Just Listed at the Shore: Beach Block Victorian Twin Condo in Cape May

This classic Victorian twin near the tip of Cape May at 3 Lafayette St., Cape May, NJ 08204 looks much as it has looked for decades on the outside. On the inside, it also looks pretty much as it has looked for decades, only lighter and brighter. / After photographs by Ronnie Fay; all photographs via Cape May County MLS and Jersey Cape Realty

You now have a rare opportunity to see before-and-after photos of a dramatic makeover.

There are two places where you can view the transformation of this Cape May Victorian twin condo for sale. One of them is on Jersey Cape Realty’s website, at least until someone there realizes that the listing for this house in the “featured listings” on its home page is actually the previous listing from 2022.

The other is here. And even after Jersey Cape Realty fixes the error, you will still be able to see how this lovely old Victorian got all modern here.

Whoever bought this house when it was last listed got a well-maintained house that channeled the Victorians’ love of color. As you will see from the before photos, this house was a true color riot.

That buyer now offers you a house that retains its Victorian character but has been given the modern Shore house treatment, including central heating and cooling on the main floor. In place of the Pantone color chart used on the rooms before, one color — pale turquoise — ties the entire interior together.

Living room (before)

Living room (after)

The turquoise bath has made the rooms on the main floor brighter. (It did the same for the brick decorative fireplace in the living room by painting the red brick white.)

Family room (before)

Family room (after)

And the furniture, which comes with this property, is now more unified in appearance, with a lighter color palette again.

Dining room (before)

Dining room (after)

The furniture in the main-floor rooms also speaks one language now. The dining room’s picnic-style table got replaced with an actual dining table.

Kitchen (before)

Kitchen (after)

But the old yellow sunken kitchen/laundry was already bright. What changed here besides the color of the walls are the appliances, the ceiling fan light — which now matches all the others in this house — and the floor, which is now simulated wood. The Shaker-style batten-board cabinetry, granite countertops and tile backsplash all remain.

Second-floor front (primary) bedroom (before)

Second-floor front (primary) bedroom (after)

The three polychromatic bedrooms on the second floor also now boast the same pale turquoise walls.  And their carpeted floors got turned into simulated wood veneer ones.

Second-floor middle bedroom (before)

Second-floor middle bedroom (after)

Second-floor rear bedroom (before)

Second-floor rear bedroom (after)

And again, the color makes the rooms look cheerier.

Third-floor front bedroom (before)

Third-floor front bedroom (after)

Ditto for the two third-floor bedrooms, which had been white. Where blue curtains, rugs and pillows added color to those rooms, the woodwork on the furniture adds color and contrast now. (And note that much of the old bedroom furniture remains as well, but some bedrooms got new furnishings.)

Second-floor bathroom

Third-floor bathroom

The only two interior spaces left untouched are the powder room and two upstairs bathrooms, all of which had already been upgraded by the previous owner.

Front porch (before)

Front porch (after)

The exterior got upgraded with more modern yet still traditional furnishings. In place of the painted wood floor and traditional rattan furniture, the front porch now sports a mahogany floor and plusher contemporary rattan furniture.

Backyard (before)

Backyard (after)

The outdoor shower and picnic table in the backyard also got upgraded and updated. The house definitely has plenty of room for dining and entertaining, indoors and out.

It also has a great location just one block from the beach and three from the Washington Street Mall. It won’t be hard for you to find it coming into Cape May off the Garden State Parkway, either: Just stay on Lafayette Street until you reach its end. (It makes a jog to the left at Jackson Street.)

And if you don’t plan on spending the whole summer (or year) here, this house will produce good rental income for you. The owner projects it to bring in gross income of $95,800 this year. (Subtract any weeks you plan to use it from the total.)

I’ll bet your guests will like the mix of Victorian and modern Shore aesthetics and charm this Cape May Victorian twin condo for sale offers as much as you will.

THE FINE PRINT

BEDS: 5

BATHS: 2 full, 1 half

SQUARE FEET: Not given, but the listing copy cites tax records that state it has 1,800 square feet

SALE PRICE: $1,675,000, which isn’t bad for a beach-block house at the Shore these days, especially since it comes fully furnished

OTHER STUFF: A $2,000 quarterly condo fee covers maintenance of the building exterior.

3 Lafayette St., Cape May, NJ 08204 [James Zeitler | Jersey Cape Realty]: 2022 listing / Current listing