Couple ditches the split-entry of their Hamilton area home and documents it on social media
Andrew, a journeyman carpenter, and Sabrina, who worked in the health care field, became social media sensations after posting videos of their DIY projects on TikTok during COVID.
They decided to ditch the split-entry of the 1,500-square-foot Hamilton area home they bought in 2020. That project and accompanying interior renovations inspired their YouTube series, Ditching the Split, Sabrina & Andrew — YouTube, which has 1.4 million subscribers. (Their TikTok account, AspenAckley has 2.5 million followers).
They recently completed the reno that started in spring 2024.
'We'd done some renos before, but not to this scale,' Sabrina says. 'I've always been a crafty person and I love decorating and design, but had no formal training. Andrew taught me everything I needed to know.' They did all the work for the reno themselves, except for shingling the roof, and Andrew's bricklayer dad assisted with stonework.
'I'd never seen anyone do this before,' Sabrina says of ditching the split-entry. 'We planned it ourselves. We wanted the exterior to look cohesive, not obviously like an old house with a new reno.'
Andrew created the visuals on Auto CAD, then an architectural designer created 3D renderings and drawings to submit for permits.
They started by digging post holes for new footings for the porch, then removed the exterior brick. Because they were adding gables, new roof trusses proved less expensive than modifying the old ones. They removed half of the old roof and vaulted the ceiling in the open concept living, dining and kitchen area.
The most challenging aspects were building the porch during a heat wave, lifting heavy plywood and rushing to finish the roof in one week before a storm moved in. They shot the YouTube series themselves while simultaneously doing the work.
'We kept moments of tension in the videos, as we felt that made it more relatable,' says Sabrina. 'We've been together 14 years. This isn't our first project. It's so much more fun doing it with your spouse when you love to spend time together.'
The success of their videos resulted in them becoming full-time content-creators, although Andrew still takes on carpentry jobs.
Now, they are creating a pond and doing more landscaping in the backyard.
'We are reaching the point where we are ready to relax after five years doing projects on this house,' says Sabrina. 'We want to enjoy summer and appreciate the work we've done.'
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