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Tyler and Lauren Bouldin bought a deteriorating 1830s home in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, at auction in late 2020 after searching for nearly a year. The available account does not verify the widely repeated claims that they won by accident or paid $460,000. What it does document is a major renovation—and their decision to replace a neglected, potentially failing pool with a garden.
What condition was the house in when they bought it?
Tyler told PEOPLE that the couple encountered extensive damage: “The main level had no floors, the grand staircase was falling down and the kitchen was gone entirely,” he recalled. “The pool was an uncovered, unfenced pit full of black water and snakes.”
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The Bouldins had expected their home renovation to take about a year. It took four and a half years before the family could move in, according to PEOPLE’s June 21, 2026 feature by Tereza Shkurtaj.
Why did they remove the pool?
The pool was not simply an outdated feature that needed cosmetic work. Tyler said the initial quote to make it usable was approximately $50,000 minimum, before additional work on the cement patio and fencing and the cost of rerunning water lines and underground wiring. He put it this way: “When we finally received a quote from the world’s nicest pool guy, seriously, we found it would be [approximately] $50K minimum to get the pool to the point that it could be used. Then we’d have additional costs to repair the cement patio, fencing and rerun water lines and wiring underground.”
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Demolition also revealed a structural concern: Tyler said the pool lining was badly rusted and likely would have leaked and collapsed if it had been relined. For this property, the family weighed that condition and the costs of restoration against creating a usable garden space. Their choice reflects their circumstances, not a general cost rule for other pools or properties.
What did the pool-to-garden conversion cost?
PEOPLE reported that demolition, excavation, landscaping repairs and garden beds together cost roughly $15,500. That figure describes the pool-area conversion, not the four-and-a-half-year house renovation. Tyler estimated that the finished garden project would cost about 25% of replacing the pool; that is his estimate, not an independently audited comparison.
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The reported figures have different scopes, so they should not be treated as a like-for-like quote for another project:
| Figure | What it covers | Attribution |
|---|---|---|
| Approximately $50,000 minimum | Quote to make the existing pool usable; patio, fencing, water lines and underground wiring would add costs. | Tyler Bouldin, quoted by PEOPLE in 2026 |
| Roughly $15,500 | Pool demolition, excavation, landscaping repairs and garden beds. | PEOPLE’s 2026 report |
| About 25% of pool replacement cost | Tyler’s estimate for the completed garden conversion as a share of replacing the pool. | Tyler Bouldin, quoted by PEOPLE in 2026 |
What materials did the family use?
The garden design includes powder-coated steel raised beds and Corten steel edging. The couple also planned to use cedar beams for a future pergola. PEOPLE did not identify brands or models for these materials.
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Tyler described prioritizing durability over a faster or cheaper initial build: “I’m always willing to spend more initially to do it right the first time, even if it adds to my timeline. I want to be gardening here for years without rebuilding every spring.”
Did they really win the auction by accident, and was the price $460,000?
PEOPLE’s accessible June 21, 2026 feature confirms that the Bouldins bought the Pine Grove property at auction in late 2020, but it does not state the sale price or say that an accidental gesture won the bid. Those details therefore remain unverified in the reported account and should not be presented as established facts.
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How did viewers respond to the garden?
PEOPLE reported that the couple’s garden-reveal video drew 1.3 million views and described debate among viewers over whether they should have kept a pool. The view total is PEOPLE’s reported figure, not an independently verified platform analytics figure.
Tyler acknowledged the trade-off: “It’s hard to compare what a pool would have given us — since we never got to experience it in place — but I can say that we turned a horrible eyesore into a functional and beautiful space, which feels great!”
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