A large “sale pending” sign outside a historic Coupeville cottage spells hope for the Front Street building that would otherwise be slated for demolition.

Mukilteo resident Kirsten Larson, owner of the “Cottage on the Cove” at 6 Front Street, confirmed a sale is in the works for the small blue house that was once the Zylstra Law Office and said the soon-to-be owners are committed to restoring and preserving the structure.

The cottage was built in the early 1900s. Larson has owned it since 1980 and operated a bed and breakfast there until seven years ago, when surveyors discovered structural issues that made it unsafe for guests.

The renovations necessary to make the building safe, including installing a new foundation, moving the house back from the street and rewiring the building, exceeded Larson’s budget. She began the search for a buyer willing and able to take on the approximately $800,000 renovation project, determining that if she could not sell the building, she would be left with no choice but to have it demolished.

Interest in the building began pouring in once it was listed, she said. The real estate office received more than 100 phone calls about the property, and Larson received seven offers.

Not all interested parties’ intentions for the building aligned with Larson’s. The owner said some people wanted to buy it only to tear it down and build something new there, something Larson said the town would not allow.

Larson eventually accepted an offer from someone who shared her vision of preservation.

“They’re ideal people. They have a real love of the historic,” she said of the potential buyers, who she said wished to remain anonymous while the sale is still pending. “I’m happy with who we selected.”