These days, when we see some piece of real estate getting a silver-dollar makeover, we might think to ourselves, "Oh great, my property taxes are going up yet again."
But in this case I think we all can just agree to marvel at what this lady did:
When Sheila Consaul, from Washington, D.C., purchased the Fairport Harbor West Lighthouse, located on the shores of Lake Erie, in 2011, it was in 'really bad shape.'
Determined to turn it into a stunning place for her to spend the warmer months, she got to work on fixing it up.
Consaul dropped a modest $71,000 on the structure. Here's what it looked like when she plunked the cash down:
Not pretty. Not exactly dinner party material.
After 10 years and another $300,000, however, the spot is looking decidedly prettier:
Now that looks like something to spend a weekend in. The structure boasts three beds, three baths, a full kitchen — basically the works, all contained in, you know, a 1925 lighthouse.
Sheila Consaul did not mince words on how difficult the process was. Big furniture, she said, had to be carried in by expensive barge. And no matter what you were bringing in, it was a chore:
"Everything you can imagine has to be hand carried out, back and forth. It's a 40-minute walk each way."
Looks like it paid off, though — especially in the friendships she made with local community members, who were "ecstatic that she was upgrading the lighthouse and were eager to help on the project."
Consaul, meanwhile, will be using the structure as her summer home.
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