108 Chace Hill Road, Sterling MA

Offered by Kurt Thompson of the HomesJustForYou Team

Call/text Kurt at 978-833-3569 for more information or to schedule a

private showing of this exquisite one-of-a-kind home

Helpful Information from the seller:

108 Chace Hill Rd. was part of over a 200 acre parcel which was a large farm

with an apple orchard. When electricity came through the area, the company

bought some parcels of land while others were divided into house lots. When

108 Chace Hill was first considered for building, the owners very much did not

want to ‘clear cut’ the lot. A State Forester was called in to consult on which

trees should be cut and which should be left. Over time, his choice of tree for

variety and age has produced a lot protected from decimation by pests or

disease favoring one species of tree. Bartlett Tree Company has been

employed to advise and maintain the ecosystem of the lot. Careful cutting,

trimming, and tree services have been implemented to preserve its integrity.

The lot is backed by a 40 acre plot planted with Christmas trees. Each year the

owner and his family carefully hand prune and treat the trees to provide the

most natural healthy tree. Any work done usually occurs in the early spring. The

owner has publically stated that upon his death the acreage will go into a Nature

Conservancy Trust. He also owns a small unbuildable lot to the east. It does

not meet the 2.5 acre minimum frontage requirement.

The house is served by a septic system designed for 4 bedrooms, but rarely

used to capacity. In the 24 year history of the house, there has never been a

septic problem. The ‘front lawn’ is the leach field and has always functioned

well. Never has grease or inedible items been put down the drains.

The water line runs up the western boundary from the road to the house. The

electric is taken from the pole between 108 and 86 Chace Hill Rd. From the

pole, it heads up the hill to a point where it comes east underground to our

property. Cable and telephone wires run in the same underground access area.

The home is protected by a security system which includes smoke detectors.

The pool room doors may be ‘armed’ while in residence to prevent unnoticed

entry to the pool area. Local police have stated that the property is a ‘low risk’

property. Because there is a long entry/egress driveway and because Chace

Hill Road is easily ‘limited’, it is a discouragement to those looking for an ‘easy’

target. Though there is acreage behind the home, it is easily ‘ringed’ with law

enforcement personnel preventing a perpetrator from escaping on foot. Again,

because the home is set back from the road, it does not come to the attention

vandals looking for an easy ‘lark’.

Responding to one ‘false alarm’, the Fire Department took the opportunity to

deploy the equipment for training purposes. They wanted to be sure they could

position their equipment adjacent to the house as well as have water to fight a

fire. It was easily done. The nearest hydrant is about 380 feet away.

Hiking and jogging trails as well as fishing are located 1 mile away on the

shores of Wachusett Reservoir. Just 20 minutes away, one may ski or hike Mt.

Wachusett. Equipped with snow guns, Mt. Wachusett opens around

Thanksgiving and closes in late March.

The town beach, located on Lake Waushacum, is located ‘over the hill’ about

one mile away. The town center, over the ‘next hill’ is about 3 miles as the crow

flies. The elementary and middle schools are located about 3 miles away on

Boutelle Rd. Wachusett Regional High School is located about 10 miles away

in Holden. The school’s instrumental and vocal music departments are Grammy

Award winners which also regularly send students to Central District

Competition as well as All State. The Math and Science Departments send

students to local, state and even national level math and science fairs. They

have a mentoring program with local professionals who mentor students through

various science projects. The school boasts a wide athletic program with

something to appeal to everyone. Academics figure prominently in the school’s

focus with A/P courses regularly offered.

The grounds were laid out by Master Gardner, Barbara McPhee of Holden.

Care was taken to choose varieties resistant to drought and disease while hardy

for the climate zone. Over the years her choices have worked out well.

Mrs. McPhee handpicked the granite front ‘stoop’ and steps. From the New

Hampshire Quarry she made sure of the color match and size while inspecting

to be sure there were no ‘faults’ in the granite.

In ground sprinklers were introduced along with drip lines in the beds skirting the

house. These operate on a preset timer, being sure to observe the watering

hours of the town. At no time should the sprinklers be used in the evening.

With the generally falling temperature, the dew point rises and the dew falls.

Adding moisture to an already moist condition could cause a ‘fungal’

environment to exist.

The kitchen cabinets were custom hand made of solid birch. They feature pull

out shelves for convenience along with a pull out pantry. The kitchen desk and

the book shelves are also made of solid birch. The custom kitchen island,

housing the dishwasher, is topped with a custom made solid maple butcher

block top. The counter tops were chosen for their impervious quality. They are

made from quartz composite. They will never need cleaning or sealing.

The cook top contains ceramic heating elements which efficiently cycle through

temperature to insure that optimum temperature is maintained on the pan’s

bottom. The oven is a combination conventional/convection oven.

The bottom freezer refrigerator has built in ice maker. The water filter for it is

located under the kitchen sink.

The kitchen floor is tiled with an Italian Quarry tile of a rating of 7 on the Mohs

scale. The tile was hand chosen for not only its size, in keeping with the

proportion of the room, but for its hardness. One will not see cracking, chipping

or scratching with a tile of this hardness; most tile available is only in the 3-5

Mohs range. Most homeowners notice how quickly their tile scratches or that

‘odd tiles’ crack. This will be much less likely to happen with this tile.

The drapes throughout the house were custom made by Interior Designs of

Auburn. While many valences are of ‘standard’ length, these have been

customized to fit the room.

The family room floor is wall to wall carpet while the walls are wall papered. All

in- home IT is handled from this room. Connections for audio in the pool room,

living room and sauna are handled from this room. There is also a cable

connection.

The ‘fixed’ French Doors in the kitchen/ family area were chosen to preserve the

security of the pool room. It was decided two opening French Doors from the

pool room to the living space were enough access.

The back hall houses a storage area accessible from two halls to make the

storage of bulkier items more convenient. The large entry hall closet

accommodates outdoor wear.

The Pool Closet houses the equipment to control the pool. There is a

designated computer, functioning by custom computer program, which monitors

and maintains temperature, which days, times, and length of time on/off, and the

on/off of the water treatment equipment. The Ozoneator, ‘new technology’

when installed, is now used by many municipal water treatment plants in their

water treatment program. This technology allows them (and us) to use less

chemical in the water.

The pool itself, when the pool cover is kept on, maintains its temperature and

‘stasis’ with little fuss. Once per week residual algaecide is added to the pool to

control any algae growth. At that time, a residual bactericide, Bromine, is used

as a further hygiene additive. By using BROMINE rather than chlorine

chemicals, one AVOIDS the chlorine smell in the home. From time to time

water needs to e added to keep the water level at the appropriate level for the

skimmer to function correctly. This is due to normal evaporation.

Pool pump, filter and liner were replaced within the last 5 years. The filter

chosen was done so for ease of use and great filtering ability. Generally the

filter media needs changing but twice per year.

The pool deck is made of stamped concrete, again first of its kind in the area.

The color was mixed into the mortar, not sprinkler on the top so it is colored

throughout. No wear marks will develop. When the deck was sealed, a number

2 finish was used. It provided a nice sheen without being excessively slippery.

However, care should be used at all times and positively no running allowed on

the deck.

The aluminum, non-corrosive light fixtures as well as the stainless steel metal

reels, also non corrosive, which hold the banner lines were designed and

fabricated by the owner. He also hand turned the wooden reels on which the

line is wound. The light fixtures may be reached by the ladder hanging in the

garage.

Flat ‘outdoor’ speakers are mounted on the walls the wires of which terminate in

the family room allow.

Humidity in the room is control by a custom designed Bry Aire Commercial

Dehumidifyer. The statistics of the room and the size and temperature of the

pool, were fed into a computer and the correct machine for the room was

determined. The humidistat may be reached out the window to the left in the

second floor foyer.

There is also a large fan located in the pool room. Sometimes it is more

efficient to pull the low humidity in from outside through an open window and

dump the high humidity inside. There are also two paddle fans located in the

room. These are left on at all times. Because the room is south facing and the

sides of the pool are 4 feet thick, the entire area acts as a ‘heat sink’. By

constantly circulating the air, the room thermostat may be left at 68 degrees

year round and still have the room temperature register a comfy 72 degrees.

Obviously more heat may be desired in winter. Two pieces of custom cut and

bound carpet are to be found in the pool closet. These pieces shield the hall

carpet from the pool room door to the bath room. This provides easy access to

the bathroom without having to dry off completely.

The walls are finished #2 cedar tongue and groove boards. They are treated

with 2 coats each side of exterior oil stain.

One will find banners hanging in the room. These are hung to help with sound

absorption. Changing them with the seasons adds to the decorating flexibility of

the space. Also, the room was wired for wall sconces. Those may be observed

by the cover plates.

French doors open off the pool room to the hall and to the formal living room

dining room. This feature invites one’s guests to flow from room to room

enjoying the ambiance of the area.

The windows in the hall are made of ‘shatter safety glass’. Should an accident

occur, these will shatter as required by code.

The hallway and room doors throughout the home are raised panel pine doors

finished in hand rubbed stain with polyurethane seal.

The back entry walls are finished in stained #2 cedar. The back door, and both

interior garage doors are insulated steel doors.

The back patio is finished in ‘blue’ cobble stone seated with gray sand

surrounded by blue stone. Blue stone has also been used in the walk way of

the raised garden bed. It is lined with weed blocker and filled with screened

loam and manure. It is watered by a spray controlled on a separate zone of the

sprinkler system.

The driveway was seal coated this spring (2014).

“Helmut Gutters’ were installed 3 years ago. They do a great job handing the

water coming off the roof.

The ‘bunny cage’ provides a safe environment for a small pet. It is completely

screened- in protecting a bunny or small animal from any wild creature. The

snug hutch stuffed with hay kept animals warm for many a winter.

The barn, raised in 2000, houses lawn equipment. It has stood through the

weight and wind of many storms including the ice storm of 2008.

The living room contains architectural molding as well as a 5 arm chandelier on

a dimmer switch. Also located are 2 halogen spot lights positioned to highlight

the table center piece. The ceiling plaster is custom finished in a ‘swirling’

pattern adding finish to the room. The hardwood floors add to the attraction of

the room. In the construction details, provision has been made to add a spiral

staircase leading down from the master suite to the living room. French doors

open onto the pool room for an enjoyable entertaining ambiance.

The downstairs bath includes a shower convenient to the pool. Shower, toilet

and sink are all colored matched. Further down the hall a 4 person infrared

cedar sauna adds to the spa atmosphere of this area of the house. Piped in

music with soothing heat is just the thing after a day of skiing at the nearby

mountain. A door opens off the second hall into the store room for easy access.

Carpets throughout the house are commercial grade unless otherwise noted.

The downstairs playroom features a billiard table waiting for your next game.

The walls are finished plaster with half wall wainscoting. The rug is a wall to

wall Berber. Many cabinets and shelves wait to organize your pastimes. The

far closet holds the cue rack and cues.

The workshop stands ready for your next project. The bulkhead provides easy

access for larger materials. The incoming water supply is located in this area

along with a whole house water filter and shut off for the sprinkler system.

The furnace, a system 2000, 85% efficient oil burner with boiler and hot water

heater for the pool, is a many zoned system. Outside air is drawn in to fire the

burner so no heat is ‘lost’ from the house. (Care should be taken to be sure this

inlet remains snows free during the winter months.). This furnace is designed to

send heat to the room called for. When the temperature is reached, it continues

to push the remaining heat through the system so none is wasted. There are 3

oil tanks available for convenient fillings.

Because the house is south facing much benefit is gained from the passive

solar exposure. The four foot thick walls of the heated pool further add to the

‘heat sink’ effect of the sun gain.

Next to the furnace is the new radon remediation system.

The Double D electrical panel along with the security system is located on the

far wall.

The guest wing features two bedrooms with full closet with built in shelves. The

rooms easily hold a double bed with bureau and desk without feeling crowded.

The walls are plaster finished or painted, with commercial carpet on the floor.

The guest bath features large linen closet to service the whole floor. The double

mirror vanity gives each guest a place to store their bathroom items. The

overhead vent has a heat feature to take the chill off cold winter mornings. Full

tub and shower complete the bathroom fixtures. Tub and surround, toilet and

sink are all color matched.

The laundry area features a set tub as well as space for a sewing area. The

yellow painted walls add a cheery touch to the space. Many cabinets make for

great storage. The efficient HE washer rests on a custom made stainless steel

drawer, great for storing extra supplies. The second floor wash/dry area makes

laundry much easier and more efficient to handle.

The walk in cedar closet with vinyl flooring, features not only hanging space, but

shelves as well- perfect for all your storage needs.

The master suite features sitting room, master bed room and sink room and

shower/jetted tub room.

The sitting room overlooks the front lawn- perfect for quiet reading, late night

office work or exercise. With pocket doors, it is easily closed off from the

bedroom or opened to provide additional space.

The master bedroom features his-and-hers mirror door closets. With built-in

shelves, it makes it handy to store lots of items. The nook between the closets

was designed to accommodate an average dresser opening up the floor space,

giving it a ‘clean’ feel.

The sink room features his and her sinks with custom shell designed bowls.

There are built in cabinets as well as handy ‘tip out’ mirrors. A built-in vanity

makes morning toilette a pleasure.

The shower/tub room is separated from the sink room by a pocket door. One

may access this room from the master suite or from the hall. It contains toilet,

bidet and jetted tub/shower. All bathroom fixtures are color matched.

The 3rd floor boasts a built in library with accompanying cabinets. The 3rd floor

foyer is just the place to settle with a book. With plenty of storage space handy,

the third floor lends itself well to a 4th bedroom or office. On overhead fan adds

to the air circulation in the area. Should you require more space, the unfinished

attic on the other side has been plumbed ready to accept heating for the area

when necessary.

The whole house fan is located ‘behind’ the stairway. On those hot summer

nights spent in the family room, simply open the windows in the family room, be

sure the other house windows are closed, open the doors to the stairs, turn on

the whole house fan and soon the house will be cool. The fan size was chosen

by calculating the cubic footage of air in the home and choosing the CFM

necessary to move the air in a reasonable amount of time to cool the house

down.

This area is also the access for the fans in the pool room. Should there ever be

a problem, the fans may be lowered to the floor for repair or replacement.

There is also a sub panel located on the 3rd floor. Plans exist to ‘lift’ the roof

from the garage and built an apartment over the garage. The design of the

hallway access of the master bath as well as the electrical supply was laid out

with a thought to a ‘some day’ apartment.

Plantings on the grounds include, rhododendron, yew, holly, astilbe,

Andromeda, elephant Hosta, variegated Hosta, heirloom lilac (purple), white and

pink peonies, bleeding heart, vinca, pachysandra, euonymus (burning bush) ,

boxwood, blueberry, witch hazel, elm, oak, maple, shag bark hickory, and horn

beam to name just a few.

The resident has been a member of the Sterling Garden Club for some time.

Sterling is a town which has long been known for its apples. Many home

developments are located in ‘old orchards’. Additionally, Sterling is home to

Mary Sawyer, of “Mary had a Little Lamb…” The town square is home to a

bronze replica of ‘Mary’s Lamb’. Many a local child has climbed on its back.

Mary’s great great grand daughter, Diane Malone, still resides in town and with

her husband Rick, operates Clear View Farm. The farm is located just down the

road from the old Sawyer ‘Homestead’.

RE/MAX Property Promotions, 975 Merriam Ave., Leominster MA

Office (978) 847-0800