
Name: Tracey and Jason
Location: San Francisco
Size: 1,700 square feet total (1,200 SF main floor, 500 SF bottom floor)
Years lived in: It's complicated (see below).
Tracey, a graphic designer, and Jason, a software engineer, bought their 100+ year old home about 5 years ago with plans to renovate it on their own. After some demolition with the help of friends, they realized the job was bigger than anticipated so they enlisted the help of professionals. For the first 2 years, they lived in a tent inside the house (since it had no walls, heat, or electrical outlets) while they planned the renovation and got permits. Then, they moved into a 400 square foot studio during the 2 years of construction. After a long process, Tracey and Jason finally moved into their finished house in December 2008.

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