Eco-friendly home with zero energy costs on market for £675,000

A stunning eco-home has gone on the market for £675,000 after it was transformed from a dilapidated, unlivable cottage. 

The four-bedroom home sits on 11 acres of land near Lostwithiel in Cornwall and is perfect for those wanting to save money as well as the environment because the pad has zero energy costs thanks to its clever design.

The modern cottage boasts of green power sources including timber cladding insulation, ground source heat pump and solar thermal and photovoltaic panels. 

The heat pump system heats water in a large storage cylinder for hot water and provides central heating for the home. The house is well-insulated and also has underfloor heating and a woodburner in the living area. 

A stunning eco-friendly home has gone on the market for £675,000 after it was transformed from its dilapidated state 

The four-bedroom home which sits on 11 acres of land near Lostwithiel in Cornwall is perfect for those wanting to save money as well as saving the environment because the pad has zero energy costs thanks to its clever design

The four-bedroom home which sits on 11 acres of land near Lostwithiel in Cornwall is perfect for those wanting to save money as well as saving the environment because the pad has zero energy costs thanks to its clever design

It boasts of timber cladding insulation, a ground source heat pump and solar thermal and photovoltaic panels. The ground pump water system heats water in a large storage cylinder for hot water and provides central heating

It boasts of timber cladding insulation, a ground source heat pump and solar thermal and photovoltaic panels. The ground pump water system heats water in a large storage cylinder for hot water and provides central heating

The property, which is on the market with estate agents Savills, sits in an idyllic location with 11 acres of wetland and woodland, making it a haven away from the hustle and bustle of city life

The property, which is on the market with estate agents Savills, sits in an idyllic location with 11 acres of wetland and woodland, making it a haven away from the hustle and bustle of city life

Solar PV panels also generate electricity that the current homeowner, Guy Stansfeld, sells to the National Grid through the feed-in tariff. His annual electricity bills are about £1,200 which is about the same he receives in payments for his electricity

Solar PV panels also generate electricity that the current homeowner, Guy Stansfeld, sells to the National Grid through the feed-in tariff. His annual electricity bills are about £1,200 which is about the same he receives in payments for his electricity

WHAT MAKES THE HOME GREEN?  

The eco cottage up for grabs at £675,000 has zero energy costs thanks to some green home improvements. 

Timber cladding helps keep the structure well insulated, meaning the home stays cold when it is hot out and hot when it is cold.

The use of timber is sustainable, renewable, recyclable and has low embodied energy.

Using a ground source heat pump helps lowers a household’s carbon footprint by using the ground as a natural source of heat. 

The trade off between electricity used to generate the pump is two to four units of heat. 

The Energy Saving Trust estimates households save £1,200 per year by using a ground source heat pump.

Another big money saver and a green energy source are the solar thermal and the photovoltaic (PV) panels.  

Solar thermal panels store generated energy while PV panels power more appliances than solar thermal panels.   

Solar PV panels also generate electricity that the current homeowner, Guy Stansfeld, sells to the National Grid through the feed-in tariff. 

His annual electricity bills are about £1,200 which is about the same he receives in payments for his electricity, so the house is effectively free to run.

The property, which is on the market with estate agents Savills, sits in an idyllic location with 11 acres of wetland and woodland, making it a haven away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

It was built as an estate cottage for the nearby Lanhydrock Estate, widely regarded as one of the most beautiful and unspoilt parts of Cornwall, but had fallen into an uninhabitable state by the time architect Mr Stansfeld bought it.

Mr Stansfeld, who runs his own company Guy Stansfeld Architects Ltd, opened up the original cramped cottage by taking out the first floor to give the main living area spacious ceiling heights and then built an extension to house four bedrooms and three bathrooms.

He built the property intending to live there but is now planning to move out of the country and does not want the eco-friendly home to go to waste.

The property has about 2,100 square feet of accommodation and the grounds include two fields and woodland, part of a site of special scientific interest (SSSI).

The house, called Rosedale, has a westerly-facing garden and pond with a woodland backdrop where the buyers can enjoy plenty of afternoon sunshine on their lawn or deck.

There is also a kitchen garden area and parking for several cars.

Mr Stansfeld, 54, said: ‘When I bought it the cottage was derelict, it hadn’t been lived in for about three years but it had been deteriorating for a long time before that. 

The four-bedroom home has a minimalist feel, due to natural light flooding the space and the light colour scheme

The four-bedroom home has a minimalist feel, due to natural light flooding the space and the light colour scheme

All the bedrooms are on the same side of the L-shaped home, with the master bedroom towards the back of the house 

All the bedrooms are on the same side of the L-shaped home, with the master bedroom towards the back of the house 

The architect kept the bare bones of the original cottage, including the ceiling structure in the main room and the fireplace

The architect kept the bare bones of the original cottage, including the ceiling structure in the main room and the fireplace

The property has about 2,100 square feet of accommodation and the grounds include two fields and woodland, part of a site of special scientific interest (SSSI)

The property has about 2,100 square feet of accommodation and the grounds include two fields and woodland, part of a site of special scientific interest (SSSI)

The now stunning home was built as an estate cottage for the nearby Lanhydrock Estate but had fallen into a dilapidated and uninhabitable state by the time architect Mr Stansfeld bought it

The now stunning home was built as an estate cottage for the nearby Lanhydrock Estate but had fallen into a dilapidated and uninhabitable state by the time architect Mr Stansfeld bought it

Before the transformation in 2015, the property was inhabitable, with filthy walls and disgusting floors 

Before the transformation in 2015, the property was inhabitable, with filthy walls and disgusting floors 

The outdated bathroom had a yellowed tub and sink and was obvious there would need to be torn out before it was liveable 

The outdated bathroom had a yellowed tub and sink and was obvious there would need to be torn out before it was liveable 

Before the current owner Guy Stansfeld bought the cottage, it was 'derelict' and hadn't been lived in for around three years 

Before the current owner Guy Stansfeld bought the cottage, it was ‘derelict’ and hadn’t been lived in for around three years 

‘I had a fairly good idea of what I wanted to include and how I wanted it to sit in the landscape.

‘It was a four-bedroom, two-storey cottage but it was really cramped. Floor to ceiling on the ground floor was only about 6ft 10in.

‘The extension is a timber frame using SIP panels, which is very quick to build, insulated and sustainable.

‘The photovoltaic panels generate electricity and I get paid through the feed-in tariff for that, which basically pays the cost of running the ground source heat pump and things.

‘You’re using a more expensive form of energy but in a much more efficient way, the pump is many times more efficient than a gas boiler.

‘All the lighting is low energy and we have underfloor heating throughout the house.’

The architect  opened up the original cramped cottage by taking out the first floor to give the main living area spacious ceiling heights and then built an extension to house four bedrooms and three bathrooms

The architect opened up the original cramped cottage by taking out the first floor to give the main living area spacious ceiling heights and then built an extension to house four bedrooms and three bathrooms

The current owner said: 'The entire house is insulated externally with a cladding system that means when it heats up, the house retains that heat and during the summer months it retains the coolness because of the insulation'

The current owner said: ‘The entire house is insulated externally with a cladding system that means when it heats up, the house retains that heat and during the summer months it retains the coolness because of the insulation’

The eco-home was originally a two-storey cottage but very cramped for space, leading the architect to transform it into a single storey house

The eco-home was originally a two-storey cottage but very cramped for space, leading the architect to transform it into a single storey house

The current homeowner said: 'The entire house is insulated externally with a cladding system that means when it heats up, the house retains that heat and during the summer months it retains the coolness because of the insulation'

The current homeowner said: ‘The entire house is insulated externally with a cladding system that means when it heats up, the house retains that heat and during the summer months it retains the coolness because of the insulation’

The owner added: ‘The entire house is insulated externally with a cladding system that means when it heats up, the house retains that heat and during the summer months it retains the coolness because of the insulation.

‘It’s a very efficient place to run. 

‘It’s a really lovely place, it borders onto a little nature reserve and it’s an SSSI – it hasn’t been touched in about 40 years so it’s very wild.

‘The place is very peaceful and you get lots of wildlife around. It’s idyllic.’ 

Lanhydrock Estate is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful and unspoilt parts of Cornwall

Lanhydrock Estate is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful and unspoilt parts of Cornwall

The house, called Rosedale, has a westerly-facing garden and pond with a woodland backdrop where the buyers can enjoy plenty of afternoon sunshine on their lawn or deck

The house, called Rosedale, has a westerly-facing garden and pond with a woodland backdrop where the buyers can enjoy plenty of afternoon sunshine on their lawn or deck

A small garden area sits outside the home, making it a perfect retreat for a buyer with a green thumb 

A small garden area sits outside the home, making it a perfect retreat for a buyer with a green thumb 

The cottage sits on 11 acres of wetland and woodland, making it the perfect home for one who enjoys nature

The cottage sits on 11 acres of wetland and woodland, making it the perfect home for one who enjoys nature

The property borders a small nature reserve that is an SSSI - meaning it hasn't been touched in about 40 years

The property borders a small nature reserve that is an SSSI – meaning it hasn’t been touched in about 40 years



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk