We wanted to prove a young family could renovate a home in the Dandenong Ranges to become more sustainable, on a small budget that most families could afford. By simply making smart choices and using good design we were able to build a house within budget despite building smack bang during the pandemic.
We used solar passive design to do a major renovation (80% new) on a 1940s hills cottage, on a steeply sloping block in a BAL29 bushfire zone using light weight construction. The house is all electric, and features heat pump water heating, bamboo flooring, and carbon absorbing natural paint. We were also able to recycle lighting and door hardware from the old house, keeping with the typical quirky nature of homes in the Hills. The old floorboards have been turned into cabinets, and we used old crockery to create the kitchen splashback.
What was once a weed infested mess has become a native landscape that attracts the beautiful birds and insects native to this area, and includes a productive garden. With a modest solar PV system, the house now attracts a Scorecard rating of 10.
New additions include a home battery to improve resilience during frequent local grid outages, and an EV charging portal. This allows us to store and save free electricity during off-peak hours, and use it to run the house the rest of the time.
Did we mention we did it on a very modest budget??!!
