Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in one of LandVest’s properties?
We invite our owners to tell us a bit about their experience, what they love about their homes and what makes their property special. The owners of Beaver Brook Farm (BBF) share their story and what they love about this incredible Northern Vermont property.
What attracted you to Beaver Brook Farm in the first place?
Our goal was to find a place where we could “ski out of our back door”. We visited several times to walk in the woods and each time we came away more and more excited. For one thing, we loved the topography. Much of Vermont is very steep but BBF is rolling hills so it is all accessible and usable. The combination of woodland, open fields and significant water features, especially the 15-acre lake with its rustic lakeshore cabins, was really appealing. Then there was the barn – our imaginations ran wild as to what it could be used for.
If you don’t mind saying, why are you selling?
We want to live closer to family in the southern US and be able to spend extended periods visiting family in England.
What kinds of changes and updates have you made to the property?
We built a new custom-designed house and renovated the barn. The barn renovations included guest accommodations, multiple spaces for woodworking and other hobbies, and a dance hall. We added several new outbuildings. In addition to the oil-fired heating system, we installed a wood-burning system fueled with wood from the property. We also installed a solar array generating 12KW of electricity. And throughout the woods and fields we created a 15-mile trail system.
Do you have a favorite spot on the property?
The dam on the big pond – watching the loon, herons, kingfishers, ducks, mergansers, sandpipers, and waxwings during the day (even a bald eagle & osprey have flown over); the bats in the evening flying low over the water; in winter watching for the mink to slide down into the water to swim for crayfish; catching sight of a moose eating weeds at the far end of the pond in late spring.
Which is your favorite room in the house and why?
The great room – looking across the small swimming pond to the field opposite the house – watching the sun and shadows throughout the day, you never know what you might see – fox, bear, moose, deer.
Name six things you love about the property
- The view across big pond.
- The view from Connor’s Bench – the stone bench in the field across from the house (named for a grandson).
- Walking the trails – all year round. In winter the snow is full of animal tracks – snowshoe hare, bobcat, mink…
- The opportunities – outdoor adventure, working in the barn, being able to host events in the barn: local proms, library fundraisers – contra dances, choral concerts, bagpipe concerts(!)
- The house – we designed & built it to fit our lifestyle – from the lower project room to the library upstairs.
- The fact that our guests love the studio apartment – they have their own space – and kids love to play and give concerts in the dance hall!
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What will you miss the most about the property?
The wonderful forest, fields, and trails of BBF. It has been our great pleasure to open it up to friends, neighbors, and the local community, and we enjoy seeing the smiles after they come back from outdoor adventures.
Enjoying all the special places at Beaver Brook Farm – before we started creating/changing things, we spent a lot of time identifying the truly special places that catch your breath or really make you appreciate the moment. We left all these spots as natural and wild as we came upon them for the next owner to enjoy.
-Mike and Vivien
For more information on Beaver Brook Farm, click here.
To learn more about luxury real estate in the Northern Vermont area, or to see more of our listings, visit our Burlington office page or contact Wade Weathers or Averill Cook.
