Sustainable/Resilient Single Family Home - Berea, KY

High-end living with back-to-the-land capabilities---a beautiful combination of elegant appointments and practical systems.

Overview

• 2,200 sqft house on 2.8 acres
• built in 2006
• 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths
• passive solar design
• 5.4 kW of solar electric
• battery backup
• solar hot water
• 12,000 gal rainwater catchment
• 8,500 sqft of garden beds plus food trees, bushes, perennials
• 12' x 20' garden shed
• 8' x 16' greenhouse
• food storage areas
• alarm and camera systems
• great views

Amenities

• all hardwood floors and tile
• livingroom has vaulted ceiling, large window array
• kitchen has solid-wood cherry cabinets; two sinks; porcelain countertop with full tile backsplash and granite accents; no-see electrical outlets; under-cabinet lights
• dining room can accommodate large table and buffet
• both baths have tiled surrounds and floors
• master bath has granite shower bench & sink top
• wired for multi-room TV, internet, phone, stereo; satellite-TV-ready
• lots of closets and attic & garage storage, all with switched lights
• super-clean; freshly painted inside
• all brick exterior; standing-seam metal roof; zero-maintenance soffits
• screened back porch; Trex deck; fire circle/pit; in-garden sitting area
• yard is grass, gardens, paths, and trees, with great views in multiple directions

Energy

• 5.4 kW of solar electric on dual-tracking pedestals; grid-tied with battery backup
• solar hot water (80-gallon tank; backup heating element)
• passive solar design (free winter heat from the sun) with large catalytic wood stove and beautiful thermal-mass wall in livingroom
  
•  geothermal (ground-connected) heating and air conditioning
• ceiling fans and whole house fan for non-A/C cooling
• high-efficiency building envelope (EnergyStar rating = 19)
• custom double-cell insulating window shades
• trellised vines on east and west sides for summertime shading

Water

• city water service with private septic
• 12,000 gallons of filtered rainwater catchment with dedicated pumps
• remote hose bibbs and electrical outlets in garden areas
• Owsley Fork (creek) adjacent; Owsley Fork Reservoir within walking distance

Growing Spaces and Other Food Features

• 8,500 sqft of garden beds---mostly framed raised beds, with 5 years organic soil amendment
• perennials include asparagus; strawberries; blueberries; bush cherries; juneberries; red, yellow, and black raspberries; blackberries; grapes; hops; herbs
• 46 additional fruit and nut trees/bushes include apple, peach, pear, Asian pear, plum, cherry, apricot, persimmon, mulberry, figs, che, pawpaw, almond, pecan, hazelnut
• 12' x 20' shed - stud walls on masonry foundation wall with no-maintenance siding; shelves, workbenches, concrete floor, lights, outlets
• 8' x 16' greenhouse, double-wall polycarbonate, aluminum frame
  -- potting bench, built-in racks, automatic venting, retractable sun-block cloth
• dual-chamber solar composting toilet (attached to shed; tiled!)
• "edible yard" design (without being over-planted or)
• fenceable side yard available for raising chickens or goats
• multiple pantries for food storage, including large climate-controlled area
• separate canning stove and cabinets/countertops in garage

Security and Safety

• alarm system with window, door, motion, fire, and glass-break sensors
• camera system with 7 views, expandable to 9; one-button viewing on TVs; day/night operation
  
• 4-foot crawlspace serves as severe-weather safe area; incl. decking, phone, lights, electricity
• additional security features will only be disclosed to new owner

Location, Community, View

• eight miles from the heart of Berea, a major KY cultural and sustainability center
• immediate surroundings: farms and market gardens on two sides; creek on another
• beautiful "mini-mountain" with exposed escarpment to NE

Comments

• If you have thought about how to live more sustainably or how to lock in the value of at-risk financial assets---and wished there was a turn-key homestead that can be self-sufficient in energy, water, and food without sacrificing the other amenities and pleasures of life---here it is.

Contact

• Email or call for more information or to arrange a showing:
  mark@resilient-home-berea.com  --or-- 
  (859) 985-5386 ... (8AM-9PM EST, please)