Real Estate Roundup: July 2020

So it’s the year 2020, and a crazy pandemic’s going on that suddenly is making a cabin in Vermont a hotter ticket than even the most amazing apartment in the city. Real estate around these parts is moving QUICK and getting your hands on the perfect property can quickly begin to feel pretty impossible. Lucky for you, you have me! I’m rounding up a list of my favorite properties on the market right now, and no, they aren’t all perfect and move in ready – but where would be the fun in that?! The key to getting something amazing is being able to see through the dated or dilapidated and see the potential of what the homes that might not scream perfect at first, but totally could be! And don’t forget, if you are shopping for a house & feel lost, we offer consultation services which can help you both find the right house and make sure your ideas for a home you’re considering are feasible, to learn more about our services or request consultation, reach out to us via email at: office@northshireliving.com

All photos are sourced from the respective real estate listing unless otherwise noted.

Most Affordable Option: Be our literal neighbor!

20 Cass Terrace, Manchester Center – $169,500 – Ok this house may not look like much – It’s definitely a fixer-upper, but I promise – so much potential! What the listing fails to mention is that is part of the *historic* Rich Lumber Company neighborhood that Richville Road got it’s name for! Way to leave out the important things guys! We live across the street in the management housing (‘cause we fancy now) but also have a house we remodeled & rent out on Cass Terrace which is all the former employee housing. The houses are well built, have slate roofs, & good layouts, they mainly need cosmetic updates & can be super cute with a bit of effort. Really, the part you can’t beat is the neighborhood, it is super friendly, safe for kids to roam on their bikes and has a great sledding hill if you befriend the teacher at the end of the street! This is an excellent starter house for young families but also great if you are just a couple as the extra bedrooms will give you room for guests to stay AND a gym, home office, or hobby room. More details about this home can be found here. * Note: You can only buy this house if you are a nice neighbor & make it look cute, I will be upset with you if you buy this house thanks to my list and set off fireworks constantly like the last peeps who lived there. Understood? *

City Living, but make it #Vermont – Designed by us!

4928 Main Street, Unit #3 , Manchester Center – $544,900 – This condo in downtown is the PERFECT place if you’re looking to leave life in the big city behind for a little more space but don’t want to give up some of your favorite perks like being able to walk everywhere, never having to mow a yard, and so many good food options literally steps away from your door. This stylish & brand new condo unit is one of four in the Factory Point Place Building which also houses some of our favorite places to eat & shop, like Union Underground, Spring & Harbor Boutique, & Mystic Cafe! We really enjoyed working with the developer to create a space that felt like it had all the modern convenience & style of city living while making sure to keep it feeling like at home in the Historic former bank building & infuse some organic inspiration to keep it feeling very Vermont. These units are surprisingly quiet for their central location, but this one is extra special with a big second floor deck overlooking the Manchester Riverwalk & Factory Point Park. The kitchen features sleek frameless cabinetry, high end appliances, and a show-stopping waterfall island. I wish the real estate listing showed pictures of the bathrooms, and we haven’t had the opportunity to photograph them either, but trust me they are amazing! In the first floor we did a cool “bank teller” inspired vanity with a small but very cool shower and upstairs in the master there is a huge walk in shower with a super modern vanity & built in statement mirror that I just die over. Off the master upstairs is a great “flex space” featuring the original building trusses that could be a great home office, den, guest space, or home gym depending on your need. And, if you don’t love the finishes or want the opportunity to make it your own, there are two other great units in the building we can work with you to finish out and design it just for you! View more about this great listing here, or contact Sotheby’s Andy Reed to schedule a viewing. You can view the other two units, here and here.

A Secret Garden Estate (that I kinda wanna escape to)

351 Lathrop Lane, Arlington – $589,000 – Now this is one of those houses where you can really see the value in living just outside of Manchester! While it looks like it belongs in Manchester Village where it would be *much* more expensive, this home is tucked at the base of Mount Equinox right by Skyline Drive just barely in Arlington. Something about this home reminds me of books I read as a child, the secret garden vibes are strong! It’s the perfect summer country house with tons of privacy & lush outdoor space. The interior could use some updating but has wonderful original details and I actually *love* the original kitchen cabinets, something about them feels so sweet. I love this house a lot – a lot! Something about it is so quirky & interesting and it just oozes charm. Honestly, If I didn’t want to build so badly, I’d move here and make it my forever home. If you like spending time in your backyard gardening, you need this house. To get more information on this home, view the listing here.

A Contemporary Ski House with Room to Play

728 State Route 30, Bondville – $605,000 – So I have no idea how this house is still for sale, it’s been on & off the market since I moved to the area & when I was still working in New Hampshire, I drove by all the time and would see the driveway and think, man, I don’t understand why that house doesn’t get snatched up! I think the Rt. 30 address turns a lot of people off, and it doesn’t look like much from the outside – but boy, oh boy, does this place have potential! The house is tucked very far back from the road with woods on all sides for lots of privacy. With a big pond, great view of Bromley (which is under a 5 minute drive) & easy access to hiking trails as well as the VAST Snowmobile trails – location is where this property really shines. It’s also super easy to drive over to Stratton or down into Manchester & your guests won’t get lost or stuck on a backroad trying to find your place. Inside, it may have been built in 2002, but it looks a little bit 1995 – no worries however, the architectural details have amazing potential and with a new kitchen and a few other updates this space could feel super cool & cozy. Plus the multiple decks with a view of Bromley, with no nearby neighbors you could have quite the party house! To find more information, check out the listing here.

Amazing Acreage with a Classic VT Home

625 Sykes Hollow Road, West Rupert – $1.3M – The lot size alone for this one should make you drool! A cool 124.9 acres all to yourself just minutes from the center of Dorset? Yes Please! This property is gorgeous & checks every box on my personal land wishlist with a stream, a pond, old stone walls, lots of gardens, a meadow AND an in-ground pool. The look of the house is very classic Vermont with a red barn garage & all white main house. I love so many details about the main house and it has so much charm, there are parts that could be remodeled if you wanted to, but everything is done pretty timelessly so you could also just paint some walls and move in. I absolutely adore the little 1950s kitchenette in the guest house! To learn more, click here.

Le Bel Horizon

384 Riverbend Drive, Manchester Center – $1.65M – Chris helped this sweet couple replace a their sinks prior to listing & told me how beautiful the house was, so I was excited to take a peek when I saw it listed. It is a really beautiful home architecturally and in a great neighborhood with access to some of our favorite walking paths. The layout as well is really nice and I love all the windows, the big huge deck & landscaping. That fireplace with the coffered ceiling with a slightly darker stain… I can already envision it being something spectacular! I also love the commitment to the house name with custom embroidered towels, seriously – so classy! For more details, here’s a link to the listing.

Peru Farm

504 Main Street, Peru – $1.8M – This house & property is one of those I’ve noticed for years, every time I drive through Peru Village, I think to myself how beautiful this farm is! It’s got great presence, the house isn’t too close to the road but close enough that holiday decorations will definitely still be appreciated by those who drive by (these are the things I think about!). The land is beautiful, and despite feeling like it’s out in the country, you can still walk to the post office or over to J.J. Hapgood for lunch. Inside is exceptionally well done, it looks like someone took great care & consideration to quality when renovating this home & though there are a few tweaks I’d make, nothing about it feels dated, it is a very classic home. My favorite detail is the mural in the dining room, you just don’t see things like that anymore in homes & it’s such a cool feature. For more on this property click here!

Stony Brook

730 McNamara Road, Dorset – $2.4M – This home was featured in Architectural Digest in 1999 after it was built and we can see why! I love the organic way this home sprawls out on the property & the landscaping is really stunning. The interiors are beautiful and timeless, but feel very unique- there is almost a little bit of a western ranch vibe which you don’t see very often here and it really works! I love the collected feeling of the furnishings and interiors, If I were buying I’d try to wrap them into the sale because they are perfect. Great job to owner/designer Barbara Levin – She is mentioned in the listing but I couldn’t find her website & I’m not sure if she’s still working but you can find the article in AD’s Archives if you have a pro account. For more on this gorgeous home click here.

True North Farm

237 Lily Pond Road, Dorset – $2.75M – Another amazing expanse of land at 179 Acres, but this time we’re over in Dorset Hollow! This house is gorgeous and if you’re style leans a little bit french country, it’s absolute perfection and you can move right in. If your style is very much NOT french country, luckily this home is well done & classic so with a few of the right tweaks we could have it feeling much more farmhouse or even infuse a little modern style if that’s your jam without any major reno. The property is beautifully landscaped and the views from every window are stunning. The really cool feature of this home however is not one you see, its one you’ll definitely feel however, the home is designed to have passive solar and uses geothermal energy for heating and cooling for an amazing eco-friendly bonus! To learn more click here.

Magnificent Stone Manor

135 Paddock Lane, Dorset – $2.9M – While the details on this listing are extremely limited I can only dream about how amazing this home already is, but also could be with a big push more toward what’s trending in home design right now to update it! But first, can we just take a second to appreciate how impeccable the window treatments, draperies, & upholstery is?! It may be ultra traditional and not exactly what’s in right now but I am in awe of how well done they are. Being a designer, I know exactly how much effort that takes and what it costs and can I just say, Wow. It reminds me of an old issue of World of Interiors. Especially that pink bedroom, it is so rare to find a client willing to wait for that level of custom work in todays world of fast furniture and it is really beautiful to see the care that went into that design, I love it! I would love to update and redecorate of course, but if you are someone who can appreciate very traditional design like this, go live your best drapery life in this house! Also I love love love the stone exterior, especially that amazing porte-cochère. Buy this house and call me please, click here for more info!

The Modern House of My Dreams

779 Wind Hill Road, Dorset – $3.75M – If you’ve been following us for a while, you’d know I’ve been obsessed with this house since they started building it! We had a client down the street while it was going up & every time I drove past I couldn’t help but peek at what they were working on now, it’s not every day you see a house this cool built around these parts! Designed by one of my favorite Architects to follow, Birdseye, out of Richmond, VT and built by one of our favorite local builders, Northshire Construction this house is not only quality built but a showpiece. The modern gable, the cedar interior, the open staircase, those organic copper light fixtures & the big awesome party couch – everything about this house is cool. There are a couple areas I want to simplify slightly (and I’m dying for just one white or solid colored wall somewhere inside to calm down all the texture happening) but this is one of those houses you could move into with just a suitcase and not change a thing, it’s beautiful. And, if you are an art lover, not only is this house the perfect place to show off your collection of modern art (or start one), the front lawn is a great site for some large scale sculpture. Earlier this year, I saw some great metal work by Rodrigo Nava at the Ellenbogen Gallery in town and instantly envisioned some of his large pieces juxtapositioned against the architecture of the house further down on the lawn of this house! If you’ve got an unlimited art budget a Richard Serra commission would also be an excellent choice. Anyways, If you’ve got the means and modern is your style, buy this house it’s gorgeous & you won’t find anything else like it! Click here for more info.

A High Fields Home that definitely deserves a Fancy Name!

275 High Fields Lane – $4.9M – Up the street from one of our current projects sits a big beautiful house I can’t help but admire and it just came on the Market! For me, aside from being a gorgeous traditional style home, the best part about this home is the location. 13 Private acres at the end of a quiet road, just off West Road (as I’ve stated previously, the nicest road in town), right next to the Art Center with quick access to hiking trails, and still barely a 5 minute drive into downtown Manchester is about as close to perfect as a location can get. Everything is done very classic and timelessly, so you could move right in – or not and have some fun with the interiors which of course is always what I want to do. At 13,000+ square feet you’ve got plenty of room no matter the size of your family, there really aren’t many other homes in town where you could move right in with your family of 8! My favorite element however? The formal landscaping! There is nothing I love more than immaculately maintained boxwood hedges and I feel like if I moved in I wouldn’t be able to pass up the opportunity to add a few topiaries & a marble outdoor chess board (don’t ask me why, I just feel like this home needs one). The views from this home are also amazing and I love how opposite the front door, it’s the first thing you see when you walk in – what an experience it must be coming home to that! For more info on this property click here.

Camp Endo – The Ski Home of the Century

400 Trager Road, Jamaica – $10.15M – Now, I typically am not a big fan of log homes but this house made my jaw drop when I saw the listing!!! Are you kidding me?!?! LOOK AT THOSE VIEWS! That’s almost 360 degrees of nothing but mountains! Not to mention over 400 acres all to yourself just minutes from Stratton & a short drive to Mount Snow. I could spend all day everyday out on that deck and be happy! The interiors of this home are so well done too, it’s a very rustic traditional lodge look with lots of Adirondack details installed throughout the house. I would love to update it to a more modern rustic vibe with dreamy light colors but keep all the cool Adirondack details – they are just so beautiful. Typically I am allergic to cornices on windows and if you asked me to put some in I’d probably refuse but I LOVE these bark & branch cornices on the windows! The construction looks amazing and the lines are all pretty clean, just adding a more modern drapery would make these look so fresh & cool. Out of all the houses on this list, I get the most inspired by this one. It’s full of details and finishes I would never in a million years think to do on my own but I love so many of them! It’s currently not at all my style, but I can see the transformation into something more current and cool so clearly. I may have started an entire Pinterest board dedicated to the aesthetic this home has inspired, that’s how much I love it! I also know there are plenty of people out there who would enjoy it just like it is and if that is you go for it and enjoy, this place is spectacular. For more info on this property, click here.

And before I close out this list, I just want to take a second to say how great all the homes on this list are and make one thing very clear. I hope no-one (especially current homeowners) takes my willingness to overhaul multi-million dollar homes as an insult! I’m just a designer, and I get inspired and can’t help but put my own spin on everything. I will walk into any space on the planet (including my own designs) and stare at it until I find something I think could have been done better and then expand on that idea in my head until I reach a conclusion as to what “better” is. Critique is what I was trained to do for years in Art School, to not only my own work, but the work of others and I am well aware that sometimes it can come across as critical and is not always well received! (I was occasionally that person in Crit who probably could have held back just a few their a few of opinions on what they would have done differently!) Like it or leave it, that’s me! But I do think this quality is part of what makes me great at my job and I just want people to know it comes from a place of good creative intentions. And with that I’m signing off – Go out into the world, find a house that speaks to you on some level and makes you happy, then call us and we’ll make it perfect for you!

Cheers,

Niki