Forget Curb Appeal: Outdoor Living, Energy Savings Define Contemporary House for Auction

CARRBORO, N.C. - May 30, 2013 - PRLog -- (Carrboro, NC) – When is “curb appeal” not important for selling a house? Most realtors would exclaim, “Never!” Yet a particular contemporary house in Carrboro, which will be sold at auction on June 13, purposefully turns its back on the approaching street, saving its best, most alluring feature for the private woods and natural light behind the house.

Designed by noted Chapel Hill interior designer John Lindsey and built in 1980, this 1592-square-foot home at 108 Calumet Court, Carrboro (27510) is all about privacy on the street-facing elevation where the main entrance is located.

But at the rear, away from the street, the entire one-level home opens onto a sweeping, 800-square-foot outdoor pavilion that accommodates a variety of outdoor uses: dining, entertaining, lounging, and wildlife observation, to name a few. All of these outdoor “rooms” form the pavilion, which is comprised of:

·       A 12.5-foot by 8.4-foot sun porch with two-story glass atrium and pergola

·       A 15.1-foot by 12.4-foot brick patio

·       And a 36-foot by 19.5-foot wooden deck
“This would be a dream home for a small family, empty-nesters, or a retired couple who loves living with the outdoors,” said real estate auctioneer Sarah Sonke of AuctionFirst, the boutique brokerage and auction company that will conduct the home’s auction on June 13. “And the landscaping is primarily a natural wooded setting with only small patches of lawn, so there’s lots of outdoor space to explore and enjoy but very little mowing needed.”

The exterior of the house features painted wood siding and a brand-new, shingled hip roof (installed May 2013). A gravel driveway leads from the street, through the trees, and down a hill to the house.

The interior’s central common spaces – living/dining/kitchen areas -- open onto the outdoor pavilion. Two bedroom wings, or suites, flank the central space and also open onto the pavilion via sliding glass doors. The master bedroom suite measures 17 by 14 square feet. The second bedroom is 12 by 11 square feet.

Another unusual aspect of this Carrboro house is the earth berming.

Three sides of the house are built into the property’s hillside with ground level rising up to the base of the windows. An energy-conservation feature, earth berming is a low-tech method for utilizing the steady geothermal heat and cooling from the ground (as opposed to high-tech geothermal heat pumps that are gaining popularity today). Earth-bermed homes stay relatively warm even on the coldest winter night and stay cool in the summer as they take advantage of the cooler, underground temperatures often noticed in basements. The result is considerable energy savings: The owner of this home reports paying an average of $130 per month for all utilities.

The owner, who is retiring and moving to Asheville, chose to sell the house via auction because the home is being sold "as-is" and the auction process creates a sense of urgency and competition, which brings fair market value.  “This home has terrific design but needs some TLC,” Sonke said. “It will be sold as-is and we expect someone to get a great buy on it, who will then add some new paint and carpet, make some upgrades, and have a delightful contemporary home.”

For more information on 108 Calumet Court and the auction process, go to www.CarrboroAuction.com. For a complete auction bid package, call Sarah Sonke at 919-601-7339 or Christy Kimbro at 919-619-7347.

About AuctionFirst:

AuctionFirst is a boutique brokerage and auction company that specializes in accelerated auction marketing for: new and older single-family homes; residential and commercial historic property; condominiums (residential and commercial), townhomes, and duplexes; coastal homes and property and mountain retreats; farm land and lots for development; and benefit auctions. Though headquartered near Raleigh, North Carolina, the company handles auctions throughout the state and nationwide through affiliate companies. For more information visit www.auctionfirst.com, email auctionfirstinfo@gmail.com, or call 919-601-7339.