HGTV is Coming to Upstate New York to Highlight ‘Cheap Old Houses’

HGTV is coming to Upstate New York.

'Cheap Old Houses,' showcases historical real estate, all under $150,000, all across the country. Hosts Ethan and Elizabeth Finkelstein of Nyack, New York will travel America looking for low-priced older houses.

The HGTV show will kick off the season in Amsterdam, New York, touring a large 1900s Victorian home with a detached carriage house. It's then on to Fort Plain to see a huge 1850s home with a 1950s retro vibe.

During their travels, Ethan and Elizabeth also will stop in Greenwich to visit a saved old schoolhouse that has been meticulously restored. The one-room schoolhouse, originally built in 1850 is now called Gramp's Old School.

Jill Teft bought the property and preserved many features including the original chalkboards and floors. "My grandfather attended the school in the 1940s and my father and I have spent two and a half years rehabilitating it," Jill said.

You'll find many original items in the schoolhouse that the students once used, including the bathroom sink, chalkboards, and coat hooks. The exterior is exactly the same, including the sign that reads "District No. 11 Established 1850." Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

"We've repurposed much of the original building materials," said Jill. "The large kitchen island is clad in barn board from a shed that once stood on the property. You can find children's initials and dates if you look closely. There's even a drawing of a chicken signed by a former student on a piece of trim that we couldn't bear to paint over."

Cheap Old Houses will premiere on HGTV on August 9 with 'Time Warp in Upstate New York.”