A family transformed a 1930s schoolhouse into an adorable cottage with an original cloakroom and chalkboard — see inside

By Kelsey Neubauer

a red school house with white windows and a white door, surrounded by trees in Springwater, New York — The schoolhouse-turned-home. Livingston Begy for Empire Realty Group

2023-05-30T00:27:37Z

A family renovated a 1930s schoolhouse in upstate New York into a charming little home.
They planned to use it as an Airbnb, but decided to list it for $129,900 to focus on their business.
The 1,068-square-foot cottage found a buyer in just 10 days. Take a look inside.

In 2021, the Hallett family paid $70,000 for a schoolhouse in upstate New York, near the scenic Finger Lakes region.

red school house surrounded by trees — The schoolhouse after its renovation. Livingston Begy for Empire Realty Group

The schoolhouse is in Springwater, New York, according to the Realtor.com listing and blog post, which is a rural town that's a 45-minute drive south of Rochester and a 90-minute drive southeast of Buffalo.

A schoolhouse had been on the lot since the mid-1800s. After a fire destroyed the original property, this one was built in the 1930s.

back of red school house surrounded by trees — The view from the rear of the house. Livingston Begy for Empire Realty Group

The family, who live on the same street, planned to turn the house into an Airbnb. But their business, running an auto-collision shop, takes so much of their time that they decided to list it for $129,900.

red school house — They also gave it a new coat of paint. Livingston Begy for Empire Realty Group

The charming 1,068-square-foot cottage got four offers and went into contract within 10 days this month, according to the sellers' realtor, Bridgett Hoag of Empire Realty Group.

a small foyer with white walls and gray trim. There are two wood doors, one that leads to the inside of the house and another that leads to the outside. There's a small wood love seat and a mirror with bronze trim. — Inside the front door, there is a small foyer, with small chairs resembling ones that could have been used inside a schoolhouse. Livingston Begy for Empire Realty Group

Source: Realtor.com

The main room includes an open kitchen, a dining area, a living area with an original propane fireplace, and a small bedroom area with a child-sized bed.

interior of a red school house turned house. Windows are surrounded by wood, there is a sapphire blue bar, and stone fireplace. — The window-filled main room was freshly painted blue and gray. Livingston Begy for Empire Realty Group

The kitchen area includes a white stove, natural wood cabinets, a sink, and a breakfast bar.

kitchen with blue trim, wood cabinets and white countertops — The kitchen also has a dishwasher, according to the listing. Livingston Begy for Empire Realty Group

There's a small sleeping area in the corner of the main room, with the original chalkboard hung beside it.

a small bed in a room with blue trim, a chalkboard, a small blue table with small white chairs — A bedroom area for a child. Livingston Begy for Empire Realty Group

A walk-in-closet has more than a dozen hooks, which students used to use for their coats and bags.

A storage area with wood paneling on the bottom half of the walls, a half-moon mirror on the floor along a line of jacket hooks. There is a window and the walls are painted teal — A closet area that pupils used. Livingston Begy for Empire Realty Group

The bathroom needed more work to be suitable for round-the-clock residents. The family added a bathtub and shower, and redid the plumbing.

A bathroom with dark wood trim and doors, wood floors, a white tub and tiled white walls around the tub. There is a big window and green walls — The bathroom. Livingston Begy for Empire Realty Group

Related: The best home improvement loans »

The wooden wainscoting adds a rustic feel, while newly painted green walls add a pop of color.

A bathroom with dark wood trim and doors. A corner of a window peaks out in the top righthand corner and there is a sink in the bottom lefthand corner — The sink area of the bathroom. Livingston Begy for Empire Realty Group

A lofted bedroom is enclosed with floor-to-ceiling rails for safety.

A loft above the school house, with a white ceiling, white floor-to-ceiling rails, and a double-thick queen sized mattress with nothing on it. — The loft. Livingston Begy for Empire Realty Group

Outside, a porch overlooks the half-acre property.

a porch with white chairs with trees surrounding them — The porch. Livingston Begy for Empire Realty Group

The schoolhouse is near nature reserves and parks, including Harriet Hollister Spencer State Recreation Area, which has a 20 miles of trails.

an acre of grass surrounded by trees — The tranquil grounds around the schoolhouse. Livingston Begy for Empire Realty Group

Honeoye Lake and Conesus Lake, two of the area's Finger Lakes that give the region its name, are also located nearby.

honoeye lake in western New York — Honeoye Lake. Eilif Mikkelsen/Getty Images

"In small rural communities like Springwater, you don't really see anything like an old schoolhouse come up for sale," Hoag, the sellers' agent, told Insider in an email.

A red school house surrounded by trees sits along a road in the foreground of the photo — The front of the house. Livingston Begy for Empire Realty Group

Home Renovation

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