2603 North Pownal Road, Pownal, VT, 05261

Property Details: • Type: Single Family Residence • Bedrooms: 3 • Bathrooms: 2.5 • Square Footage: 1,764 sq ft

Description: Visitors call it the tree house or the chalet. It has been my labor of love for nearly 20 years. My dream home is built atop a 1960's owner-built frame house perched on a rock outcrop overlooking the Taconic Range. The house is comfortable in all seasons yet not quite finished, but I am now of an age to pass my passion along to someone who will appreciate its unique nature.

Pownal is located within easy driving distance of ski areas (Jiminy Peak 30 minutes, Prospect Mountain 20, Bromley 45) cultural offerings (Williamstown Theater Festival and Clark Art Museum 15 minutes, Mass Moca 20; Jacobs Pillow or Tanglewood a bit further) and the outlet shopping in Manchester (40 minutes) is attractive.

The open living areas feature a 20-foot, uplit ceiling, a rock outcrop that runs right through the living room, open fireplace, vertical pine live-edge "tree", a library, and two large pentagonal windows either end that feels as if the house is in the Vermont woods.

The main bedroom has an ensuite half-bath and walk-on closet; the guest suite has a full bathroom; the main bathroom is Japanese-style with a whirlpool bath facing a tall window looking out at a rock face and a sauna that can seat six. Plus, there is an partly-finished loft space that could be a den or a small bedroom, or both.

The kitchen-dining area featured cherry floors, a wood stove, cabinets faced with reclaimed wood, an induction range, and soapstone countertops.

The main bedroom has spectacular views of the Pownal valley from the bed and an ensuite half-bath. All upstairs floor have radiant heat under natural slate or tile augmented by a heat pump that cools and dries the air in the summer. Plus an open fire place. A fan system moves warm air from the wood stove in the dining room, to the family room upstairs and from the south-facing porch up into the main bedroom. Installed in the loft is a Heat Recovery Ventilator moving warmed air from the peak of the living-room ceiling back down to the kitchen area and main bedroom. The living-dining area also has baseboard heat from the oil furnace that provides hot water.

Cleanup outside in the summer is a challenge because you need to be something of a mountain goat to reach all the brush with a weed whacker, but it has kept me in good shape!

The house is comfortable but buyers should understand there are outstanding projects: finish electrical installation, install some decking, finish some hardwood floors, the main bedroom closet needs furnishing, and not all the wood trim is done. There is leftover flooring lumber and lots of tools and building supplies should you want them. Plus it needs a new water softener and would benefit from more light fixtures. There is sometimes air in the pipes (well water has to come up 30 feet over the rocks so the challenge might be just the way the system has to work to prevent freezing). Around the house there are some trees that need trimming or removal. The porch is not insulated yet and there is a solar hot water collector that could be connected to baseboard heaters.

My house is not for everyone but I figure if I love it, there's someone else crazy enough to love it too.

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