But don’t worry – we’re not moving into this one.
As we mentioned on this week’s podcast, we recently purchased a beach house. It’s not the glossy, high-end retreat you might picture. This house is nearly 100 years old, in rough shape, and by far the most in-need-of-help place we’ve ever taken on. It’s already proving to be one of our most challenging and rewarding projects.
We fell for this house because of its charm, solid bones, and an incredible location — and the price reflected its condition, which made it attainable. Below are some “before” photos starting with the front of the house.
Where is it?
The house is in Cape Charles, VA, a small historic town on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. For those unfamiliar, the Eastern Shore is a narrow peninsula separated from mainland Virginia by the Chesapeake Bay. It’s about a 2.5-hour drive from our home in Richmond, including crossing a 17-mile bridge over the Bay.
We first discovered Cape Charles in 2013 when we were invited to be part of a Virginia Tourism commercial. During that visit we were charmed and kept wondering why more people didn’t know about the town. It’s quiet, low-traffic, and very walkable — many people get around on foot, bike, or golf cart. The main street features small family-owned businesses, including an ice cream shop, and the town even has a single-screen movie theater called the Palace Theatre.
Cape Charles sits on the bay side of the peninsula, which means calmer, shallower water ideal for young kids and great for kayaking and paddleboarding. We’ve returned many times over the years and even during busy summer weekends you can still find close parking and a peaceful beach. In short: it’s an amazing spot.
Why buy a house there?
We’ve been considering a vacation home or rental for years. Both of us grew up around rental properties, so the idea always felt familiar and appealing. Lately, we wanted a project that would scratch our renovation itch and also serve as a long-term investment for our family. A Cape Charles property checks both boxes: it’s a place to build memories and has upside potential financially.
Buying this house wasn’t about creating content alone — if that were the case, there are easier ways to generate material than taking on a 96-year-old fixer 2.5 hours away. We wanted something that felt meaningful and useful for our family, as well as a smart renovation opportunity.
We’d looked at several local homes, some in the $75–$100k range, but many were eliminated by poor lots or awkward locations. The house we bought never appeared on MLS or Zillow — it was a pocket listing shown privately by a local realtor who thought we’d be suited to the challenge.
Why this house?
Even though it pushed the top of our budget at $125,000, the house’s location made it an easy decision. It’s three blocks from the beach, less than two blocks from the main shopping area, and a short walk to Central Park. The tree-lined street and nearby renovated homes showed the potential for what this house could become.
Built in 1920, the house has character: porch columns and brackets, stained glass windows, tall ceilings, an old claw-foot tub we plan to reglaze, a lovely stair railing, and solid wood doors with original knobs and keyholes. It’s one of four near-identical houses on the block, and neighboring renovated examples helped us visualize the finished result.
Seeing a recently renovated sister house — which sold for nearly three times what we paid — confirmed the financial upside. That gave us confidence that investing in this renovation could be both emotionally and economically rewarding.
The house’s architectural label is a bit fuzzy — some experts call it a modest Victorian — but regardless of the exact style, the details are what sold us. We also found a quirky little time capsule: Pepsi bottles from 1992 tucked away in the back staircase.
How do we plan to use it?
We want this house to become a family tradition — a place for summer vacations and off-season getaways, where we can host friends and family. My family has long-held beach traditions, and we hope this house will be a similar touchstone for our growing family.
We also plan to rent it as a vacation rental to offset maintenance and repair costs. Cape Charles has a healthy short-term rental market — some listings command strong weekly rates in summer — so renting it when we’re not using the house seems sensible. We haven’t chosen a platform yet, but we’ll share updates as we figure out the details.
Are we going to DIY the renovation?
We’ll DIY many parts of the renovation but hire professionals for major systems. Our plan is to rely on pros for foundation work, full plumbing and electrical updates (most of the wiring is knob-and-tube now), a new HVAC system, a new roof, and any structural repairs. We’ll tackle finishing work ourselves: cabinetry, tile, painting, light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, and decorating.
Some of the early work — foundation and mechanical updates — won’t make for glamorous before-and-after photos right away, so it may be some time before we can show dramatic transformations. But we’re excited to share our floor plan ideas and layout changes soon, including diagrams of the current and proposed plans.
P.S. — For anyone who missed it, we shared our Annual Gift Guides for Gals, Guys, and Kids recently.