Why Scrolling Through Cheap Old Houses on Instagram Is So Soothing

You’ve probably seen them while scrolling Instagram: Lightly filtered images of old Colonials and ranch houses, perfectly imperfect in their outdatedness. In an era where social media is about the newest, shiniest, flawless things, that Instagrammers are drawn to what we’ll call Old House Instagram stands in stark contrast. What is it that entices millennials to pore over and connect with one another over vintage homes in various states of disrepair?

“My generation—and I think younger generations—are becoming much more aware of quality over quantity,” explains Alicia Meyer, who runs the Old House Instagram account @brewcityfoursquare with her husband, Zach. “We have limited resources and our planet doesn’t have endless things to offer to keep making and making and making and making more and more.”

The couple purchased the subject of their account, a 1913 prairie-style home in Milwaukee, in 2018, not necessarily looking for an older home to raise their growing family. But during their house hunt, they realized their money could go much further if they bought an antique. The self-professed history nerds took the plunge, and decided sharing their discoveries and renovation progress would be fun to do on Instagram.

“It started because when we bought the house, I was like, ‘There’s going to be a lot of very satisfying moments of wow, look how far we’ve come,’ and I really wanted a place to document that process for myself,” Meyer says.

Almost instantly, she realized the account was for more than just her.

“What I found was just the most beautiful community of people who are so encouraging and supportive and willing to share their knowledge and experiences,” she says.

In an era of planned obsolescence, Meyer believes there’s something attractive about craftsmanship and materials meant to withstand generations of use without needing to be replaced.

“We’ve become a disposable society, and I feel like younger generations are starting to get wise to that and starting to think about what ways to be responsible with the purchases that we’re making. Breathing life into old things is a really beautiful way to say ‘You know what, maybe I don’t need new,’” she says. In her 1913 home, she has a GE refrigerator from 1934 which came with a 30 year warranty—something unheard of in today’s appliance market.

Consider Instagram an old house lovers’ window into peeking at finer details—say, crown molding and stained glass–and appreciating the time and dedication that went into creating things like hand-carved doors, parquet hardwoods, and one-of-a-kind nooks and crannies.

Not only are these feeds a departure from all things new and pristine, but they’re inspirational, aspirational, and against all odds, attainable. Elizabeth Finkelstein, who created @cheapoldhouses in 2016, sees millennials following her feed in droves in part because they’re design savvy, but also because cheap old homes are within reach to the generation which, even well into their 30s, feels like homeownership is a pipe dream.

In an era where the cost of living has skyrocketed, too, the oddly soothing @cheapoldhouses feed allows its more than 800,000 followers to glimpse homes in parts of the country where it’s relatively affordable to earn a living and buy a home. Her account limits homes to those under $100,000, and showcases some Midwestern towns repeatedly, including Peoria and Rockford, Ill., Milwaukee, Wis., Youngstown, Ohio, and Anderson, Ind. 

“[Millennials are] sitting there in jobs that are not super inspiring, and it ties in to a frustration that homeownership is only for extremely wealthy people,” she says of her Instagram. “It’s bringing to light places in this country that have been in so many ways kind of virtually forgotten, but have amazing bones.”

Moreover, they’re imperfect.

What Finkelstein finds most compelling about the homes she highlights isn’t their low price tag. It’s the stories they tell, as well as the ones they don’t. She is especially drawn to homes where bathrooms and kitchens haven’t been renovated, as those tend to be the first areas of a home to be updated and modernized. By seeing these rooms, in particular, in their original states is a reminder that not everyone has the money to flip their space, and that what makes a home isn’t having the newest and best of everything. 

“You’re looking at the way real people lived. And that is really the architectural history of our country,” she says.

Old House Instagram passion isn’t born of the quick fix. It’s about perseverance, hard work, and the messy ways in which something meaningful is made whole in slow steps. Millennials arguably couldn’t relate more, as the stories of these old homes are their stories, too. Watching progress and sharing experiences allows them the chance to build a community and stake a claim of their own. 

Of course, seeing progress and change brought about by the hands of folks just like them connects people and inspires hope, especially in uncertain times. 

“People just love to see transformations,” Finkelstein says. “[Old House Instagram] has become so much more than a feed. It’s really become kind of a movement.”