quintessentially traditional in nature, with an inviting combination of vintage fittings and kitsch details such as this period freestanding bath and decorative barber’s pole. 

This 1920s garage looked as if it had seen its last days by the time it was purchased alongside a single-family home. With foundations that were on the brink of collapsing, the decision to rehabilitate the 320-square-foot structure was made after local codes restricted its owners from knocking it down completely.

But the hard work has clearly paid off, as the newly converted garage now functions as a bright studio apartment. The restoration of its wonky foundations has freed up plenty of space for a workshop, which is located in the basement. The addition of a terrace, paths and smart new fence increases privacy and divides the studio from the main property beside it. 

Inside, a compact core containing a bathroom and kitchen has been installed with a sleeping loft inserted above. The interior has been remodelled with sustainability in mind, with cabinets, interior wall panelling and plumbing fixtures created from salvaged wood and building materials.

A small but functional kitchen area has been decked out with stainless steel work surfaces and modern white cabinets for a streamlined look. Just around the corner, there's an office space with a view out into the garden. And to think this might never have existed if they'd torn down the old garage!

This 18th-century barn was in a sad state by the time its new owners Bob and Joyce Kuhl got their hands on it. With no windows for ventilation or natural light, the creative duo had a dream to live in a historic home but had their work cut out for them with this project.

Now located in Jarrell, Texas, the vision, intense labour and patience that went into restoring the barn is clearly evident in its transformation into modern barn conversion. Gone is its dated exterior façade, which has been replaced by sandstone walls interspersed with light-giving windows. 

Inside, the original wood beam supports have been respectfully preserved, with the addition of a second-storey loft, which has been converted into a bedroom. Interior furnishings reflect the rustic nature of the property with old country features, including vintage cabinetry, craft textiles and a farmhouse kitchen sink.

The open-plan kitchen and dining room feature flat-panelled shaker cabinets, a farmhouse sink and a tin ceiling. The space perfectly blends old and new, with elegant stone floors and antique furniture.

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