A couple wanted their Newtown Square house fixed up, so much so they were willing to live in the home’s third-floor attic for three months with their young children while remodeling was underway.
Their 19th-century fixer-upper needed a lot of work, writes Terri Akman for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
In 2021, Erica and Joel Edwards moved to their current home from a rowhouse in Fishtown.
The 5,500-square-foot Georgian Colonial, built in 1896, was the perfect property for Erica and Joel to use their building and design expertise.
Erica owns EM Edwards Group, a design-build company, and Joel owns JI Edwards Construction. Both companies are based in Newtown Square.
“We love the character of old homes,” said Erica. “When we found this home that needed so much work, we knew we had to make the move here.”
It was a nine-month renovation. For the first six months, Erica, Joel, their three young children, and their rescue dog, Pita, lived in a nearby rental.
For the last three months, they all hung out in the attic of the remodeled home.
“We were pumping on all cylinders,” recalled Joel. “It was very physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging.”
Read details about the work to restore the Newtown Square house’s historical character in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on DELCO Today in April 2025.
