A Fully Renovated Camp on Lake Champlain, With a Mooring for a 45-Foot Boat
$499,000
Orwell sits on the Vermont shore of Lake Champlain, and this camp holds unobstructed water views from every room — a rare, genuinely wild stretch of the lake rather than a developed shoreline.
The renovation here is comprehensive, not cosmetic: new windows, new engineered flooring throughout, new sheetrock and paint, a new kitchen with new appliances and granite counters, a new bathroom, a new deck, a new metal roof, a new water filtration system, and a new wood stove. Four bedrooms and three bathrooms fill 1,750 square feet, elevated on piers above the shoreline for those unobstructed views. Out front, a 400-pound mooring already installed can hold a boat up to 45 feet, and an extra-large shed with electricity covers storage the house itself doesn't need to.
At $499,000, or $285 a square foot, a fully renovated four-bedroom camp with real boat capacity on Lake Champlain is a genuinely strong number — the seller notes it could also work as an income property for anyone thinking beyond personal use. This is a for-sale-by-owner listing with no listing agent involved, so bring a buyer's agent or attorney to handle the offer and closing rather than relying on the seller to represent both sides.
Life at the Water
Water Access & Depth
A 400-pound mooring is already installed directly in front of the house, rated to hold a boat up to 45 feet — genuinely substantial capacity for a private residential mooring. Boats can come straight up the Hudson River into Lake Champlain and moor right in front of the house, or launch about 10 minutes away at Benson Landing for anyone without their own trailer access. From here, the lake itself opens north toward Burlington and eventually the Canadian border, for buyers who want real long-distance cruising range.
Recreation & Boating
The listing calls out great bass fishing directly, and the photos show paddleboards already part of the property's water-toy lineup. Osprey and eagles are a regular sight from the deck, according to the seller, which says something about how undeveloped this stretch of shoreline still is. Lake Champlain's size means real open-water conditions are possible here, so check typical wind and wave patterns for this exact stretch before assuming it's always calm.
Dock & Waterfront Features
This property uses a mooring rather than a fixed dock, which is common on this less-developed stretch of Lake Champlain and works well for a boat that's used regularly rather than one that needs a permanent walkway. Confirm the mooring's current inspection status and anchor condition with the seller, since a 400-pound mooring holding a 45-foot boat needs to be properly maintained. Vermont's Department of Environmental Conservation regulates moorings and any future dock construction on Lake Champlain.
Flood & Insurance Considerations
Lake Champlain has seen real flooding in recent years, including significant high-water events, so pull the FEMA flood zone designation for this specific parcel and get an actual flood insurance quote before closing rather than assuming a renovated interior means the flood risk was addressed. Vermont winters also bring real cold and ice, which matters for water lines and mooring equipment left in through the off-season. Ask the seller directly how the property and the mooring are winterized each year.
Beyond the Property Line
Local Flavor & Small-Town Character
Orwell is a small, rural Vermont town on Lake Champlain, and this stretch of shoreline is genuinely remote rather than a developed lake community. Middlebury, about 40 minutes away, is the nearest full-service town with shopping and dining, and Brandon is closer still at about 25 minutes. New York City is roughly four and a half hours away, which keeps this firmly in weekend-and-longer territory rather than a quick day trip from the city.
Outdoor Recreation & Natural Surroundings
The seller describes walking for miles on the area's dirt roads, and the broader region includes the Green Mountain National Forest for more established hiking trails within a reasonable drive. Fishing and paddling on Lake Champlain itself are the daily draw, with the lake's size supporting everything from bass fishing to longer boat trips toward Burlington. This is classic Vermont outdoor territory — forests, water, and quiet rather than organized attractions.
Listed on Zillow
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