Pirate ship-themed house lists for $800,000 and comes with water cannons, captain’s quarters and a big question: Are unique homes a treasure or curse?

The Shipwreck House — nestled in the wilderness next to Williams Lake in Salmon, Idaho — is listed by owner and builder Kristie Wolfe for $799,000 and described as “a three-story waterfront retreat designed to spark curiosity and adventure.”

And, matey, is that an understatement. Wolfe renovated the 1,200-square-foot, two-bedroom, three-bath house herself to literally resemble a pirate ship inside and out, with the Airbnb listing for the property touting “themed rooms, a treasure hunt, costumes, a water cannon, and a projector,” along with Captain’s Quarters that offer “a regal retreat for the ship’s master.”

“From a design standpoint, I was constantly trying to walk the line between immersive and cheesy,” Wolfe, whose other quirky rental offerings include a “hobbit hole” and a hotel literally shaped like a potato, told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). “The top floor is simply a beautiful lake house with a kitchen and dining room. The pirate theme unfolds gradually as you explore the house, which makes discovering it even more fun.”

Wolfe also expressed her desire for the home to continue as a rental — while the revenue she pulls in each year could seal the deal in attracting aspiring buccaneer buyers.

From viral listings to real profits: The economics of quirky homes

Unique and quirky homes have taken on new popularity in recent years. The Instagram account for Zillow Gone Wild, for example, gained so much viral fame by spotlighting unusual home listings that it spawned a TV show of the same name featuring everything from houses in old train cabooses to underground getaways.

Airbnb itself reported in 2022 that “unique listings earn[ed] nearly $1 billion” for hosts in 2021 alone, with global earnings “higher for unique than for non-unique listings” that same year.

“A well-executed quirky home can command a premium from the right buyer and generate strong word-of-mouth, media attention, or even short-term rental income from people who want the novelty experience,” Hannah Jones, a Realtor.com senior economist, told Moneywise. “It can also make a property memorable in a crowded listing market, drawing more initial views and showings than a comparable conventional home.”

Moneywise reached out to Airbnb and Wolfe for comment but didn’t hear back. But the WSJ reported that Airbnb revenues for Shipwreck House total $80,000 a year — and that’s with the property only open part-time due to lacking a furnace. And Wolfe told Parade magazine in 2022 that her full-time rental property host gig pulls in $327,297 annually.

The idea of marketing a quirky house, meanwhile, isn’t a new phenomenon.

A National Geographic profile of California’s historic Winchester House, former home of gun manufacturer heiress Sarah Winchester, noted features like “elaborate extra rooms (more than a hundred), stairs that led nowhere, and empty corridors that turned the house into a bewildering maze” — not to mention alleged hauntings. They added that Harry Houdini himself suggested the new owners “market it as the ‘Winchester Mystery House,’” which opened as an attraction in 1923 and continues to host tours and private events to this day.

That said, there are also stories like that of artist Johnny DeFeo, who built a one-bedroom rental home in the shape of a coyote’s head in New Mexico. The New York Times noted that he “emptied his personal bank accounts” on the $350,000 project that DeFeo admitted likely won’t make a profit via rentals, but may help him in establishing a career as a consultant on other quirky homes.

Which, ultimately, begs the question: While unique and quirky properties capture attention — and, in some cases, profit — is it worth it to buy or renovate one?

Before you buy: The hidden costs of quirky homes

Chen Zhao, head of economics research at Redfin, told Moneywise, that while “unique homes can generate a lot of excitement,” buyers should “look beyond the novelty … to evaluate whether the home’s unusual design affects its functionality, maintenance costs or future resale potential.”

And that’s the key.

Zhao says that “the biggest challenge is usually resale” because “the more customized a home is, the smaller the pool of buyers who may be interested.”