New Vermont state fire safety codes require that a finished basement must have at least two means of exiting the building. If you don’t have a walkout basement with a full-sized door, a less expensive alternative may be installing an egress window large enough for people to easily exit and for rescue crews to gain access in case of a fire or other emergency. Installation may require a skilled professional, especially if your basement has solid concrete or concrete block walls.

Where your soil line comes up to the outside of the house will also determine whether you will need to excavate down and install a window well, which typically has to be at a minimum of 40-inches diagonal. If you do have to dig down, be sure to call your local utility providers to have all buried utilities marked out. Last thing you want to do is accidentally dig into an electrical line.

A single egress window must be in “common-use” areas, such as your family room, home office, etc. Other “occassional-use” rooms, such as bathrooms, laundry rooms and utility areas, don’t need emergency egress windows.

Before you start renovating, consult the state code enforcement or your local municipal building inspection department to find out your requirements.

The leaves are starting to change and the days are getting shorter which means its that time of the year again. Time for that fall breeze to blow in yet another school year. Norwich rooks head into the freezing cold brooks, crawling through the mud and worm pits as the brand new hell week begins. Meanwhile Spaulding reopens its doors, as the incoming freshman class too dives into new waters–bringing in a whole new generation of oversized backpacks clogging up the hallways for the upperclassmen who once did the same. The green lawns are all rolled out at Montpelier High School, albeit with some new athletic policies, one of which may keep some of their freshman off the varsity soccer field.

With the beautiful foliage fading into the background of all these new freshman experiences, Central Vermont is a great place to go to school and enjoy the autumn season. Interested in finding a home? Visit http://www.bckrealestate.com or call John Biondolillo at BCK Real Estate (802) 479-3366 and email at John@bckrealestate.com.

Election season is in full swing as the time to vote draws nearer. Barre hasn’t had a citizen in the Vermont senate for 30 years. This year Barre resident Laura Moore is looking to change that. Moore is running for Vermont State Senate.

Voting booths will be at the Barre Auditorium and at the Barre Town Elementary & Middle School gym from 7am – 7pm on August 24th. Be sure to go out and vote!

This past Friday a ceremony was held in front of the recently burned 47 North Main Street in downtown Barre. Governor Jim Douglas was present as well as several other state officials to announce the list of tax credit recipients, one of which was 47 North Main Street. The building dates back all the way to 1912. Many different types of businesses have occupied the building over the years, such as an insurance company, granite dealers, real estate, dentistry, dress maker and a bank. The building was nearly burned down by arsonists earlier this summer yet still stands, albeit in poor condition. Without the tax credit program, this historic building would’ve been demolished, but now has the opportunity to be restored.

If your interested in finding a home in Barre or anywhere else in central Vermont, call John Biondolillo at BCK Real Estate (802) 479-3366 or check out http://www.bckrealestate.com and email at John@bckrealestate.com.

Archaeologists have recently uncovered the oldest house in Britain. It’s in a pleasant location, overlooking the lake at Star Carr, near Scarborough. The roof was made of thatched reeds and constructed of timber posts, among other very original features. Great for nomad hunters!

The house is believed to be about 11,000 years old, built about 6,000 years before the Stonehenge monument, and probably inhabited for 200-500 years. The site suggests the house was about 11.5 feet wide, yet still includes many artifacts, including an oar, arrow tips, deer skulls, as well as signs that they may have had domesticated dogs.

Are you interested in finding your own classic home in VT? Unfortunately BCK Real Estate doesn’t have any listing dating back 11,000 years, but visiting our website gives you the option of one-click search for any style home, such as Victorian. Check out http://www.bckrealestate.com or call John Biondolillo at BCK Real Estate (802) 479-3366 and email at John@bckrealestate.com.