6 Beautifully Quirky Second-Act Spaces That Can Be Your Next Home
These renovated spaces have unbelievable transformations–and they're all for sale.
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
Elizabeth Finkelstein and her husband, Ethan Finkelstein, are the brains behind the popular Instagram and newsletter Cheap Old Houses. Together, they restore historic homes in HGTV’s series Who’s Afraid of a Cheap Old House? Elizabeth grew up in an 1850s home lovingly restored by her parents, so her love for crown molding and peeling wallpaper runs in her gene pool. She holds a master’s degree in historic preservation and has put in years of professional work restoring old houses. While not filming or nurturing the vast and wonderful @cheapoldhouses community, the couple spends time restoring their own cheap old farmhouse — a little slice of heaven they snagged for a cool $70,000.
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