From the outside, Mulberry House in Spooner Row, near Wymondham, looks exactly like you'd expect a contemporary, architect-designed family home to look – but once inside it is clear that painstaking attention to detail has gone into creating a 'green' living space.
Built in 2012, the property is currently on the market with Warners for £875,000 and has achieved the top 'A' rating for energy-efficient homes. It includes a ground source heat pump heating system, extra insulation and an impressive solar-energy system as well as a specially designed ventilation system - which circulates fresh air throughout the property - and a rainwater harvesting system, which means that rainfall is collected and stored in a large 4,500 litre underground tank and used throughout the house.
"We built Mulberry House as an eco-friendly home," says current owner - and self-builder - Matt Lennie. "It has reduced our electricity bill significantly as the property is fabulously efficient. There are various sensors throughout the property which track temperatures and automatically monitors the demands for different conditions within the home."
While the technology is not, as Matt describes, "new" - it is, in fact, inspired by the technology found in Nordic homes from several years ago - it is rare to see such systems used in a large-scale family home.
Matt began building the property in April 2011 and moved in in August 2012. "We did our best with the money we had and without going too radical," he says.
Inside, the property has a contemporary feel and includes a large reception hall, cloakroom, sitting room and study on the ground floor. There is also a further reception room, utility room and an impressive kitchen/dining room. This is a very light and airy living space, with triple aspect windows and patio doors which open out on to the rear garden.
A galleried landing on the first floor leads on to five spacious bedrooms - three of which feature access to their own ensuite bathrooms. There is also a large family bathroom with a luxurious oval bath and separate walk-in shower.
Ample parking can be found outside the property, as well as a double garage. This also offers a first-floor office space and provides stunning views over open farmland.
There are extensive gardens to the rear of the property, along with a south-facing terrace which can be accessed from doors in the sitting room, kitchen and utility room. The terrace is partly covered by a pergola.
For more information about this property at Spooner Row, contact Warners on 01603 604431.
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