Yahoo Finance Property: Eco homes that will help cut energy bills
Green homes are designed to minimise their impact on the environment, incorporating sustainable materials, high levels of insulation and renewable energy sources such as solar PV panels that convert sunlight into electricity.
Running costs are low, and there are other not-so-obvious benefits as David Craddock, founder of Elite NuGEN Homes explains.
"Sustainably built and designed properties provide buyers with a home which is fit for the future," he says.
"Such a purchase will prove to be a better investment in the longer term and market evidence suggests that eco homes are a more appealing choice for buyers when it comes to selling.
"They tend to sell faster and frequently attract a higher premium."
So why not do your bit for the planet and your purse and check out this round-up of eco homes?
1. Cartridge Close – Priddy’s Hard, Gosport, Hampshire, from £325,000
These brand new three and four-bedroom townhouses are part of a regeneration scheme on the site of a naval fortress that was decommissioned in the 1980s.
They were built off-site to minimise waste and carbon dioxide output, and generate their own electricity which is stored in a battery until needed, while smart home technology monitors daily routines to reduce energy consumption.
These innovations have resulted in 75% less energy usage than a standard home – and a very welcome 75% saving on bills. By sustainable developer Elite NuGEN.
2. Elmsbrook, Bicester, Oxfordshire, £399,950
A three-bedroom end-of-terrace house in Elmsbrook, the UK’s first eco town.
Like all its neighbours, the house features ultra energy-efficient triple glazing, solar PV panels and a rainwater harvesting system that cuts water usage.
Eco credentials extend to transport options too, as there’s an electric car charging point, a residents’ bus service with a stop right outside the house, an e-car club and Brompton bikes are for hire. For sale through Connells
3. Hayfield Walk, Hanslope, Buckinghamshire, three-bed houses from £420,000, two-bed bungalows from £465,000
There’s something for everyone in this collection of 101 homes, comprising two, three, four and five-bedroom houses and rare new-build two and three-bedroom bungalows, inspired by the Arts and Crafts architecture of the surrounding village.
Don’t be fooled by their traditional appearance as they’re very eco-focussed, with air source heat pumps, energy-efficient underfloor heating, enhanced insulation and electric vehicle fast-charging points.
However, you won’t need the car for the school run as an Ofsted outstanding-rated primary is in walking distance. Find out more from Hayfield Homes
Watch: Will UK house prices ever fall?
4. Dalriada, Balhousie, near Largo, Leven, Fife, offers over £725,000
Set in the beautiful Fife countryside, this spacious light-filled house includes five bedrooms – three with ensuites, a second floor family room with a balcony, and solid hardwood flooring and doors throughout.
The standout eco feature is the turf roof, which is highly insulating and a magnet for wildlife, as well as ensuring that the house blends seamlessly into its surroundings.
If you’re keen to embrace a more sustainable lifestyle and grow you own, there’s plenty of room to create a vegetable plot in the walled garden. For sale through Galbraith
5. The Finials, Scotby, Cumbria, £750,000
The row of solar photovoltaic panels spanning the wide roof of this contemporary detached house signifies that it’s greener than most, and its other eco-features are hidden from view.
Low energy underfloor heating extends throughout the whole of the downstairs, rainwater harvesting provides water for the washing machines and toilets, and it’s heavily insulated.
Constructed by a local builder for his family, it includes a large kitchen/breakfast room, a TV room and sitting room, all with sliding doors on to a patio, five bedrooms and four bathrooms, and is on the market through Fine & Country
6. Sutton Orchard, New Buildings, Sandford, Devon, from £945,000
Two four-bedroom houses remain in this boutique scheme of just five homes, built in locally sourced sustainable timber, fitted with triple glazing and finished with volatile organic compounds-free paints.
In addition, each is equipped with an energy efficient heat pump for underfloor heating, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) that fills rooms with filtered fresh air, solar panels and an electric vehicle charging point.
They look out over shared woodland with a natural swimming pond, and developer Bower Eco Homes is replanting the site with native trees to attract wildlife. They’re available through Strutt & Parker.
7. Latimer House, Atherstone, Warwickshire, offers over £1.675m
It’s impossible to find fault with this predominantly open plan four-bedroom house as it’s beautifully designed with an abundance of living and entertaining space.
There’s a huge kitchen/dining room, a garden room, a study/cinema room, gym/games room and a sitting room with full-width bifold doors opening into the garden.
On top of all this, the property is Passivhaus Plus certified, meaning it produces as much energy as it consumes. This is achieved via solar powered electricity and hot water and MVHR systems, and triple glazed windows and doors. To arrange a viewing, contact Blatch Fine Homes
