A spectacular three-level beach retreat on New Jersey’s Cape May offers stylish, laid-back living. Located on the beach block, the shingled five-bedroom home was built in 1920. While modernized over the years, many period details remain, including original millwork, built-in bookcases and double staircases.
“This home is a contributing house to the historic preservation of Cape May,” says listing agent Gail Wilsey-Morrison of Long & Foster Real Estate. “I grew up across the street, and the original owners lived in that house for many years. The current owner is an interior designer. She wanted to preserve the history of the home while also modernizing the interior. For example, she kept all of the old lights on the walls while adding newer light fixtures to make it look more modern.”
The millwork, staircases and built-ins are original to the 1920s house.
The Dutch Colonial offers 2,489 square feet of bright space letting in an abundance of natural light. Recent upgrades include a new cedar roof, Bermuda shutters and a multi-zone central HVAC system.
“They also created a pass-through between the dining room and kitchen, and renovated the entire kitchen,” she says. “The fireplace is still original, and they redid the wood floors along with all of the bathrooms. The primary bedroom used to be two bedrooms, but they turned it into a spacious primary suite. There are three levels of living and the third floor has even bigger rooms. One of them could be a big bedroom.”
Glass-paned doors connect the formal dining area to the living room.
With decks on both the front and back of the house, the home was designed for outdoor living. “The back porch is phenomenal,” she says. “There are awnings on the back porch that lead to a stone patio where you can grill.”
Wilsey-Morrison believes the next buyer might want the home as an investment property. “Cape May used to be a resort town, but now it’s a year-round destination,” she says. “The Coast Guard Training Center is located here and that attracts a lot of people. In the winter, they have candlelight tours and there is a nature center here that offers lots of children’s programs. There are a lot of things to do in Cape May. What makes it so nice is if you go 1.5 miles from the beach, you’re in farmland with wineries.”
There are five bedrooms, two full bathrooms and two powder rooms.
As for the reason the current owners are selling? “Their kids are all grown, and they just retired recently, so they are looking to do more traveling,” she says. “They absolutely love the house, and you can see that everywhere you look.” In the backyard, a natural landscape perimeter with blueberry bushes, a fig tree, herb garden and hydrangeas creates a sense of privacy.
Who does Wilsey-Morrison think will be the next buyer? “Definitely someone who wants to be on the beach block and have enough bedrooms for their immediate family and guests,” she says. The home is conveniently located, walkable to town or just a short drive to the boardwalk where the beach is just two minutes away.
Porches front and back extend the living space outdoors.
Long & Foster Real Estate has the listing for 1016 Stockton Ave., Cape May, New Jersey. The asking price is US $3.3 million.
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