6 Beautifully Quirky Second-Act Spaces That Can Be Your Next Home
These renovated spaces have unbelievable transformations–and they're all for sale.
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These creatively converted homes—from an awe-inspiring chapel to a smartly outfitted schoolhouse—offer major restoration inspiration.
Wesley, AR
The former Drake Town Hotel is now a five-bedroom, two-bath antiques-filled residence situated creekside on 4 acres. Relax on a starlit evening inside the grotto, located just behind the home.
Agent: Marla Hargus; allnwahomes.com or zillow.com
Listing price: $249,900
Harpersfield, NY
Nestled alongside a rambling stream, this two-bedroom, one-bath converted mill has a loft-style layout featuring gleaming, tea-stained wood floors, reclaimed barnwood shelves, and original beams throughout.
Agent: Carol Spinelli; timberlandproperties.net
Listing price: $575,000
Virginia, MN
Curl up with an overdue book next to the original brick fireplace inside this five-bedroom, three-bath library-turned-home. A stately pair of lions—who date back to the building’s construction in 1930—flanks the front steps.
Agent: Don Schibel; vermilionland.com
Listing price: $269,900
West Charleston, VT
Schoolhouse lights, shiplap siding, and a chalk drawer—not to mention the iconic red paint—give clues to this structure’s origins. Converted and restored by a teacher, the three- bedroom, two-bath home also boasts lake views.
Agent: Rosemary Lalime; remaxallseasons.com
Listing price: $149,800
Millstone, NJ
A slate fireplace, Dutch doors, and hand-forged hardware are just a few of the details that survive from this four-bedroom, three-bath home’s days as the Millstone Post Office—a star of the town since 1795.
Agent: Laura Pallay; remax.com
Listing price: $449,000
New Marlborough, MA
Pull the long rope—the bell still rings. Tall, Gothic-style windows flood light into the great room inside this three-bedroom, three-bath converted church, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Agent: Tim Lovett; berkshirepropertyagents.com
Listing price: $450,000
Writer Elizabeth Finkelstein is a self-proclaimed old house addict on a lifelong hunt for her perfect historic home. From big Victorian fixer-uppers to tiny colonials to mid-century modern masterpieces, Elizabeth believes that the best homes show the charm of having been loved over time. She chronicles it all on her website CIRCA Old Houses, which showcases beautiful old houses for sale across the country. See more at CircaOldHouses.com.
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