Realtor completes breathtaking restoration of two stunning saltbox houses on remote Newfoundland island that can only be accessed by boat

A Canadian realtor completed a massive renovation of two historic saltbox houses on a remote island that can only be accessed by boat for her family's vacation home.

Cailey Heaps, 47, purchased the two white houses originally built in 1912 and 1914 on a property with three sheds, a small cemetery and an outhouse in Salvage, Newfoundland - a tiny finishing town with a population around 100 - for $173,000.

After closing in March 2022, the leader of real-estate brokerage Heaps Estrin embarked on a restoration project she estimated would cost $184,000 - which ended up nearly quadrupling in price.

Heaps enlisted Reflect Architecture, a Toronto-based studio run by Trevor Wallace to help with the project and found that the property's age was not on their side. 

'We went out there to check them out, and, just like with anything that old, there were a lot of surprises,' Wallace told The New York Times.

Cailey Heaps, a Canadian realtor, completed a massive renovation of two historic saltbox houses on the remote island of Salvage in Newfoundland

The larger, 1,060-square-foot home called the Burden House was transformed into the main living space and the primary suite

Kitchens in both house are made of Baltic Birch plywood and butcher block and the interiors are both primarily lined with white shiplap

The remote property is only accessible by boat or walking. Heaps enlisted Reflect Architecture, a Toronto-based studio run by Trevor Wallace to help with the project

Another overhead shot shows just how remote the houses are, with the properties offering stunning views over surrounding islands and the Atlantic Ocean 

The two white houses were originally built in 1912 and 1914 on a property with three sheds, a small cemetery and an outhouse

'Everything was very rickety. They had just had a hundred years of good old Newfoundland battering.'  

The larger, 1,060-square-foot home called the Burden House, which had no electricity or plumbing, was transformed into the main living space and the primary suite. 

The 915-square-foot home, named the Dunn House, became sleeping quarters for her children and a media room. 

According to floor plans from Reflect Architecture, the Burden House ground floor has an entry foyer, living room, large kitchen and dining room, a washroom and laundry. The second floor has the primary bedroom, guest bedroom and one bathroom.

The ground floor at the Dunn House has an entry foyer, living room, TV room, a galley-style kitchen, washroom and laundry. The second floor has a primary and guest bedroom and one bathroom. 

Kitchens in both house are made of Baltic Birch plywood and butcher block and the interiors are both primarily lined with white shiplap.

To preserve the buildings' exterior appearance, the architects added new white clapboard siding to mimic the original

The 915-square-foot home, named the Dunn House, became sleeping quarters for her children and a media room

The ground floor at the Dunn House has an entry foyer, living room, TV room, a galley-style kitchen, washroom and laundry.

The bedrooms in the Dunn House feature orange and green colors across floors, ceilings, walls, beds and lamps

When Heaps and her family are not using the property, she rents out both houses on Airbnb for $633 a night

The bedrooms in the Dunn House feature orange and green colors across floors, ceilings, walls, beds and lamps.

To preserve the buildings' exterior appearance, the architects added new white clapboard siding to mimic the original.

When the renovation was complete in May 2023, the project cost a total $735,000.

'It's the most unique setting I've ever seen. You go out the back door, up the hill and come to a lookout where all you see is ocean, trees and whales. It's a magical place,' said Heaps.

When Heaps and her family are not using the property, she rents out both houses on Airbnb for $633 a night.