Lighthouses For Sale In America – Economy

It is said that there are people who comfort themselves by escaping stressful days. Is the boss annoying? Are files, dishes or dirty laundry piling up? How nice would it be to go to a desert island or at least a vacation home somewhere. So you’re browsing real estate websites and dreaming of a different life.

The U.S. government now provides accommodations for a different kind of life that can’t be singled out. For example, Penfield Reef Lighthouse in Connecticut. The lighthouse at the entrance to Long Island Sound was built in 1874 and is one of the most dangerous areas of Long Island’s waters, located on a point of rocks about 1 mile from Fairfield. Surprised visitors are unlikely there. No neighbors either.

The lighthouse and nine others have braved frequent storms and waves for more than 100 years, guiding sailors and day-trippers through the thick fog of the American coast to safety, giving seabirds a break and people hoping after long crossings. Land in sight! But today no one needs them, their work is now done by modern navigation technology. While the Coast Guard often maintains navigational equipment at or near lighthouses, the structures are expendable.

You can leave them as landmarks and tourist attractions. After all, some of them look like they came straight out of an Edward Hopper painting. The only problem is that the towers are weathered in the fight against the tide, and repairs cost money – and the government doesn’t want to spend it. Every year in May, the responsible authority, the General Services Administration, puts several lighthouses up for sale. This year’s “lighthouse season” has a large number of objects, as the authority just announced: ten.

The commission wants to award six beacons to federal, state or local governments, non-profit organizations, educational institutions or other groups. In return, they must undertake to preserve historic buildings and make them available to the public for educational, recreational or cultural purposes. A further four lighthouses will be auctioned online starting next month – for anyone who wants to bid. One of them: Penfield Reef Lighthouse in Connecticut. The commission will accept bids from June 12.

Open the detailed view

In 2000, the US Legislature passed the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, allowing the General Services Administration to sell lighthouses for profit. Since then, more than 150 lighthouses have found new owners. The Coast Guard has invested more than ten million dollars in new navigation technology. Lighthouses are also occasionally for sale in other countries, most recently the Hamburg Lighthouse in Cookshaven or a private Scottish island on Plata Island with its own lighthouse, both of which were advertised for around half a million euros each.

The lighthouses cost between $10,000 and $933,888

It is very cheap in America. About 70 American lighthouses have already been auctioned off to private individuals. According to the agency, it took between $10,000 and $933,888 per lighthouse. However, he cautions that one should think twice before committing to an oceanfront property: Of course, the cost of maintaining lighthouses depends on what the new owner wants to do, he said. “A full restoration can cost thousands of dollars, while a simple clean costs much less.” New owners must paint, clean and replace broken or missing parts. “Most lighthouses don’t have toilets, so there are costs involved in making the lighthouse livable.”

The Penfield Reef Lighthouse has already been partially renovated, and has solar power. There’s a catch: According to local legend, it’s haunted there.