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George Dunnett, a 28-year-old video editor from Scotland, spent 11 months transforming an abandoned 1700s stone cottage in his village into a modern 400-square-foot home. The building had been used to store religious books centuries ago and had deteriorated into a crumbling storage unit with no plumbing, electricity, or insulation. George purchased it and documented the entire renovation on YouTube — total project cost including purchase price came to approximately £157,844, with renovations alone costing £102,458.
Images by George Dunnett/YouTube
What George Found Inside: The “Before”
When George first stepped inside the upper floor of the cottage, he found exactly what you’d expect from a building that had been abandoned for years: bare stone walls, exposed beams sagging under their own weight, debris scattered across uneven floors, and absolutely no insulation. This was a building that had been used for storage, not habitation. For anyone considering a similar renovation, this is the sobering reality of what “buying a fixer-upper” actually looks like in practice. Historical stone buildings have charm, but they also come with centuries of deferred maintenance. The romance of owning a piece of history quickly gives way to the practical question: can these walls even support modern living systems?
Images by George Dunnett/YouTube
The Ground Floor Before Renovation
The downstairs condition was equally raw — just stone walls and a dirt or bare floor. No plumbing, no wiring, no insulation. No evidence that this space had ever been designed for human comfort. Starting from this baseline meant George wasn’t just renovating; he was essentially building a home from scratch inside an existing stone shell. The advantage of working within existing walls is that the structure (and planning permission) already exists. In Scotland, historic buildings like this often have protections that make demolition difficult or impossible, but renovations that preserve the exterior character are encouraged. The challenge is making centuries-old construction work with modern building standards — bringing 1700s stone masonry into compliance with 2021 energy codes, for instance.
Images by George Dunnett/YouTube
Structural Reinforcement: Making Old Bones Strong Again
Before any cosmetic work could begin, George needed to address the fundamentals: the roof, walls, insulation, and foundation all required significant upgrades. Working with 1700s stone construction means respecting the original building techniques while bringing everything up to modern standards. New mortar was pointed between the stones — a painstaking process of removing deteriorated mortar and carefully replacing it to match the original style. The roof was rebuilt entirely, as the old one was past saving. Modern insulation was added to make the building energy-efficient — a critical consideration in the Scottish climate where winters are damp and cold. This is where the bulk of the £102,458 renovation budget went. Structural work doesn’t photograph as dramatically as finished interiors, but it’s the difference between a renovation that lasts decades and one that needs constant repairs.
Images by George Dunnett/YouTube
The Exterior Transformation: New Mortar, New Windows, New Life
With fresh mortar between the stones and new windows installed, the cottage’s exterior was transformed from a crumbling ruin into a charming stone home that honors its 1700s origins. The stone walls that once looked like they might collapse now look solid and intentional. The new windows are sympathetic to the building’s age — they don’t try to pretend to be 300 years old, but they’re proportioned and styled to complement the stonework rather than fight it. This is one of the great rewards of renovating a historic building: the materials are already beautiful. You don’t need to add character with faux finishes or decorative elements — you just need to reveal what’s already there. The texture of hand-laid stone, the irregular shapes of the blocks, the way light plays across the uneven surface — these are design features that modern construction can’t easily replicate.
Images by George Dunnett/YouTube
The Upstairs Reinvented: L-Shaped Kitchen, Living Space, and Office
The upstairs is where the “modern” in this modern-meets-historic renovation really shines. George created an open-plan space that serves triple duty: an L-shaped kitchen with contemporary finishes, a comfortable living area, and an office corner for his video editing work. The open layout maximizes the sense of space in a 400-sq.-ft. footprint, and the upstairs placement of the kitchen and living areas means George gets the best natural light where he spends most of his waking hours. The kitchen features clean white cabinetry, wood countertops, and modern appliances — a deliberate contrast to the rustic stone walls visible elsewhere. Rather than trying to make everything match the cottage’s age, George embraced the juxtaposition. The result feels intentional rather than confused: this is clearly a 21st-century living space that happens to exist within 18th-century walls.
Images by George Dunnett/YouTube
A Private Ground-Floor Bedroom with Built-In Storage
Downstairs, George dedicated the ground floor to the private spaces: a bedroom with a built-in wardrobe, a bathroom, and a clever under-the-stairs cubby for additional storage. This layout decision is smart for several reasons — the bedroom stays cooler in summer (heat rises), the stone walls provide excellent sound insulation from any activity happening upstairs, and separating sleeping quarters from living spaces on different floors creates a psychological sense of having distinct rooms in what is objectively a very small home. The bedroom is simple but comfortable, with white walls that brighten the space and a large window that brings in natural light. The built-in wardrobe makes efficient use of otherwise awkward wall space. In a 400-sq.-ft. home, every square foot counts, and custom storage solutions like this are the difference between a space that feels cramped and one that feels carefully considered.
Images by George Dunnett/YouTube
Design Details
- Size: Approximately 400 sq ft across two floors
- Type: Renovated 1700s stone cottage
- Location: Kinnesswood, Scotland
- Construction: Original stone walls with modern insulation, new roof, repointed mortar, new windows
- Layout — Downstairs: Bedroom with built-in wardrobe, bathroom, under-stairs storage cubby
- Layout — Upstairs: Open plan with L-shaped kitchen, living area, office corner
- Total project cost: Approximately £157,844 (including purchase price)
- Renovation cost: £102,458
- Timeline: 11 months (January–November 2021)
- Builder/Renovator: George Dunnett (video editor, self-funded through savings and YouTube income)
- History: Originally used to store religious books in the 1700s; later became a storage unit
What Makes This Renovation Special
- Preservation meets modernization: Rather than demolishing and rebuilding, George worked within the existing 300-year-old stone structure, proving that historic buildings can be adapted for modern living without losing their character
- Inverted floor plan works beautifully: Placing the bedroom downstairs and the kitchen/living upstairs is unconventional but smart — it puts the most-used spaces where natural light is best and keeps the bedroom cool and quiet
- Transparent budgeting builds trust: George’s follow-up cost breakdown video (£102,458 in renovations) gives aspiring renovators honest numbers to work with, something the renovation community rarely gets
- The “walk past it every day” story resonates: George transformed a building he’d walked by for years in his own village, proving that sometimes the best opportunities are the ones hiding in plain sight
- Self-funded through creative work: George financed the project through his video editing career and YouTube channels — a modern path to homeownership that doesn’t rely on traditional employment
Learn More
George Dunnett’s YouTube Channel
Video Tour: The Full Renovation
Watch George’s original renovation video documenting the entire 11-month transformation:
George also published a detailed cost breakdown answering viewers’ questions about exactly how much the project cost:
Explore More
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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through one of our links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Alex
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