Sydney's greenest terrace house sold at $1.9 million plus
Sydney's greenest home - winning some 13 awards on its 2013 construction - has been snapped up before it's scheduled weekend auction.
Builder Chris Knierim's two storey eco-house in Forest Lodge came with $1.9 million plus price hopes.
Over 100 groups inspected the pricey bespoke offering, which sold at an undisclosed price, through Jennifer Aaron of Jennifer Aaron Real Estate.
The recent marketing campaign had triggered 11,000 plus visits on realestate.com.au.
Designed to minimise its carbon footprint, it was Knierim's $900,000 construction dream to build a sustainable three bedroom house for his family.
Another inner west project is also underway by architect and builder, Oliver Steele in Newtown with three garden-topped eco-terraces on Angel Street.
Being green might prove costly in the inner suburbs, but the traditional alternate eco home can still come cheap for tree changers with a mud brick home in a 200 acre land sharing community in the Hunter Valley region currently listed at $180,000 plus.
After working on eco-friendly building projects in Europe, Chris Knierim knew to insulate the ground underneath the slab and have solar panels on its green garden rooftop.
There's eight metre tall vertical garden walls in between, which impressed the Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore when she opened the house.
It comes with a 3500 litre underground water tank and extensive use of recycled materials.
The sustainable Foss Street home - just 5 metres or so wide in a narrow gap in a row of heritage-listed terraces - featured on the Grand Designs Australia television series.
The awards included the 2014 HIA Green Smart Australian Home of the Year and the Australian Sustainable Project of the Year.
Chris and wife Belinda paid $519,000 in 2007 for the small car park block next door to their then house.
"Crowned by a green roof, it presents streamlined minimalism with state-of-the-art finishes and a focus on optimal light and airflow," selling agent Jennifer Aaron said.
Chris was happy with the home and said it performed better than expected.
"“It just functions really well."
The founder of design firm Code Green admitted that despite the fact the eco lodge was a dream home for his wife and two sons, it was time to move on.
“I’ve just got a good business opportunity, so it’s time to let it go", he said.
"Being a builder and designer I’m always looking at doing other things,” he said.
They all celebrated the sale at the sustainable fish cafe, Annandale's Fish & Co.
This article was first published in the Sydney Daily Telegraph.
