“Gutted half the place”: Homeowner says he poured $120k into fixing up his house—only to face tripled taxes after reassessment
A TikTok rant about rising property taxes has gone viral, sparking debate over the cost of homeownership in America. Creator Mr. Sextant (@mrsextant) said he bought his house 15 years ago for $130,000 when it was “a complete dump,” and after investing $120,000 of his own money to renovate it, the city reassessed its value.
The result: his property taxes are set to triple, leaving him questioning whether he can even afford to stay in the home he rebuilt.
“My taxes are gonna triple… It’s getting to the point where I can’t even afford to buy a live-in a house that I bought almost 15 years ago,” he said in the Aug. 25, 2025 video, which has racked up 78,000 views on TikTok and 5.2 million views on X.com
Mr. Sextant’s housing predicament ignited a conversation that reflected a public divided along political and economic lines. Commenters who commiserated with Mr. Sextant’s description of rising prices echoed the sentiment that unchecked tax increases hurt long-term real estate holders. @none80541 wrote, “they’re taxing us out of our homes…”
Others reacted to the post with less sympathy and pointed out that renovations increase property values, which incur higher taxes, and property tax rates tend to go up over time. “Time to downsize and stop whining,” commented @BlackLabelAdvsr.
“The price of everything has doubled”
In his video, Mr. Sextant shared a clip of his property and said, “Bought this place for a little over 130K. It was a complete f***ing dump, inside and out. Since I have purchased it, I’ve put about $120,000 cash into it. Well, they come along and reassess it. My taxes are gonna triple.”
He explained that he did all the work to the house on his own. “I busted my a** inside and out,” he said. “Landscaping, f***ing roof. Gutted half the place.”
Mr. Sextant lamented the fact that the property taxes, according to his home’s reassessed value and tax rate increases, could price him out of a home he built and lived in for almost 15 years.
The TikTok creator spoke about the rising cost of living and claimed, “The price of everything has doubled.”
@mrsextant ♬ original sound – Mr Sextant
Many TikTok users commented that they oppose the entire concept of property taxes, and Mr. Sextant’s post resonated with people who said they’re struggling too.
“I’ve never understood why we have to pay taxes on what we own..it’s ours..”
“Paychecks haven’t doubled. I’m struggling too.”
“Now imagine you’re in your mid 20s looking to buy your first home 😅.”
Prices have gone up, but they haven’t “doubled”
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index, the buying power of $100 has decreased by about 47% since 2010, when Mr. Sextant said he bought his home.
Property tax rates vary depending on location. Rates ranged from .32% to 1.83% in 2023. From 2023 to 2024, the average property tax payment in the U.S. rose by 5.5%.
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The post “Gutted half the place”: Homeowner says he poured $120k into fixing up his house—only to face tripled taxes after reassessment appeared first on The Daily Dot.
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