Before selling most of the land, Rachel Allgood's father gifted her a few acres on the family farm in South Carolina.
On one section, there stood an old hay warehouse, originally built in 1978, that had seen better days. Instead of tearing it down or reviving it for storage, Allgood decided it would make the perfect home for her and her now-husband. And so, in 2018, Allgood and Bob Lucier began a seven-year property makeover they say cost them north of $500,000.
After living at 116 Allgood Road in Pendleton for three years (yes, the street is named after their family), the couple has placed their home on the market for $1.49 million. Allgood and Lucier told Homes.com that they plan to move near New York City after the sale.
"This was all her vision," Lucier said. "She's the designer. She's the colors expert, and she could see it all."
All told, the Allgood property has two bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms across 3,400 square feet. Highlights include concrete floors, 14-foot ceilings and a six-burner kitchen stove. Outside, it features a 10-foot swimming pool — installed in the 1970s but updated — along with a two-car attached garage and a fenced-in garden.
Lucier said his wife designed the home to feel like a loft space in Manhattan.
But the property didn't always give off New York vibes, the couple said. It had been abandoned for 35 years, so the roof had such deep cracks that rainwater pooled on the floor. The exterior was engulfed by Virginia creeper vines, and the building had no bathrooms.
It was their pandemic project
Allgood and Lucier said their project unfolded during the COVID-19 pandemic, so they struggled to find a contractor to complete the renovations. The couple said they finished most of the renovations on their own while still working full time. They started by clearing the vines, cutting down dead or decaying trees and replacing the roof, which itself took seven months.
"We must have cut down 100 to 150 trees," Lucier said, "and I was pulling pieces off the roof that were 45 feet long and 25 feet wide and throwing them down and having a scrap guy haul them away."
The couple lived in a camper near the property but moved in full time in April 2022.
The now-converted home rests in a tiny town about 11 miles south of Clemson. Pendleton's housing stock is diverse, with townhouses, Colonial Revivals, bungalows and Craftsman houses in the mix. Allgood called Pendleton "typical small-town America" with an old farmers' market and homes that typically sit on at least four acres.
Allgood said her home will always have a special place in her heart, partially because she and Lucier got married on the land last June. But the homebuyer will hopefully enjoy cooking in the kitchen, gardening and walking the property's private trail, she said.
Being in a rural setting also means the new owners will have to contend with their fair share of wildlife, the couple said. The area is known for having visits from wild boar, bears, deer, turkeys and mountain lions, they said.
But because of its past as a warehouse, the Allgood property almost feels like living in a bomb shelter, Lucier said.
"This place was built to be here for the long haul," he said. "The house really is solid and quiet. You can't hear anything outside. It's like you’re living in one of those Igloo coolers."