When searching for a new home to buy, you probably ask yourself lots of questions to make sure it’s what you want. For example, how many bedrooms and bathrooms are there? Is it a one- or two-car garage? Are the rooms open concept or closed off? Is there a bathtub? The list goes on and on.

Some people prefer to buy a home move-in ready and styled to their liking so they don’t have to do any work to it. But others choose to buy a home they can fix up into their own. The latter can be a great option you have experience with remodeling homes and know what you’re in for—especially when you choose a structure that’s over 200 years old.

That’s just what Ian Bottomley and Sally Onions did when they decided to buy the St. Nicholas Church—a church built in the 1700s that was abandoned for about 20 years. It contained headstones in the front yard, plus the structure was decaying. But that didn’t scare them away at all. In fact, they thought it would make the perfect structure for their family’s home!

The couple bought the church, located in Kyloe, Northumberland, England, about six miles from England’s Northumberland coast, back in 2002. They then spent the next six years restoring it, creating it into their new home.

Built in 1792, the church was standing when they purchased it, but it was hardly in pristine condition. They absolutely adored the 18th century feel to the space, but just wanted to bring it up to date that they could live in comfortably in the modern world.

The two decided to keep a lot of the original exterior architectural and stone features, so the home looks pretty similar to its original design on the outside. But the moment you step inside, you won’t believe how they reimagined the space.

First, of course, they started the renovation by adding modern-day amenities such as electricity, under-floor heating and state-of-the art appliances. That immediately helped bring the home up to date.

As far as design and style goes, they wanted to make sure to keep much of the original elements, like the huge vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows, which appear in many rooms of the home and give it an old-school charm that’s hard to come by these days.

It’s truly an extraordinary and beautiful renovation. You’ve really got to see it to believe it!

Check out the video below for a room-by-room tour of the home. You’ll get to see every room in the home—from the bedrooms to bathrooms and kitchen, and just how amazing and comfortable this couple made it.

Can you believe this home dates back to the 1700s? How amazing is this abandoned church-to-comfy home transformation? Would you ever choose to live here? Did you ever think a structure this old could look the way it does now?

Tell us: Have you ever renovated an old home? How did the final product turn out?