The abandoned homes of Philadelphia: Austin Hodges documents houses left to rot

However, if caught early enough, the beauty of these forgotten properties can still be seen. Just look at Austin Hodges's photography series, for example.

Based in South Philadelphia, Hodges noticed an abundance of decaying houses. He soon became fascinated by their stories: "Abandoned homes tell a story, from when it was built, who owned it and how/why the home got left to rot. So I made it a mission of mine to document as many of the homes in Philadelphia as possible.

"When I photograph these homes, I only put the neighbourhood that it's in. It's a way to map out where I've been, and it's a good way to show people the many neighbourhoods we have here in Philadelphia. Recently I've been exploring the city of Chester, PA and Camden, NJ. My goal is to document the homes here, because they are beautiful, whether they are abandoned or just unique. One day the abandoned homes will be demolished and replaced."

Discover more of Austin's work at www.austinxc04.us and on Instagram.