Cape Charles 1920 Beach Cottage

For about two years we have been considering buying a beach house at Cape Charles that our family could enjoy and we could rent out when we are not using it. A tiny 325sq foot cottage was not exactly what I thought we would buy, but the more we looked at the real estate listing online, we started to see its potential.

As we found with renovating the Airstream, a small property can be really fun because it means less expenses because of its size. We did a video tour and decided to make an offer site unseen.

Here are some of the MLS photos…

When we closed on the home, we had about 3 days to flip it with our children with us. Fortunately, all of the work was cosmetic. The previous owner had put in a mini-split, new water heater, really made the shell of a home a really home. We decided to paint all the walls and ceilings Simply White by Benjamin Moore. The darker wood was not original to home, the only thing that remained from the 1920s home that we could tell were the floors and parts of the exterior.

We brought everything we needed in a UHaul with tools.

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The previous owner left this larger island that was perfect for inside. He had it on the porch and we carried it in and sanded it down a bit to clean it off. I found the dresser on the side of the road in main home and restored it earlier this year.

The front porch before and after

We will do a little work almost every time we go. In September, we add this cute light fixture and hydrangeas.

Next on the docket is the small bathroom, an outdoor shower. This spring we will hopefully do the back porch and shed.