We Bought a 100 Year Old Abandoned Mansion ( Kansas City Rockhill Club House Mansion)

We've just acquired this extraordinary 100-year-old mansion in Kansas City, Missouri, right next to the iconic Nelson-Atkins Museum, and we couldn't be more excited to share our remodeling plans with you!
Join us, Johnny and Abby, as we take you on a thrilling tour of this architectural treasure. From the moment you step through the grand entrance, you'll be captivated by the mansion's rich history and exquisite details. Our goal is to honor its heritage while infusing it with our unique style and modern amenities.
Prepare to be dazzled as we reveal our design concepts for each room. We'll discuss our inspirations, strategic remodeling strategies, and our commitment to preserving the mansion's original charm. Every space has a story to tell, and we're dedicated to breathing new life into each nook and cranny.
Imagine transforming an old study into a cozy retreat, or revamping the ballroom into an entertainment paradise. Our creative minds are brimming with ideas, and we can't wait to bring them to life! Witness the fusion of timeless elegance and contemporary design unfold before your eyes.
To be a part of this awe-inspiring journey, subscribe to our channel and hit that notification bell. Don't miss out on the captivating transformation of the Rockhill Mansion. Let's dive into this remarkable remodeling adventure together! 🏰💫
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[@elizabethortwerth8967]

As someone who has such a fond attachment to this house, I am both excited and so nervous for this renovation and hope it is more restoration than renovation♥️

[@JohnnyYou]

We are keeping everything we can keep except for the nonfunctional bathrooms that lack showers and any item that has no historical significance like the kitchen that was installed sometime in the 80s or 90s. Definitely keeping the wood and staircase and trim and original fireplaces and windows!

[@lisajackson1964]

I immediately recognized your house. I used to live at 48th and Campbell and when we would go trick or treating, we’d go over to the richer area with the mansions that were close to the Nelson Art Gallery. This would have been about 1963. Your house was standing derelict at that time with broken windows and open shutters hanging loose, so we thought of it as a haunted house. Most of the other houses were in good repair and there were wealthy people still living there. I moved away, but years later I drove by and was glad to see it had been renovated. I hope the house proves to be a blessing to you. It’s great that you are putting your love and attention into it. When the Plaza flooded in 1977, due to flash floods in Brush Creek, that whole block of 48th and Campbell was flooded and the houses later demolished. Now Kaufman Memorial Park is built where some of the houses stood. There was a Trolley Barn at the corner of 48th and Troost and up until the late 50’s, trolley cars still ran along Troost Avenue. I remember they still had some buses on electrical cables running in the early 60’s, but they were no longer on trolley tracks. We loved to go to the Nelson on Sundays for matinee movies and upstairs there was a residential drawing room in the gallery that was from William Rockhill Nelson’s home. In the lower level they had art classes for kids and there were fancy wood trimmed working telephone booths.

[@thearbrailia]

Doug Bates painting could probably restore that mural. He is not only a skilled interior painter but a very good fine artist as well. He serves the whole KC Metro.

[@NurseMorgs]

You could always do a stone wall in the front instead of the wrought iron for noise and privacy, especially if there’s something similar elsewhere in the area. Making it like an enclosed English garden could be really special and include a secret garden type of door and people walking by could even peak through. Flush mount chandeliers could be really pretty too for the low ceilings!

[@JohnnyYou]

True! We are trying to find some good lighting ideas! Love all the recommendations!!

[@user-fw6bo5fh4r]

So happy you are preserving this before it continues to deteriorate. Great view from fantastic glassed-in porch. Best of luck with renovations

[@greenbean1905]

I was hoping someone would buy this house! I'm excited to see how you preserve it and what you do to it.

[@JohnnyYou]

Thank you! We are excited!!

[@mikeallmon6437]

I went through this house a couple of times-that wallpaper is really worth cleaning and saving. Also suggest some screening shrubbery infant of the existing iron fence to promote privacy and sound screen.

[@terrecisco2467]

My parents married in KC and I love this mansion. God bless your efforts. Looking g forward to following your progress.

[@JohnnyYou]

Can't wait to share more!!

[@awilson1214]

What are you doing with the beautiful historic windows? There is a great company in town that rehabs historic windows. Makes them energy efficient, keeps historic character, keeps beautiful old wood and glass out of landfill. :)

[@chippayne8930]

Guys! So exciting!!!

[@benrezac6247]

This going to be awesome!

[@franceshindsman1438]

I can't wait to see how it comes out.

[@Jules_WWJD]

You guys are adorable!!! So excited to see the transformation 😊❤

[@JohnnyYou]

Thank you so much Jules!

[@derikdeanl]

Could you have a muralist recreate the wallpaper?

[@JuleeSanders-uc9kp]

The mural just needs some touchups and doesn't need to be repainted. I hope rhey kerp this since it's an original in irreplaceable, like most of the house

[@millennialeconomics9145]

Ive been keeping my eye on this property ever since I saw it listed. Can't wait to see what you do with it. Ill be following along.

[@JohnnyYou]

Thank you so much!!

[@LootFam]

Beautiful house! Can’t wait to see where this goes!

[@JohnnyYou]

Us too! Thanks for watching

[@costrow3100]

I lived down the street on Rockhill. Loved my home but over the years there weren’t enough old home specialists that understood the issues and understood how to remedy problems. Also once totally rehabbed my insurance and property taxes tripled. My advice - don’t fix or replace what isn’t broken. Kansas City has terrible schools so this house was once in a thriving Parish and had large families. My daughter’s private school across from Loose Park today costs over $20,000 year for 1 child. We paid the equivalent + paid ever increasing school taxes for a school system that has been mostly unaccredited for 30 to 40 years. Your home may also pay more in taxes because it sides on a boulevard. This home isn’t technically on Rockhill. There’s a reason why this home was sadly deserted for years. Rehabbing will cost about a half million. Work on plumbing issues first. Your toilets on the 2nd and 3rd fl probably have concrete that was poured over the pipes so you will need it all the plumbing replaced all the way to the fixture. You will also need to undo past rehabs with shoddy repairs. A new roof could also be another 100,000 if you already have 2 layers of roofing.

[@adrienneworstell3797]

You should use Wes Edwin Design in NKC for your kitchen!

[@grantwithers]

Very nice man

[@JohnnyYou]

Thanks!

[@suerehder-long8287]

Remove the ugly fence in the back and plant a living fence!

[@spongebob-ek1fp]

So many bad financial decisions made at such a young age. Poor guy will have a video that will haunt him for the rest of his life.

[@JohnnyYou]

Thank you for calling this 37-year old guy who has been in real estate for 12 years "young". Means so much :)

[@janiceking2843]

I think a water feature in the back &/or the front will help block street noises. As far as landscaping, try to stick with natives as much as possible.

[@josiahtombley58]

Let’s go!!!

[@brockreynolds870]

The person you bought it from purchased it in 2019 for 283,000.

[@JohnnyYou]

Crazy :/

[@JuleeSanders-uc9kp]

I hope you realize the walls you're talking about tearing out for space are structural walls. They are all there for a reason. It sounds like you plan on restructuring the dynamics of the entire house...in a time crunch on a budget

[@JohnnyYou]

Just because there is a "time crunch" doesn't mean we aren't doing due diligence. We hired engineers to fix the neglected home! So sad previous owners didn't care for it better!

[@pamfuller3740]

So you want to put the tub in front of the window for the world to see you naked? Not sure I would like that. Windows I love , but not to allow people to watch me go to the bathroom or take a shower. lol

[@denisebunker6674]

I normally don’t do negative comments …. But I’m not sure why you bought this old home? Will be interesting to see what you do to the home. Might be sad.

[@JuleeSanders-uc9kp]

Apparently you're not a fan of historic mansions. This house is listed on both the local and national historic registry. They don't build gems like this anymore

[@b0borden437]

I would have liked to see the tour without all your yakking about what you might do. Couldn't watch the rest:(

[@Nowayjose-vd1wm]

Soooo we bought an amazing histoic mansion...and now we are going to make it a McMansion YAY! Why not just buy a mansion that's already built to your specs instead of destroying this one? Sorry I really was hoping to get behind this reno...then I heard your guy best friend say he was going to rip out a wall for that open concept....honestly wtf is wrong with millennials? That's right, the Kardashians happened and now every one is a vapid pack of twatts.❤

[@tracimorris3973]

You’re ruining this home. If you wanted a modern open concept why wouldn’t you buy one? There’s hardly any craftsmen left who can do the work that’s in it and you’re thrashing it. Please at least donate what you rip out. So upset. It’s a sad shame.

[@JuleeSanders-uc9kp]

I grew up in this house and lived in it on and off over 45 years, including the 6 months after my father passed away. This historic gem is irreplaceable. To truly restore a structure one needs time and money. As a flipper he has stated they're in a time crunch with a limited budget.Tearing down walls for space, tearing out the original bathrooms and relocating them, moving the kitchen into the dining area ( the kitchen was an add on sometime after the 1920s and leaks due to the skylight so I don't care about it, I just don't want to see the original dining room ruined). The mural on the second floor can be retouched. The rewiring can be done by opening up the walls .Now there are some mechanical things, like a new furnace/Hvac and mold removal. If they follow through with what this video represents it sounds more like a modernization, not a restoration. Also, this house was never abandoned, it was on the market for a while ( the realtor didn't stage it or really do anything to try to sell it). It also was never the Rockhill Club or a Hunting Lodge. It was a guesthouse.

[@JohnnyYou]

oh yes. removing the dangerous electric, fixing the sinking foundation, and creating functional bathrooms with showers and an actual kitchen without mold is "ruining it"....You are so kind :)

[@JohnnyYou]

@@JuleeSanders-uc9kp you mean the bathroom that has no showers and is sinking because of wood rot and the tub could have at anytime fell on someone's head on the first floor? If you loved this house so much, you should have taken care of it and not let it go!

[@KimOrlandini]

You can absolutely have a fireplace in a bathroom. 😏 🛁