Tasteful Friends - somewhat shabby but well priced Victorian in Vermont

It's a beautiful house in a spectacular setting, without a single doubt. The layout and structure look a bit chaotic, which is reflected in the fact that there are some inner areas that look quite dark and some of the bedrooms are oddly shaped. However, the period features are simply adorable and very well preserved, and unless there are serious structural issues, updating everything and redecorating in a way that highlights the beauty of each room would be extremely easy. I am particularly taken by the gorgeous foyer and the incredibly charming garden room.

The only downside is the kitchen, which combines most of the original furniture from the early 20th Century with horrendous 1950s plywood cabinetry, but that is VERY easy to correct. As for the price, it is a huge bargain given how lovely the property is, but upon further inspection the town of Rutland is in the middle of nowhere, so the only people who could afford to keep such a property are the independently wealthy or those who have a very well remunerated job that allows them to work remotely.

Thanks for sharing this, OP. It's a very idiosyncratic property that has charm in spades and will make a spectacular home.

Agree with R1...

But it will be a money pit for any buyer!

MONEY PIT FOR GAY BOY COUPLE.-ENJOY.

It resembles the old California governor's mansion in Sacramento.

The paradigm of “needs work,” but it just may be worth it if it has enough elevation above the nearby creek.

Rutland is not the middle of nowhere if your family likes to ski/snowboard.

Money Pit

That shit is haunted. Still beautiful, though.

R1 pretty much what I was thinking, could also suit someone retired but still active and fit with a bit of money and ability to DIY

[quote]The paradigm of “needs work,” but it just may be worth it if it has enough elevation above the nearby creek.

Good point about the elevation R5, I checked on Google Maps, looks like its on a rise above the road which is in turn several feet above the creek if not more. And if you can do a lot of the work yourself it'd be well worth it. I cant post the actual streetview as the link is too long but its easy enough to get to from what is linked

R8 Shit may be haunted. I'm not remotely sensitive to that stuff though, dont care

[quote]That shit is haunted. Still beautiful, though

Love this house, though it does remind me of something out of a Stephen King novel in which a city couple looking to cash out of NYC buys this house in the country for cheap, only to discover a persistent scratching noise in the basement.

Looks like it’s located in an industrial part of town. Too bad.

6 BR, 2Bath?

Two bedrooms need to be turned into, as the Brits say, ensuites.

I don't want to know what's under that drop ceiling or what's in the basement.

Link to street view

But it is **RUTLAND.**. And despite what someone above said, almost anywhere in Vermont is close to skiing.

Dumb question (maybe for Rescue Chick)

How does oil heating work? Do you have a big tank on your property that hooks up to the house? Does a company delivery it monthly? Is it expensive?

Just seems like a PITA to me, but I know it is common in older places.

You COULD have a tank, but most people with oil heat like to make constant trips to the oil store with a big bottle.

My mother had oil heating and hot water. There's a big tank in the based and an oil tanker truck comes by monthly. It was expensive and dirty.

Well they don’t call DL a place for pointless butchery for nothing I guess R17

There's something depressing about it, IMO. Sorry v8fairy.

There are some nice details, like the fireplaces.

Yeah, the shapes of some of the bedrooms seem needlessly odd. (Cut-outs in the corner, etc.)

So many cheap details, that industrial ceiling is horrible. The bathrooms are awful. Kitchen is horrible with that brick shit.

Rutland is terrible. ugh.

The tank might be in the basement or it could be buried in the yard in which case it is a ticking time bomb of environmental liability. Sometimes there are abandoned tanks that an owner doesn’t know about.

What’s terrible about Rutland?

It floods, for starters. Recently, quite a bit.

Even if you’re not underwater, parts of town will be. That will inconvenience you and cost you more in taxes to repair the damage. Plus: the taxes. If it’s $10k on a $500,000 assessment, imagine how much more the taxes will cost when you spend the big bucks needed to fix it up.

That said, there is a Home Depot in town. A problem with a lot of isolated towns is that fixing up an old house means importing both materials and labor. Here, it’s down the street.

Who could live with those paint and carpet color choices? (And yes I know that is easily remedied, I'm referring to the taste of the present owners). Reeks of a nursing home I bet.

R23 my question too. Street viewed around a bit of the town, it looks OK.

The oil heating is absolutely a problem. I'd be installing heat pumps ASAP, at least one in the lounge anyway, as I can sleep absolutely fine in extreme cold. I didnt spot an oil tank in the exterior pics so it may be buried as R22 suggests. Any which way I'd want rid of it

Addams Family.

Vermonters call Rutland Rutvegas because it's tacky and has a reputation for being a mid point for gang members traveling from one place to another.

I love it as is.

The monthly heating bill in a Vermont winter is probably in 4 figures.

Bed 'n Breakfast

Between the Earle’s Truck Repair and the insulated glass factory? I don’t think so.

Read Donna Tartt's "The Secret History" before buying!

6 bedrooms but only 2 bathrooms? Jesus Christ, don't people shit in Vermont?

I noticed Bennington wasn’t too far down the road R33

R35 - Did you spot a gaggle of well-diversified children wearing colorfully garish clothes?

I want to discover the houses past which probably includes a hatchet victim or two.

"Jesus Christ, don't people shit in Vermont?"

It was built in 1860. People used chamber pots in winter or went to the outhouse in nicer weather.

Looks like it needs a new roof. With those steep and complicated rooflines, that would easily be $40,000-50,000. I agree, it would make a great project for a very handy gay couple with lots of extra time and money. For anyone else, stick to move-in-ready, especially if it's an older home.

First season of American Horror Story - Nurse Massacre!!!!!

Like R39, I fear that roof. I have experience removing bad fixes and keeping others. There was a DIY craze in the early 50s where every home had a builtin project. Some of them are cool. Others? Harmless, but dated.

Removing a drop ceiling is probably going to reveal broken plaster and cheats for electrical wiring.

Isn't Rutland like the Alabama of Vermont?

I’d rather have bought Lizzie Borden’s home “on the hill”, Maplecroft”, in Fall River, MA. It sold for only $700K just two years ago.

It's a cross between "Burnt Offerings" and "Salems Lot".

[Quote] Shit may be haunted

My god, what are you people eating? There’s nothing in my bms but corn.

[quote]I noticed Bennington wasn’t too far down the road [R33]

It's Vermont, not Texas. EVERYTHING is not too far down the road.

In ground oil tanks raise your insurance because of the environmental liability.

No one lives any nearer than town. No one will come any nearer than that. In the night. In the dark.

You'll be right in town for the annual State Fair ("don't miss it, don't even be late")

I think Bette Davis's first husband was from Rutland. The one she probably murdered.

Sorry wrong husband

House history at link.

"... a great project for a very handy gay couple with lots of extra time and money."

We had this idea for a show...

What were people doing way up there in 1860?