Buying and Selling Victorian Homes in Cape May, NJ

Handling transactions on Victorian homes whether it's being on the buyers side or selling side is always an unique experience. We will run across everything from the complete rehab all the way to the crown jewel of upkeep and maintenance. Luckily collectively as a family we have had the opportunities to care for, maintain and own some very unique historic landmarks on the island each offering their own unique hurdles. In 1986 my Grandparents Bob and Doris Menz purchased the Inn of Cape may established in 1894 which at the time was a 100 room hotel and restaurant with a bar that had no private baths except a luxurious sink in each room and a shared bath at the end of each hall way. In the purchase they also picked up 2 of the Victorian homes on Gurney that was used for housing summer workers. Over the next few years it was painstakingly and lovingly turned into a 52 room hotel adding private baths and combining rooms into larger spaces to conform with the times. Everything in those old buildings is a unique process between updating plumbing, electrical, horse hair plaster, wonky settling that needs structural components introduced, insulation, paint and the list goes on and on. In 2022 after a lifetime of care for that building we handed it off to the next owner who has taken the reigns and really brought it into the 21st century modernizing a lot more of the building. My father still owns one of the homes in the back as a seasonal rental taking great care of the building and welcoming guests back year after year for their Cape May Summer vacations and my cousin kept one as her primary also modernizing the inside for year round living but maintaining the exterior to historic accuracy.

In Cape May we have an HPC board the Historic Preservation Committee. It's their main job to keep Cape May on the national historic landmarks list and making sure that any updates and alterations hit the criteria of the time period. The entire island doesn't fall into the Historic Preservation Zone but much of downtown does and a lot of the beach front. Inside of that zone you can also run across contributing buildings and non contributing buildings which can carry significant differences for any updates you may be planning on doing to your new home. They work independently but hand in hand with zoning relying on a Historic Design Standards hand book that can be found HERE which outlines different styles of architecture of the years from the chimneys and roofs, siding and gingerbread, porches, paint color and even foundation style.

Upkeep - when considering purchasing an older home expect yearly upkeep to be completely different than your new modern home. Down at my wife's store The Pink house by Victorious we are tasked with a bi annual assessment of the structures. Spring is a phenomenal time to plan for winter renovations as you are power washing the salt off and making the building shine for the upcoming season. Spring power washing really shows where the paint is getting ready to need redone, possible signs of moisture intrusion or actual rot that will need replaced. Wood doesn't last forever but with proper maintenance it can outlive us. Inspection on the crawl space when turning on water from winterizations. Proper pest management plans. Its also the time to check your garden beds and makes sure they are not up against wood siding. Re painting the decs, rails and fences can feel like an almost annual occurrence. Its just a really great time to make a list for major improvements for winter. In the fall before the freeze is an ideal time to look at interior updates. Checking for plaster cracks, drafty windows that might need re glazed, what pipes are prone to freezing (a lot of our historic homes were built for summer use). Go around the property and secure outside furniture, shutters, trashcans etc. since we have notoriously windy winters. Is it wise to turn the water off to the entire building or winterize zones. One frozen pipe that bursts inside can cost tens of thousands in rehab and valuable time.

Rentals and Historic Homes - There is also a short term rental on this property along with another that we have on Columbia Ave. As busy as Cape May anymore its difficult to find time to do the STR updates but the end of January seems to be ideal. The local trades are generally super busy all winter so its best to plan your updates well in advance. Block your schedules accordingly and always add an extra week or two buffer to be stress free. Think about painting inside and out, how can we improve our guests comfort, those 3rd floor attic to bedroom conversions can get both hot and cold for guests. Bathrooms are generally small and not enough is there room to add on one? How about the kitchens how can we bring more of the family around the table to gather. There is always time for improvements during the winter months and it will add value to your property. More on that later.

Selling Historic Homes - There can be some hurdles to overcome when selling historic homes especially in Cape May. I have a certain game plan that helps make the transaction smoother by anticipating what a buyer is going to be dealing with while going through their purchase of the home- feel free to call and discuss. It's also paramount to disclose disclose disclose everything you know about the home. There are fire inspections, zoning, and flood involved with the transactions. Luckily Historic is the lifeblood of our island so there are many trades that are specialized in the preservation of historic homes to help. For now if your considering a Victorian think about us to help guide on your future purchase or sale. With a lifetime of knowledge and hands on experience we can help you succeed.