Renovating a Century-Old Home: Gia’s Unexpected Discoveries and Challenges

When Gia inherited her grandmother’s 100-year-old home in New York, she braced herself for the challenges of renovation. However, one unexpected hurdle became prominent: a persistent smell. Gia’s grandmother’s property, passed down to her and her sister, needed extensive renovations.

Stress is common among those renovating homes. Block Renovation’s 2025 report, involving over 1,000 homeowners, showed 85% endured stress due to renovation projects. Additionally, 57% faced ‘renovation fatigue’—burnout from delays and decisions involved. Gia understood these challenges, saying, ‘We knew it needed work, but after opening up the walls, we found a lot more than expected.’

The 100-year-old home yielded intriguing discoveries during renovations, yet Gia faced unpleasant ones too. Gas supply and electrical issues often kept her outside, where the smell became prominent. The house had previously suffered a mouse infestation, affecting the basement’s odor.

‘Initially, I thought the basement smell just stuck with me, but it worsened over time,’ Gia noted. As temperatures rose, the smell intensified. Gia embarked on identifying the source, focusing on a crawled space under the porch, untouched for decades.

Her grandfather had extended a concrete deck with wood, leaving a crawl space underneath filled with roofing and construction materials. During renovations, Gia discovered another crawl space—a ‘concrete box with a small window entry.’

Despite her aversion to small spaces, Gia identified the odor emanating from this area. Initially mistaking it for a dog, she discovered it was a raccoon, its remains mummified. With veterinary industry experience, Gia was no stranger to dead animals, yet the discovery haunted her.

‘I didn’t sleep that night, convinced there were more,’ she said. The next day—during sweltering heat—she unearthed more remains, including an opossum skull, a bird, chicken bones, and a mummified cat.

‘The cat might have been trapped or exposed to the chemicals down there,’ Gia explained, noting antifreeze and other substances present. Removing these remains took several hours, but fortunately, the smell has dissipated. Renovations, however, continue.

‘We keep encountering issues,’ Gia stated, having already hired junk removal teams twice, with more anticipated. The cleaning tasks extend to the garage and half of the basement. Despite ongoing efforts to make the home livable, Gia remains hopeful.

‘Hopefully, by doing the work ourselves, we can keep the house in the family,’ she expressed. ‘I’m fortunate that my boyfriend is a plumber and my dad is a contractor, but there’s a long road ahead.’