Daughters Left Alone for One Week, Leaving Parents’ Home Unrecognizable

When Chip and Karen left their four kids at home they were worried the teenagers would destroy the house. But what they saw upon their return was even more shocking than anything they could have imagined...

The Big Announcement

After an entire week spent anxiously waiting, the day had finally come. Four sisters from South Carolina were watching the road by their house, anticipating their parents' arrival back home to show them their surprise.

They had spent 7 days planning the revelation and now all they could do was wonder how their mom and dad would react to what they had in store. Would they cry, or would they be shocked? Their questions would soon be answered as they saw their parents coming their way…

How It All Started

The idea for the surprise had started weeks before that very moment. For many years the Schoonover parents, Chip and Karen, had devoted their time and energy to raising their daughters. But now the kids were older, and they were ready for some much-needed alone time.

Though they had gone on many trips in the past, they were accompanied by their four daughters on all of them. In fact, they were already planning an upcoming family vacation for the approaching holiday season. But the busy parents had decided that they were finally due to go on a vacay just the two of them!

The Deciding Point

Chip and Karen were planning a trip filled with absolutely no responsibilities, so they could finally get some desired rest. Yet, of course, they also wanted to ensure their daughters would still be all right at home, despite them being old enough to care for themselves. Because, after all, three of them were still teenagers.

Since Heather, the oldest of the four moved out of the home to live with her husband, it would just be the others in the house. So with the eldest gone, the parents were worried their teenage daughters might take advantage of having no adult supervision. But they could have never guessed what the girls would do while alone.

No Assumptions

While Chip and Karen had seen how teenagers behave while left alone at home in movies, they weren't too concerned that their daughters would go wild. Luckily, their children were responsible and obedient. So their worry was more geared toward the girls' friends and how they could convince them to misbehave.

The parents were well aware that a party might take place at their house while they were off enjoying their travels. And with that, they also knew they could potentially come back home to a messy and untamed home. Little did they know what their daughters had planned…

4H Club

Being four girls close in age, the sisters were inevitably all very close to one another, and shared many things in common. In fact, not only did they all have the same family name, but their first names all started with the same letter: Heather, Hollie, Halice, and Haley.

The 4H club had a tight connection, but despite their bond, the four sisters all had varying interests. Hollie and Haley both shared a hobby of enjoying creative activities. And on the other hand, Halice and Heather had a passion for education, with both of them going on to earn a college degree.

Head of the Pack

Growing up, Heather was always the one in charge of the 4H club, but once she went to live with her hubby, the second eldest, Hollie, became the head of the girl pack. She was the one who initiated the idea of how to surprise their parents once they got back from their trip.

Hollie knew that her great plan couldn't be executed alone. If things were to go as planned, she needed her other two sisters to help her out. The leader of the teenagers was nervous they wouldn't be up for the challenge, so to convince her sisters, she called a 4H club meeting.

Recruiting Help

Halice and Haley were ready to hear what their big sis Hollie had arranged. They listened as she told them she wanted to devise an unbelievable Christmas surprise for their mom and dad upon their arrival. While they hesitated at first, the two girls eventually were on board with the exciting plan.

The second that Chip and Karen said their goodbyes and drove off the three teenagers got to work! They didn’t have much time before their parent's vacation came to an end and they had absolutely no minute to spare if they wanted everything to be perfect.

Combined Effort

Hollie, Hallice, and Haley used their combined knowledge to assemble a master plan. But it wasn't quite done yet...because after a lot of brainstorming the girls came to the conclusion that they were missing one key factor in their plan – their big sister Heather.

They called up their married sister and explained their project, not knowing how she would react. Luckily, without hesitation, Heather immediately jumped on board and headed down to her childhood home. She knew that Hollie had definitely created a genius plan and she was ready to help in any way she could.

Recording The Process

Each girl brought a different aspect to the table. Hollie might have set up all the details, but her younger sister Haley came up with the idea that took the project to a whole new level. The creative teenager had always loved filming her family's special moments, and this surprise was no exception.

Thankfully she had loads of experience as a behind-the-scenes camera woman. For years, she cultivated her talent by capturing anything from the big emotional moments to casual makeup videos with Hollie. It was all leading up to this moment and Haley was positive she was the right person for the job!

Past Memories Enhanced

The ​​Schoonover sisters had spent all of their childhood in their home located in North Myrtle Beach. It was here where many important experiences took place. Chip and Karen knew it was the right place to raise a family and even the right place to retire in once their kids grew up and moved out.

Although the devoted parents had planned to live in the house forever, it had become a tad run down after all those years with four girls running around. From the never-ending junk pile to the ruined wallpaper, it was clear the residence needed a major upgrade. But Chip and Karen could never find the time to do the work…

Week Long Plan

The 4H club was eager to help out their parents by giving the house a ‘Project Makeover.’ Even though they only had seven days and no real experience in the field, they were determined to complete the job. Using their step-by-step plan, the girls knew they could eventually manage all the work by the end of the week.

The makeover included many large components, so to ensure they finished on time, the girls spread out the workload into smaller steps. But regardless of the meticulously thought out plan, the teenagers would end up having to deal with many unexpected complications.

The Clean Up

Before getting to the big stuff, it was important to do a major cleanup. This involved all four of the girls getting down and dirty scrubbing and washing nearly every inch of their home. They assumed it would take a couple of hours, but after spending the whole day throwing junk away, they started to get worried about time.

It took more time than expected to look through all of their things deciding what they should keep and what they should get rid of. Throughout the process, Haley made sure to document everything in the video to show their parents. “You guys have a lot of stuff,” the youngest sister said looking tired into the camera.

Barely Scratching the Surface

Finally, the tedious day was coming to an end. The 4H club was happy with the work they had already accomplished, but they knew they had way more ahead of them. They couldn't wait to finally get started on the big remodeling now that all the cleaning was done. And the girls knew exactly what they would tackle first.

The house had a carpet that had been there for years collecting dirt and grim. It was drab and destroyed and the girls knew it needed to be taken out if they were really going to turn the place inside out. After tugging the carpet out the makeover officially started to come to life...there was no turning back now.

Furniture Upgrade

Now that the old carpet was gone, the old furniture also needed to be removed. The determined daughters cleared out all the bedrooms, the kitchen, and the living room. By that point, the house had looked like an empty canvas, but luckily, the new furniture they had ordered in advance was on its way!

Although they did get rid of all the things that had looked outdated, they made sure to keep everything that had significant value to them and their parents. Instead, they just fixed up the things they kept. It was another long day filled with extensive work, and the girls started to worry that they were in over their heads.

Fake It Till You Make It

The girls' excitement had led them to not realize that this job was a lot more than they could handle. Despite Hollie having some experience in renovations, the others had never accomplished a project like this before. They thought they could wing it, but eventually, they decided they needed a professional to help.

The 4H club were avid fans of ‘Project Makeover’ and after watching many episodes of the show where days of work were shown to be completed in a few hours the girls believed they too could have their makeover done in seven days. But things aren't always how they seem on TV and as the days flew by, the girls started to freak out.

Race Against Time

No matter how many hours they spent working on the renovations, it seemed like they were getting nowhere. Once they finished one task, they had a dozen more. And it didn't seem to help that because of their busy schedules, only two sisters coil be working on the house at once.

It got to the point where Heather needed to bring in some backup and get her husband to help. Together they painted the walls, installed new kitchen appliances, and redid the cabinets. Still, the team was even close to finishing their surprise. And there was one day left till their parents would walk through the front door…

The Last Hours

It had been six days of building, cleaning, and reorganizing, in just a few hours Chip and Karen would return home only to see that their home looked like it was still under construction. The girls knew what they needed to do if they wanted the project to be done on time... even though they had hoped it wouldn’t come to this.

The 4H club and Heather's husband were willing to do whatever it took to complete the mega makeover, even if that meant having to pull an all-nighter to make sure everything was in super shape. They became chugging energy drinks to ensure could get it all done, but despite their efforts, they still needed more time.

Stalling

Luckily, the girls put their brains together to come up with a plan that would hopefully buy them a few extra minutes without their parents. They knew how badly Chip and Karen missed having Heather at home and how excited they would get if they were surprised by their eldest daughter showing up.

So even if it only stalled their mom and dad for even 15 minutes they decided that Heather would stand on the driveway as her parents pulled up. That way they could reunite and say their hellos for some time outside of the house, while on the inside the three other girls completed the finishing touches.

Last Minute Panic

As Chip and Karen made their way home, they were nervously excited to see their girls. They had no idea if their daughters had left the house a mess or what kind of other antics the teenagers probably did while they were away. Little did they know the surprise that awaited them behind the front door was a good one.

And they weren’t the only ones who were anxious. The 4H club couldn’t wait any longer to see how their parents would react to what they had done to the house. They had many worries about whether or not they would be happy and grateful or upset about all the changes. Now all they could do was wait.

A Warm Welcome Home

As the parents of four drove up the driveway they were greeted by their first surprise! Their eldest daughter had come back home and they couldn't wait to jump out of the car and give her a hug. Their happiness seeing Heather made them instantly forget all their concerns…until Karen turned her head to look at the front porch.

Immediately Karen teased, “Alright, who cleaned the house?” She had no idea that it was just more than a clean house that she was about to walk into. Her daughters had come together to put together probably the most generous surprise Chip and Karen had ever received from their kids.

The Moment They Were Waiting For

It hadn't even been five minutes since their return and Chip and Karen already had a million and one questions for their daughters since they had asked their parents to take deep breaths as they walked towards the entrance of their home. What could the girls possibly be hiding behind the door?

Hollie explained to her parents that they would soon understand why Heather was there and that she was one of many surprises to come. The thoughts began rushing through Karen's mind. What kind of a disaster had gone on that the girls called their big sister to come? As she walked into the house she was shaking from nervousness.

An Upgraded Kitchen

The emotional moment was captured on camera by Haley as her mom started crying the second she saw her brand up home. She was overwhelmed with feelings as she looked around the kitchen and not only saw that the mess she left behind was cleaned but everything had gotten a makeover!

The outdated and torn wallpaper was now covered by a light blue paint, and the cracked cabinets had been replaced with a more modern, lustrious dark tone. The girls had even redid the granite countertop that complimented the white curtains on the kitchen window. It was just the start of the tour but Karen was already in shock.

Living Room Makeover

The kitchen was just the beginning of all the amazing changes the 4H club had accomplished. Up next the Schoonover walked towards the living room to show Chip and Karen that they no longer had a dirty blue carpet, but instead were welcomed by fresh hardwood floors. They also quickly noticed their new brown leather couches.

As Karen scanned the room she admired the up-to-date coffee table, rug, side table, and freshly painted walls. “Oh my gosh,” she said under her breath, still in disbelief at what she was seeing. She was eager to see what else her daughters had done and quickly they started walking to the bedrooms.

The Master Bedroom

The kitchen and living room might have made Chip and Karen emotional, but nothing could compare to how they felt the second their eyes saw their upgraded bedroom. Instantly tears started flowing in Karen's eyes as she noticed just how much work her girls had put into this project.

Not only was the master bedroom redone but so were the guest rooms, and they looked like something straight out of a home magazine. Just like the kitchen, the walls were freshly painted with a light blue color and the girls had included fresh hardwood floors that matched the new bedroom and artwork placed on the wall.

A Lasting Memory

Just as planned Haley ensured that every part of the process from the cleaning to the first reactions was all caught on camera. The ups and downs of the intensive project could forever be looked back on thanks to the youngest sister. But the first viewing of it would be watched on Christmas as the ultimate gift for their parents.

Before showing Chip and Karen the video, Haley edited the clips to create a very touching video for the Schoonover family. But, they weren’t the only ones who would watch it because the girl had posted it on their Youtube channel, The4HClub for friends and family to enjoy. Little did they know how it would blow up.

Sharing The Happy Moment

Every person in the family reshared the video onto their social media accounts to spread the love. Instantly their friends and families shared comments admiring the girls' hard work. And while the Schoonover thought that only those closest to them would watch it, it quickly began spreading around the internet.

More and more people viewed the video and Haley was happy to see all the incredible messages people were sending them. They were told how touching and heartwarming their project had made them feel. In no time at all nearly everyone in their town had seen their Christmas surprise video. But this was just the start…

Trending Online

One day Haley was looking at a national newspaper when she came across a picture of herself and her other sisters on the front page! The outlet has apparently taken an interest in her family's story and decided to share it with its readers. Their fame had gone to levels they never expect it to reach.

The continued to go viral all across the country with more and more news outlets sharing their incredible Christmas makeover surprise. The Schoonovers were even invited by local news channels to come to talk about the experience on TV. The viewing numbers on the video got higher and higher with each passing day.

More Than Anticipated

What started as a small idea turned into an unbelievable experience. Not only did the girls renovate their homes without much experience, but they also surprised their parents while also going viral all over the nation. But through all of it, the most important thing to the girls was their parent's happiness with the remodel.

Karen opened up about her thoughts to a news channel, “I kind of expected to come home to a clean house, but not a totally new house.” She and her husband could have never been prepared for what their daughters were going to actually do. And of course, they were deeply appreciative of all the hard work they put in.

Motivating Others

After weeks of attention, their viral video started to get less attention, and the girls and their parents started going about their normal day-to-day lives. But still, they would never forget how the renovation was a major success and how much they were able to inspire other people all over the country.

Their efforts and generosity showed not just their friends and families but also strangers that going above and beyond for family means so much. The teenagers motivated people everywhere that with some determination and a plan, anything can be achieved. Even in just one week!

Ultimate Dream Team

The Schoonover girls also walked away with an important lesson that was more than just showing others kindness. They finally realized how crucial teamwork can be. If they had not worked together the project wouldn't have turned out the way it did. Nd even today, they all share admiration for Geocaching.

Once again, they use their combined efforts to steer their way to various small treasures using previously found coordinates. Clearly, this activity is a great one for the sisters who love to collaborate to create unbelievable experiences. Who knows what other incredible journies these 4 will be up to next?