Iowa couple turns abandoned fire station into dream family home

Steven and Ashley Evans, a couple from Iowa, have turned an abandoned fire station in Cedar Rapids into their dream family home. The Evans first saw the fire station as children while attending high school nearby; they always dreamed of living there. In 2016, when the abandoned fire station became available for $125,000, Steven, then 40, put in a surprise $90,000 offer and purchased it, unaware his wife Ashley, 33, was working as a dermatology nurse and he owned multiple rental properties.

The fire station had been abandoned for years and was covered in mold when they first visited. Despite the safety hazards, they took the risk and began the renovation process. The 3,100-square-foot property originally listed as a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home came with no walls, electricity, or a functioning toilet. Over the course of the renovation, they spent $80,000 on repairs and upgrades, including $10,000 for a kitchen addition and $22,000 for a new roof.

They kept original elements like the hose tower and historic plaque, and added modern touches such as a theater room and a playroom styled like a soccer field. In 2019, they refinanced the original loan and now pay around $3,190 monthly for their mortgage, while also using a home equity line of credit for a kitchen renovation. The couple plans to keep the fire station as their home, adding another house near the property for their family and renting out the renovated fire station on Airbnb.