The best eco-houses for sale
This week: eco-houses – from a glass and steel villa in an Atlantic Rainforest Reserve in Itacare, Brazil, to a traditional farmhouse with solar panels and air-source heating in Trinity, Jersey
Holmbury, Trinity, Jersey. This traditional granite farmhouse has been renovated to include solar panels and air-source heating, which are computer controlled for maximum energy efficiency. It comes with a one-bedroom cottage and a heated swimming pool. 8 beds, 6 baths, 3 receps, gardens, 5 acres. Price on application. Savills 01534-722 227.
Chestnut Corner, Wordsley, West Midlands. A property built in 2009 out of wood sourced from the woodland behind the house. It has solar panels, underfloor heating, high levels of insulation and a rain-water storage tank. 4 beds, 3 baths, open-plan living area, gym, workshop, pond, greenhouse. £625,000 Hunters 01384-443331.
Villa Caju, Itacare, Brazil. This glass and steel house is situated in a beach-side location surrounded by rainforest, some of which is registered as an Atlantic Rainforest Reserve. It has solar panels and is finished with wood salvaged from demolitions. 6 beds, 6 baths, 2 receps, gourmet kitchen, office, caretaker’s house, swimming pool, gardens, 5.68 acres €3m Christie’s International Real Estate +55 11 307 43600.
The Green, Acomb, York. An energy-efficient contemporary property with underfloor heating, a mechanical heat-recovery system and triple-glazed Schueco windows. The house has oak and porcelain-tiled floors, a fitted kitchen with porcelain work surfaces and a garden that includes a large patio and a heated swimming pool. 4 beds, 3 baths, recep. £625,000 Carter Jonas 01904-558200.
Chalkwood, St Margarets-at-Cliffe, Kent. This contemporary house on the Kent Downs, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is designed to be exceptionally energy efficient and has low running costs. It has a double-height, atrium-style garden room, a modern kitchen with a wood-burning stove and large windows at the back of the house overlooking the gardens and surrounding countryside. 5 beds, 3 baths, 2 receps, gardens, 0.6 acres. £1.25m Strutt & Parker 01227-473700.
Tree Tops, Corley, North Warwickshire. A rare opportunity to buy a three-storey, timber-framed Huf Haus. The property is made of wood and glass and is designed for eco-friendly living, with a ground-source heat pump and high levels of insulation. It is set in large, landscaped gardens and has an open-plan living and kitchen area with floor-to-ceiling windows and a home cinema. 3 beds, 2 baths, office, workshop. £1.5m Fine & Country 0121-746 6400.
Sion Road, Bath. A detached property designed by an award-winning architectural practice. It has wood-framed windows and doors and a living room with a vaulted wooden ceiling, a wood-burning stove, and doors leading onto the garden. 5 beds, 2 baths, recep, dining kitchen. £1.25m Knight Frank 01225-325999.
The Old Vicarage, Blackawton, Totnes, Devon. This energy-efficient, 19th-century house has been re-roofed with additional insulation and has solar panels, a wind turbine and double-glazed windows. It has parquet floors, bespoke oak bookcases in the drawing room and open fireplaces with wood-burning stoves. 6 beds, 4 baths, 3 receps, study, breakfast kitchen, living room, gym, indoor pool, stables, wildlife ponds, gardens, 19.38 acres. £1.6m Strutt & Parker 01392-215631.