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Homes opening (exact dates and times TBC) during our Green Open Homes event 13-21 Sept include:
Categories:
💛Solar PV, solar thermal, battery et
💜Insulation, energy saving, low cost draught-busting etc
❤️Low carbon home heating
💙Water saving
🖤Recycled, eco-friendly, upcycled or reclaimed materials, plastic avoidance etc
🧡Green transport
💚Food growing, food preserving, alternatives to supermarkets etc
🤎Wildlife-friendly gardening, rewilding etc
Banister Park 💛💜❤️🧡
1930s semi-detached house partly triple-glazed, solar PV with battery plus air source heat pump. Uses heat pump electricity tariff in conjunction with battery to take advantage of off-peak rate; e-car plus charger. Low-plastic packaging household. Accessibility: access to indoors for wheelchairs via a wooden ramp.
Bassett 💛💙🧡💚
1960s detached house with PV panels, battery and EV charger. Front and rear gardens designed for water resilience. Front – no paving – shingle and beds to allow rainwater to soak in; less run off to mains. Rear – small veggie patch, compost bins, rainwater collection for garden use (or to flush toilets when Southern Water has a problem). Resilient garden (no annuals, only hardy and drought tolerant plants grown).
Accessibility: step to front door, steps out to and within garden
Bitterne Park 💛💜❤️💙🖤🧡💚🤎
1960s house with solar PV, air source heat pump, green roof (modular self install). Front lawn returning to meadow, partial rewilding, retention and use of organic material – wood logs, tree stumps, tree clippings as mulch. No dig stumpery (work in progress using cardboard as weed suppression.) Many water butts – almost all rainwater goes to waterbutts or ground rather than main drain. EV and charger, bike/e-bike.
Bitterne Park 💛💜❤️💙🖤🤎
1920s semi-detached house with air to air heat pump installed with two blowers which cool and heat. Gazebo built to carry solar panels (panels and battery may be installed by September.) Crushed whelk shells used as a sustainable replacement for gravel on path. ew downpipe installed to service four water but. WIldlife pond in progress.
Accessibility: many steps in back garden and double yellow lines outside house. Number 20 bus stops nearby.
Highfield 💛💜 ❤️💙🖤🧡💚🤎
1970s terraced house with solar hot water, solar PV, heat pump, low energy. Low water bills due to using shower water to flush, waterbutts for garden and flushing. Lots of eco-friendly lifestyle tips. Easy-to-grow foods, compost, mini-ponds, wild meadow areas, wood piles etc. Car-free household.
Accessiblility: one step into house, front and back both accessible. Bluestar 1 and u2 stops very close
Shirley 💛💜❤️🧡💚🤎
Edwardian semi with double glazing including laminated wood to look like old sash windows and triple-glazed replacement period door. Underfloor, wall, loft insulation. Air source heat pump fitted after long journey through planning application. Solar PV (2012) being replaced as units now 440W & battery added. Raised beds on front sunny side of house – 5m by 5m micro- allotment with veg, fruit trees in rear garden. Wildlife pond. Bicycle retrofitted with battery assist. Older, very economical e-car & charge point. Kefir and sourdough enthusiast for low packaging & health (& cost).
Accessibility: all downstairs accessible and usually parking spaces very close.
Swaythling 💛💜❤️💙🖤💚🤎
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1960s bungalow with 6KW air source heat pump, solar panels, solar water immersion diverter, rainwater harvesting for toilet flushing, use of eco-friendly materials. Largely ornamental garden but with raised beds for veg and wildlife areas including log piles, pond etc. Rat-proof composter. Low utility bills
Accessibility: 2 steps into property; garden is level with some narrow paths. Most features visible from wheelchair-accessible paths. Nearest bus stop: Bassett Green Rd (Bluestar 2)
