GAGETOWN, N.B. -- Lang House Bed and Breakfast, along the St. John River, is going on the market in the summer. However, despite having been plagued by flooding in the past, its owners say natural disasters aren’t the reason for the closure – COVID-19 is to blame.

On Sunday, owner Bruce Langhus prepared to part with the business as he and his wife, Marian, are getting ready to put the property on the market.

“It's mixed emotions,” says Bruce Langhus. “We've really gotten attached to the river; it's really nice to wake up in the morning and have the river just shining in on us."

While severe, property-damaging, flooding in 2018 and 2019 made their relationship with the river complicated, Langhus’ wife says the water isn't why they're moving.

“I'm sure people are going to say ‘they're moving because of the flood,’” says Marian. “Sure, that's part of it. But personally, I think we really conquered it – we rebuilt the house for water-in, water-out."

The couple says it was actually COVID-19 that caused them to reassess and evaluate the challenges of running a bed and breakfast during a pandemic.

"Suddenly, we were looking at not being able to open the B&B for the whole summer and fall, says Bruce. “That made us think that maybe now is the time we rethink what we do with such a big house."

"You would have to treat every stay in some kind of fashion of just hyper-cleaning,” says Marian. “What if someone were to get sick here? Oh my goodness, what would we do?"

The Langhuses say they didn't plan to sell their bed and breakfast so soon, but they fell in love with a new property. While on a walk recently, they discovered a farmhouse, which has been around for over a century – conveniently located on the highest point in Gagetown, N.B.

“So we're moving from the lowest point in Gagetown to the highest point in Gagetown," says Marian.

Meanwhile, the couple is expecting to put the Lang House Bed and Breakfast on the market in June.