Marti Yates and Mandy King had no intention of doing a quick remodel and flip when they bought a townhouse near Eldorado Park last November.
The 35-year-old home with four bedrooms and 2,045 square feet needed an update.
"We wanted it to be sleek and urban and contemporary," Yates said. "And we decided to take it one step further and put in green products."
They got the modern look they wanted and managed to use flooring, cabinets and countertops made with sustainable materials.
That included environmentally-friendly bamboo flooring, cabinets made with wheat board and recycled particleboard. The countertops are an engineered terrazzo stone tile, Yates said.
The paint and adhesives used in the cabinets are low in volatile organic compounds to keep the indoor air cleaner. Dual-pane windows were added to cut energy costs.
Partners get feet wet, turn green
This was a first remodeling venture for the business partners, and Yates and King learned a lot along the way. Yates is a mother of six and King is a Realtor.
It would have been an even greener, eco-friendly building had they set out from the beginning with that as a goal, Yates said, adding that they hope to do more when they take on another remodeling job.
But first they have to sell the townhouse, which is a block east of Eldorado Park at 7729 E. Harvard St., in the Continental Villas East neighborhood.
The townhouse, with a two-car carport in the back, is listed at $435,000 or about $213 per square foot.
That is aggressively priced, Yates agreed, but he said it is essentially a new home on the inside, and it is well located.
"It’s really a throwback neighborhood where people walk their dogs and say high to their neighbors," she said.
Remodeling goes environmental
Remodeling, rather than building a new home, is one of the greenest ways to go for housing, said Mick Dalrymple, co-owner of a.k.a Green, an environmental building supply store at 8100 E. Indian School Road.
With its stock of older homes, southern Scottsdale has tremendous opportunities for green remodeling, he said.
"There is a lot of potential on the energy side and water conservation side," Dalrymple said.
The Valley is behind other major metro areas in its awareness and commitment to green building, but Scottsdale is in the lead in the Valley, he said.
"People in Scottsdale are coming on board faster and it’s accelerating at a tremendous rate," the store owner said.
Even Realtors are starting to show interest in green building and products, he added.
As part of the green remodeling effort, Dalrymple said it is important to cut the amount of building waste.
Old cabinets and fixtures can be donated and recycled through the Habitat for Humanity Discount Home Improvement Store in Phoenix and Stardust Building Supplies, with locations in Phoenix and Mesa.
Low-price condos near park
Copper Rock Condominiums last week unveiled some of the most affordable units in Scottsdale with prices starting at about $150,000 for a condo with two bedrooms and one bath.
That is about $196 per square foot.
This is a condo conversion of a 114-unit apartment complex that was built in the 1970s at 7110 E. Continental Drive. That street divides Scottsdale from Tempe, and is just down the way from Papago Park.
Copper Rock includes two swimming pools, a fitness room, sand volleyball court, a basketball court and fenced dog run.
Peter Corbett
The Arizona Republic
