“Green” Property in the Blue Ridge!

A Sustainable Haven for Nature and EcoLovers!

This beautiful and unique end-of-road property in Sugar Grove is a sweet set up for those who want to commit to a green and sustainable lifestyle. It is also a fun and welcoming home for families, with many amenities for children.

Located just 15 minutes from ASU and downtown Boone, and a 30-minute drive to Watauga Lake (recognized as the 3rd cleanest lake in the U.S.), it is situated on 12 private, south-facing acres in an idyllic environment.

The property includes a 2700-square foot custom-built, passive-solar home, a 1-bedroom cottage, 1-room cabin, geodesic dome, and other out buildings. There is lots of decking, ample organic gardens/terraces with room to grow, mature landscaping, and prolific blueberry and wine berry patches.

The main house is both lovely AND sustainable! It is a timber-frame structure with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and a 600-square foot artist’s studio apartment with bath and private deck (private entrance). Designed to be passive-solar (see explanations of green/sustainable features), there are large, south-facing windows throughout, making this home filled with light and warmth and with views to the natural surroundings. Round, wood-crafted walls surround the sunken living room, which has tiled, radiant floor heat. A floor-to-ceiling stone hearth stands as a centerpiece in the heart of the home, and there are many stained-glass windows, and artistic and architectural features throughout the home. The master suite features a new expansive bath with lots of tile, stained glass, mirroring, and walk-in closet. Home and property have been beautifully maintained.

A well is shared with neighbors, and there is a POA. Guidelines will be provided to interested parties.

The property and buildings afford owners many possibilities for living, home work environments, and extra income. The apartment and cottage have garnered $1000+ monthly in rent. The house and ancillary structures can be sold with 12, 7 or 5 acres.

Explanation of GREEN/SUSTAINABLE features and other property amenities:

• The property and gardens have been managed organically since 1982, with organic vegetable terraces and compost bins to create good compost for enriching the soil. There is plenty of room for growing anchor and staple crops such as potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables.

• Three yard hydrants located around the house/property provide convenient watering

• This passive-solar (also known as direct-gain) home is filled with large, evenly spaced windows on the south face. The design allows direct sunlight to penetrate into the house during winter months, but allows no direct sunlight inside in the summer. During the winter, sunlight striking the tiled floor in the living room creates a heat sink: the tile absorbs and stores heat, which is then released into the living environment during the night.

The majority of the south-facing windows in the main part of the house are fitted with Roman shades. During the winter these can be drawn at day’s end to keep the heat inside from radiating out. In the summer the shades can be drawn to keep the house cool.

• The property’s photovoltaic system reliably provides electricity for the main house (minus studio apartment). On average electric bills are $50-60/month.

The system’s photovoltaic array (12-eighty watt Sanyo SQ-80 panels—or 480 watts at 24 volts) is mounted on a sun tracker (Zomeworks UTR 100) on a pole in front of the house. The UTR starts the day facing west—from the evening before. As the sun rises, it heats the unshaded west-side canister on the tracker, forcing liquid (refrigerant) into the shaded east-side canister. As liquid moves through the copper tube to the east-side canister, the tracker’s balance changes, rotating the array to face east, and then tracking with the sun throughout the daylight hours.

A Trace 4000 watt SW4024 inverter and TriMetric C40 charge controller are mounted in the furnace room (at back of house in room with oil boiler). The inverter converts direct current (DC) electricity collected from the photovoltaic array into alternating current (AC). Eight Trojan L-16HC batteries enclosed in a container outside function as back up for the system.

• Other green features include on-demand water heaters in both the house and the cottage. These heaters fire up propane flames when the hot water is turned on, thus heating water in a radiator-like fashion. Hot water is available until turned off at the source. The advantage is that the water is heated ONLY when it’s needed, rather than constantly being heated in conventional water heaters for eventual use.

The cottage also has a composting toilet, and a greywater waste system – for disposing of water from sinks, bathing, and clothes washer.

A delightful place to live, work and play in sustainable style!

Additional Property Details

Additional Property Photos

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