What is it that ticks your boxes when you’re scrolling for a new home? Lots of space? Period features? A good location? We all have our requirements, but if ‘environmentally friendly’ is also on your list, then you may want to check out some of these properties below. Which can only be described as the dreamiest eco homes for sale right now!
There are many advantages to going green when it comes to your housing, from saving you money to helping the planet. However it doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice on good design – far from it, in fact. These super-stylish eco homes each come with their own set of green credentials, making them incredibly saleable, plus they’re all on the market and ready to buy right now.
Want to find out more? Read on and find out why going green is a major plus point for upcoming properties – and who knows, you may find your future home.
1. Eco home with imaginative design: Stubwood Granary
Don’t you just love a property conversion that was something completely different to begin with? This imaginative eco home was originally two agricultural grain silos that have been converted into a three-storey, five-bedroom house that features open-plan living and stunning views.
Set in Hungerford in Berkshire, the property’s utilitarian design is a stark contrast to its picturesque surroundings in the countryside – with views over a large pond. It’s a sustainable way of making use of these former farm buildings and we’re sure you’ll agree it makes a striking first impression.
Image credit: Knight Frank
Large modern windows keep the indoors light and make the most of the views, while a terrace outside is ideal for entertaining or enjoying the setting. Inside, an impressive atrium-style full-height entrance hallway leads into a bespoke curved kitchen, and on to an open-plan dining area and spacious sitting room with modern wood burner.
There’s also a separate utility and boot room, and if you carry on up the steel and glass designed winding staircase, you’ll find a further two floors with another living room, bedrooms and bathrooms. Outside you can see the double garage, and above it is an annex and store room.
Now, you’d be forgiven for thinking that a property of this vast size would be expensive to keep warm, but this cleverly-designed space features air source heating, which absorbs heat from the outside air in order to heat the inside and provide hot water. It’s a low-carbon way of heating your home and extremely efficient.
Intrigued? So are we.
See it for yourself: Stubwood Granary, £1,950,000, Knight Frank
Eco home with royal connections: Silverdale
We have a treat for you in the form of this home, which is more than a little bit special as not only does it have a focus on sustainability, but the owner can also boast its gardens were designed by a former gardener to the Queen! The stunning landscaping, flower beds and surrounding woodland are a feature in themselves, at just under an acre plot, but it’s the house that we want to look at in more depth.
Related: Sustainable gardens – eco friendly ideas for your outdoor space
Image credit: The Modern House
This jaw-dropping glass structure was designed by celebrated German housebuilder Peter Huf, whose philosophy is that a luxury lifestyle and eco-friendly living needn’t be mutually exclusive. Silverdale (named due to the canopy of silver birch trees that surround the house) lies on a private residential road close to the centre of Gerrards Cross in the Chilterns and the house itself is over 4,600sq ft, with double-height ceilings and three glazed aspects.
Inside, you’ll find an open-plan ground level that’s made up of a dining room, living room and kitchen, which feature lighting by Tom Dixon. There’s a home office, five bedrooms, a cinema room, bathrooms, walk-in wardrobes and multiple balconies and patio areas. The glazed walls are triple thickness, so you have complete seclusion to outside noise. There’s also an integrated electric blind system. And did we mention that the joinery throughout the house has been custom made, as has much of the furniture?
So, what is that makes this house eco-friendly? Well, houses designed by Huf all have a focus on sustainability and exceptional efficiency, with Silverdale incorporating structural thermal insulation with zoned heating and an effective means of natural air circulation. Underfloor heating runs throughout the house, too, and an air source heat pump ensures energy efficiency. Simply stunning.
See it for yourself: Silverdale, £3,600,000, The Modern House
Eco home with future proofing: Cubis Bruton
Once described as the ‘most fashionable place to live’, sought-after Bruton in Somerset is a creative and eclectic town, with a trendy high street and world-renowned art gallery. It’s also home to a new contemporary development of three and four-bedroom eco houses, courtesy of Acorn Property Group.
We’ll start with the aesthetic of the houses, which are made using locally-sourced sustainable resourced local timber. Each one is modern and although very square in design, the mix of timber cladding and stone facade makes for an impressive build.
Image credit: Acorn Property Group
Inside, open-plan design, contemporary fitted Leicht kitchens and underfloor heating are all great attributes, but what really makes this property stand out from the crowd is its green credentials. From superior insulation to enhanced energy efficiency and green roofs, each house has a number of highly sustainable assets both indoors and out.
A full environmental assessment and ecological surveys have resulted in bat and bird boxes being installed in surrounding trees to ensure animal habitats and trees stay protected. Plus, each of the green roofs allow for a range of planting options and provide important microclimates for birdlife and other species.
That’s not all… there’s also infrastructure for electric car charging points provided as standard, smart metres so homeowners can digitally monitor their gas and electricity consumption, and LED lighting used throughout for more efficient, cleaner lighting. In effect, these forward-thinking houses have been future proofed as much as possible. Impressive work.
See it for yourself: Cubis Bruton, from £555,000, Acorn Property Group
Eco home with sheer style: Ossicles
If you’re after a home with the wow-factor, then you won’t get much better than this unique new-build. Designed by an architect, contemporary Ossicles is nestled in a peaceful hamlet near to Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, once voted as one of the best places to live in the English countryside.
Set in the Chiltern Hills amongst rolling hills and greenery, this house has been thoughtfully considered both indoors and out. Large open-plan spaces are cleverly separated by glass, with dramatic vaulted ceilings and an abundance of light. Benefitting from five bedrooms and four bathrooms, the property covers 3,359sq ft and is set in 0.6 acres, which although classed as a rural location, is in fact just 40 miles from Central London.
Image credit: Knight Frank
Inside is just as impressive as out. Step into the vaulted lobby where a glass walkway above leads to a partially suspended study. The dining and one of the reception areas (there are three in total) feature a wall of glass doors that open completely onto a limestone terrace and the garden beyond.
So, let’s look at its eco credentials… Again, a low-carbon air source heat pump keeps it energy efficient, along with solar panels, which you’ll spot in the image above. Add to that its underfloor heating, which makes an eco-friendly heating system and you have a dramatic build that offers its occupants some impressive environmentally-friendly features.
See it for yourself: Ossicles, £2,750,000, Knight Frank
Eco home with a light-filled interior: Quarry Hills
Leyburn in North Yorkshire is a charming market town that has a secret up its sleeve in the form of this exceptionally energy-efficient house. Quarry Hills, named due to its elevated south-facing position in the Quarry Hills Conservation Area, was the first house in the region to be accredited with Passivhaus Plus status, which means that not only does it drastically reduce energy use, but it also produces as much energy as its occupants consume. Clever, eh?
Situated at the end of a private road, the house sits in a quiet plot with a private driveway and integral garage. You can see that its exterior is a mix of lime render, zinc and Yorkshire stone, giving it a very distinct look, while the foundations were built using recycled concrete aggregate and the insulation is formed from straw bales. Each of this home’s three storeys has far-reaching views across the Yorkshire Dales and Penn Hill, while private gardens and a vegetable plot surround the property.
Image credit: The Modern House
Notice anything different about the roof? That’s because Quarry Hills has 29 photovoltaic solar panels – and that’s just one of its energy efficient features. You’ll also find it boasts water and heat-recovery systems that keep running costs at impressively low levels of around £150 per year.
Inside, the walls have been lined in lime plaster and finished in breathable paints – with an open-plan layout, modern kitchen, several bedrooms and even a roof terrace. Timber flooring and beams, floor-to-ceiling glazing, breathtaking views and tons of natural light are just a few of the features that make this property so much more than just an efficient running house.
See it for yourself: Quarry Hills, £500,000, The Modern House
Eco home with charm: Elsworth Court
At first sight you’d be forgiven for thinking that this traditional-looking home is simply another stunning country build, but we’re pleased to report there’s a lot more to this place than looks would suggest. Recently built and completed in 2018, Elsworth Court is a highly efficient modern property set in Holwell, a small village close to Sherborne in Dorset. Approached through electric gates, the house itself is built within 4.2 acres of pasture, surrounded by lawn, fruit trees, an ornamental kitchen garden and a paddock.
Its exterior is a mix of two materials: the ground floor built in local Purbeck stone, while the first floor is clad in Canadian red cedarwood that has mellowed to a beautiful silvery shade. If you aren’t won over by the far-reaching views over unspoilt countryside, then the handsome looks of this house are likely to draw you in.
Image credit: Knight Frank
Inside, the house has been finished to a high standard. Four bedrooms and three bathrooms provide plenty of space for families, while the living room features a Bath stone fireplace and wood-burning stove, and the kitchen-diner has all the mod cons you’d need, along with granite work surfaces and a large central island.
On the eco front, you can expect extremely high levels of insulation, including a ground source heating system along with triple-glazed windows and doors that protect against heat loss. There’s also a focus on the use of adaptable technology (connected by Cat8 network cabling), so it’s fair to say every little detail has been well thought out.
Not only that, but whoever purchases this beautiful home will find that utilities have already been pre-laid for a garage block, should they wish to build it, with a workshop, WC and separate summer house or home office.
See it for yourself: Elsworth Court, £1,295,000, Knight Frank
Related: Take a tour of this unique two-bedroom home set in Britain’s first eco village
Do you have a favourite out of all these homes?
The post The top 6 eco homes that are ready to buy right now appeared first on Ideal Home.
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