Have you ever thought about taking on a serious fixer-upper project? These abandoned homes might be a little rough around the edges, but they're brimming with potential. From a stunning stone mansion in Philadelphia to a magnificent castle in New York, we've found the best empty historic houses on the market in America right now. Forlorn and forgotten, these tumbledown treasures are just waiting to be brought back to life... 

If you don’t have the budget for anything too extravagant, then this spacious rundown mansion might just be for you. With a $5,000 (£3.6k) price tag, it's well within reach for many house-hunters, yet much work is needed to bring it back to life. The Jazz Age property can be found in the city of Syracuse in New York and was constructed back in 1920.

Bursting at the seams with potential, this once-grand home, listed with the Greater Syracuse Land Bank, offers an impressive 3,128 square feet of inside space. There are currently five bedrooms, three full bathrooms and three kitchens, many of which offer elegant trims, timber doors, period tiling, built-in cabinetry and parquet floors.

There are plenty of classical design features throughout the home, so if you can overlook the peeling paintwork and crumbling walls, you could be onto a winner. While essential renovation work is needed to transform this extreme fixer-upper, the possibilities for this forlorn shell are endless: you could create a family home, or design a dreamy B&B in Upstate New York – the choice is yours!

Talk about a dirt cheap fixer-upper. With a price tag that's almost too good to be true, the Thomas Reynolds House lies in the Warrenton National Register District of North Carolina. The crumbling timber home needs a complete overhaul, but with an asking price of just $16,500 (£12k), there's plenty of scope for improvement. Also known as Reynolds Tavern, it was built sometime in the early 19th century and is thought to have belonged to prominent cabinet-maker Thomas Reynolds, who made Warrenton his home in 1804. 

Research suggests the structure may have served as the local watering hole at some point, as well as a residence. Inside, the 1,290-square-foot building offers plenty of 19th-century charm, including quaint roof dormers, sash windows, boxed eaves and a large stuccoed chimney. Given a little attention, these gems could easily be restored to their former glory. While the façade has been remodelled over the years, the rear of the building maintains much of its original character.

This promising property also comes with another perk. The town of Warrenton offers revitalisation and economic development incentives to entice buyers to rescue its historic houses. As well as a restoration loan program, it also offers lucky homeowners redevelopment grants to assist them with the costs associated with extensive renovations. If all that wasn't enough, the period property is also eligible for tax credits.

Listed with Preservation North Carolina, this Victorian house is located in Duplin County – the centre of North Carolina’s wine industry. Priced at $39,000 (£29k), the Barnett Carr House was originally built as a two-room home in the early 19th century, with extra rooms and a second storey added in the mid-1800s. In the late 19th century, two further rooms were added upstairs as well as Victorian porches across the façade, creating the configuration that exists today.

As the house has been empty for years, it needs a complete renovation, including structural work to the porches and repairs to the roof. However, if you're not afraid of a little elbow grease, this diamond in the rough could make a beautiful family home.

Priced at just $59,900 (£44k), this petite Victorian bungalow is just waiting to be revitalised. Situated in the neighbourhood of Dutchtown in the city of St. Louis, Missouri, the property lies a mere stone’s throw from the iconic Mississippi River. Dating back to 1885, the house has plenty of kerb appeal but is in need of some care and attention to make it suitable for modern living.

Characterful and compact, the house spans 1,306 square feet and offers two bedrooms and one bathroom. Outside, there’s also a two-car garage, which could easily be transformed into a workshop or home office. There are plenty of light-filled living spaces too, including a lounge, a dining room and a spacious kitchen, not to mention a walk-out basement complete with original brick floors.

Luckily, many of the home’s urgent repairs have already been carried out, including wiring, plumbing and insulation, taking some of the stress (and the financial burden) out of this fixer-upper project. Though the space is in need of work, it offers bags of potential. For sale with RedKey Realty Leaders, this historic home deserves a fresh start.

For sale with Preservation North Carolina, this eye-catching Greek Revival home is overflowing with amazing period details. Sitting on half an acre of land, the two-storey house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and offers 3,386 square feet of inside space – all for just $69,000 (£50k).

The property was constructed in around 1820 for Dr Peyton T. Henry, a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, and was expanded in 1886. The Henry-Beasley House can be found in the town of Colerain and boasts striking pediment windows, moulded columns and a panelled front door. Inside, there are plenty of characterful features too, including original heart pine floors, door surrounds and an ornate fireplace.

Left vacant for many years, there’s much work to be done to render the house habitable. The chimney collapsed during Hurricane Matthew and needs to be rebuilt, while the walls and ceilings require repairing and replastering. Yet this remarkable house has plenty of plus points. As well as bags of space and endless charm, the new owner will also be eligible for historic tax credits due to the home's listed status. What are you waiting for?

Listed with Advantage Real Estate for a mere $80,000 (£58k), this attractive and affordable timber frame home has much to offer. Situated in the city of Hurricane, West Virginia, the property was built in 1900 and urgently needs to be brought into the 21st century.

Back in its heyday, the spacious house would have offered an imposing welcome thanks to its eye-catching wraparound porch, elegant hardwood floors, sweeping timber staircase, ornate fireplaces and dramatic chandeliers. But after years of neglect, the once-pristine property is now rundown and unloved. With its key features still intact, it wouldn't take much to return the house to its former glory.

With 2,900 square feet of interior space, there's plenty of room to work with. As well as four bedrooms and two bathrooms, you'll also find a lounge, a large kitchen with an adjoining dining room, and an enclosed sunroom that leads to the backyard. Outside, you'll benefit from a detached three-car garage, a utility shed, a spacious lawn and a fish pond.

Regal, refined and ready to be transformed into a spectacular family home, this historic mansion in Finleyville, Pennsylvania is a once-in-a-lifetime listing. For sale with Realty ONE Group for $149,900 (£109k), the property is in need of a complete overhaul, both inside and out, however, with such a modest price tag it could make a savvy investment.

The crumbling abandoned mansion was constructed in 1883 and showcases the magnificent craftsmanship of a bygone era. Every room boasts soaring ceilings and period details, including original mahogany woodwork, iron fireplaces and beautiful architectural mouldings. Swathes of windows allow natural light to flood every space, while the original timber shutters will make a unique addition after careful restoration.

The exquisite period mansion towers up three floors and features 10 bedrooms and three bathrooms. Beautiful carved walnut staircases connect every level, while numerous exterior decks offer the ideal vantage points to soak up the home's surroundings. Although in need of a full renovation, this listing affords a rare opportunity for someone to snap up a truly impressive piece of history.

Known as the Ruff Cobb House, this unique period property dates back to around 1850. Constructed in the Greek Revival style, the 3,940-square-foot home can be found in Newberry, South Carolina. Currently up for grabs for a mere $159,000 (£116k), it's not only beautiful but highly budget-friendly.

Bursting with period charm, key features include walnut flooring and elaborate wrought-iron detailing across the railings that front the home's second-floor balcony. While the property is in need of an entire overhaul, it has the bones of an impressive entrance hall, complete with soaring ceilings and beautiful well-trodden hardwood floors.

The Ruff Cobb House features five bedrooms and two bathrooms, as well as a two-car garage, two living rooms, a spacious kitchen, a full basement, a dining room and a laundry room. A number of heritage furnishings are included in the listing, such as gilded mirrors, clawfoot tubs, sleigh beds and antique furniture. Some of the rooms also feature old photographs and family portraits left untouched for decades.

Located in the North Hill Historic District of Pensacola, Florida, this charming house is just 30 minutes’ walk from the beach. Despite its chocolate-box exterior, the historic home offers a generous 2,000-square-foot interior, as well as plenty of kerb appeal. The façade boasts a covered front porch with gingerbread trim, a swing seat, stained-glass windows and an ornate stone chimney that looks like it was plucked from a fairytale storybook.

Constructed in 1897, the classic Queen Anne has been home to an antique shop since the mid-1980s, so it requires some work to transform it back into a residence. Inside, the life-size dollhouse benefits from high ceilings, original hardwood floors and delicate millwork. Many of the rooms also feature ornate fireplaces, pocket windows and built-in glass-fronted cabinets, meaning this little dwelling isn't short on character.

The home is being sold as seen and there are currently two bathrooms and two bedrooms, each with large walk-in closets. There’s also a large attic space that’s ready to be put to good use – with enough square footage for two more bedrooms, this house has plenty of potential for expansion. Outside, there’s a pretty garden filled with native plants, perfect for a green-fingered buyer. For sale with Connell & Company Realty for $325,000 (£237k), this attractive property is sure to be snapped up quickly.

If you have a larger budget to play with, Greylock Mansion might just be the abandoned mansion of your dreams. Listed with Compass for $1.8 million (£1.3m), the impressive property encompasses 16,581 square feet, 25 rooms, and a vast, seven-acre garden. Bordering the exceptional landscapes of Wissahickon Valley Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this magnificent dwelling is almost too good to be true.

Described by Compass as a 'stone masterpiece', the palatial house was built in 1909 by steel magnate Henry A. Laughlin with stone quarried from the site. Covering 16,500 square feet of inside space, Greylock Mansion comprises eight bedrooms and four full bathrooms. When you enter the property, you're welcomed by marble tiled floors, a grand hall and a sweeping white marble staircase decorated with original ironwork. 

Despite its rundown state, the house still feels luxurious thanks to its imposing living spaces that benefit from views across the sweeping lawns. With some TLC, the home's ornate fireplaces and glorious hardwood floors could be returned to their former splendour. Elsewhere, there's also a huge basement, a 4,500-square-foot carriage house and a large exterior patio. Offering an abundance of design possibilities, this marvellous mansion ticks all the right boxes.

Shrouded in the woodlands of New York's Hudson Highlands lies this captivating fairytale castle, complete with turrets and over 15 acres of sprawling grounds. The majestic stone mansion was built in 1881 as a summer home for William H. Osborn, the president of the Illinois Central Railroad. Sadly, it's been left to languish for some time and now needs a deep-pocketed buyer to give it the happy ending it deserves.

In this elegant space, the wood panelling is luckily still intact, while period gems like the large arched window, original wooden floorboards and marble fireplace surround are just waiting to be brought back to life. The rewarding restoration project won't come cheap though, as it's currently listed for $3.5 million (£2.5m) with Houlihan Lawrence. Have you got what it takes to give Castle Rock its happily ever after?

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