Builder Takes Foreclosed Home to LEED Platinum

Builder Turns a Foreclosed Property into a LEED Platinum Home

House flippers have long hunted for hidden gems among the many foreclosed properties on the market. A fresh twist on that approach is to take a foreclosed home in need of a full gut rehab and transform it into a LEED-certified residence — a strategy that could serve as a model for working through today's foreclosure surplus.

Brandon Weiss of Weiss Building and Development took on exactly that challenge with a home in Elgin, IL, converting a run-down property into a high-quality remodel that is targeting LEED Platinum certification.

What sets this LEED home apart is the care and craftsmanship applied to its energy performance while preserving the character of a vintage house. High-performance replacement windows (U=.20) matching the original detailing were installed to keep the historic 1920s look. Inside, original exposed wood trim and hardwood floors were refinished with a non-toxic sealant. The exterior was wrapped in foam board with careful attention to sealing the joints against air infiltration, and spray foam was used in the former attic to create a comfortable new master suite.

Those measures brought the home from a previous HERS 170 down to a HERS score of 65 — meaning it performs 45% better than a new home built to current energy codes, a genuinely remarkable result.

Front exterior of the completed LEED Platinum gut-rehab home in Elgin, Illinois — The completed Elgin LEED home

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Other green features of the 3-bedroom, 2-bath home include a compact design and footprint, recycled-content countertops, low-emitting paints and finishes, sustainable flooring, bathroom exhaust fans with occupancy sensors, a rain garden that encourages on-site rainwater infiltration, and even a backyard "caprese" food garden that earns an innovation credit in LEED.

Elgin's first LEED home is now finished and listed for sale at $199,000. A comparable home nearby, rehabbed without attention to healthy-home and energy-efficiency criteria, is selling for $188,000 for the same square footage and number of bedrooms and baths. The property is listed using the Green MLS features available to Chicagoland real estate professionals and is expected to earn LEED Platinum certification this June.

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Tags: elgin, foreclosure, LEED Platinum, spray foam

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One Response to "Builder Takes Foreclosed Home to LEED Platinum"

What is a LEED Certified Home? | greenrealestateappraiser says: August 16th, 2011 at 12:03 pm

[...] You can read all about a foreclosed home that turned into a LEED platinum Home at: http://www.leedforhomesillinois.org/single-family/builder-takes-foreclosed-home-to-leed-platinum-905 [...]

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