Perfect for a bed-and-breakfast fantasy

For anyone who has ever had a fantasy of owning a little bed-and-breakfast in a small New England town, this property might rekindle the dream.

The Zachariah Eddy House has been a B&B for the past 11 years. Four guest rooms and three bathrooms are decorated with period flair for tourists and business travelers, who find the house charming and the town's location midway between Boston, Cape Cod, and Rhode Island convenient. Guests can also avail themselves of two parlors, a music room, dining room, and wrap around porch and deck overlooking a large yard with pleasant gardens. The current owners are ready to train a new innkeeper and, for an additional premium, include the furnishings to make this a turn key operation. As a bonus, a rear wing, which houses the kitchen, also has four bedrooms with a rental potential of $25,000 annually.

If the thought of keeping track of reservations and cooking up a hearty breakfast for guests seems exhausting, consider that this house in the heart of the town's historic district would also make a fine single-family home, says listing broker Kathrine Teixeira (508-400-6828) of Weichert Realtors. An owner could rent the rooms at the rear and still have plenty of space and privacy amidst handsome architectural details such as gingerbread trim, a floor-to-ceiling hand-carved fireplace, a museum-quality oriel stained-glass window, and an inviting built-in curved window seat. Or an owner who needs less space could turn the back of the house into a cozy living space and leave the guests to the historic ambience of 1831.

GAIL RAVGIALA