Chris and Kat’s House 2025

Chris and Kat’s House

We bought this home in 2018, and in 2021 our home was featured on SHD (online). Our key motivation for adding sustainable features and improvements to our home was cost of living – when we’re unable to work, we simply want a low-cost existence. That means setting up all of the energy, water and design features now while we can actually afford it. Being first home buyers in our early 40s, we simply weren’t able to leverage any outside wealth or assistance, so it was essential we found a home which was well on its way to being sustainable. In 2018 we bought in Kalamunda, Perth hills.

The home itself is on a fairly flat block and is structurally sound. The first thing we did was add a heat pump hot water system, which barely consumes more than 4 kWh of electricity a day in the dead of winter. I later installed a 7 kW solar array with a ~15 kWh home storage battery, while the purchase of an electric car (Hyundai Ioniq) has meant that the most unsustainable part of our existence (transport) was largely addressed.

The 32,000 litre rainwater tank is filled from the shed each winter, and it sustains the fruit trees over the summer months. Eventually we’ll have the greywater as well, however the big tank is able to deliver most of the fruit tree needs, so we may only make use of the kitchen and laundry water.

In 2023, double glazed doors and windows were installed, and the ducted reverse cycle aircon which failed 3 summers ago has been replaced with a split system. The garden is much more developed with a far more efficient irrigation and fertigation system in place. I have bottled over 50 jars of tomato pasta sauce with this summer’s produce! We have lots of data on energy, and a few more improvements to make too, namely getting off bottled gas completely (just the stovetop) and improved insulation in the ceiling. I also have an electric motorbike now!
Our house is a good example of improving a modest home from the early 1980s through improvements in appliances, glazing, efficient energy use and self-sufficiency as a goal. We’re not doing things on a shoestring budget, but we’re not going to feature on Grand Designs either.

Sustainability Features

Years Open
2020
2021
2025
ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENT FEATURES
    • Energy efficiency:
    • Draught proofing
      Efficient lighting
      Efficient appliances
      Energy monitoring
      Smart home features
    • Passive heating cooling:
    • Deciduous planting around house
      Shading
    • Active heating cooling:
    • Ceiling fans
      Heat pump
    • Water heating:
    • Hot water heat pump
      Water heated by PV system
    • Water harvesting and saving features:
    • Rainwater storage - Above ground
    • Average water consumption per day:
    • 200 litres
    • Above ground rainwater storage Type:
    • Poly tank from shed. Small tank from house.
    • Above ground rainwater storage Size
    • 32,000 litres
    • Energy Efficient Lighting
    • LED lights throughout
      Natural daylight
      Skylight
    • Electric Vehicle
    • Hyundai Ioniq 2020 and Zero S motorcycle. EV Conversion in the shed...
    • Window Protection:
    • Deciduous tree/vegetation
      Drapes/curtains
      Eaves
SUSTAINABLE & RECYCLED MATERIALS
    • Sustainable materials:
    • This is a typical 45 year old timber frame home with double brick walls and single brick internals. Best of all, someone else built it, not me. The ceiling insulation is a blow-in cellulosic kind, but I don't think it's very good. Windows and doors were very draughty and in need of replacement, so double glazing was installed.
    • Recycled and reused materials:
    • Rocks/stone
      Timber
INSULATION SPECIFICATIONS
    • Insulation Type:
    • Ceiling
    • Ceiling Type:
    • Bulk – cellulose fibre
    • Ceiling Rating:
    • 1
RENEWABLE ENERGY SPECIFICATIONS
    • All-Electric Home?
    • No
    • Renewable energy used:
    • Energy storage/battery
      Solar PV grid connect
    • Size of PV system:
    • 7
    • Average Daily Energy Consumption:
    • 15
COSTS AND COST SAVINGS
    • Total cost of home when constructed:
    • Unknown cost of construction, built in 1980
    • Cost estimate of sustainable home/features:
    • ~$35,000 of house and yard improvements over the last 7 years.
    • Estimate of annual savings:
    • ~$3000 - mostly fuel not bought, and electricity saved.
HOUSE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS
    • House Size
    • 165 m2
    • BAL Rating
    • No BAL rating requirements at time of construction
    • Roof
    • Tiles (Clay)
    • Wall Materials
    • Double brick
    • Window and Door Types
    • Retrofit Double Glazing
      Sliding windows/doors
    • Universal Design Features
    • 80cm minimum door opening width
    • Number of bedrooms
    • 3
    • Number of bathrooms
    • 1
GARDEN AND WASTE REDUCTION
    • Garden / Outdoors
    • Efficient irrigation, composting and use of fruit trees for shade as well as produce.
    • Garden / Outdoors
    • Composting
      Drip irrigation
      Orchard
      Native plants
      Water wise plants

    • Waste Reduction Practices:
    • Compost all food scraps
      Make jams/conserves
      Pickle and preserve food
      Plastic free household
      Recycle
      Repair
      Recycle coffee grounds from nearby cafe's
      Take own containers to the supermarket and for take away food
      Tool exchange/library
      Swap with friends and neighbours
Location
Kalamunda WA 6076
    • Housing Type:
    • Standalone House
    • Project Type:
    • Continual Improvement
    • Open with support of
    • Australian Electric Vehicle Association
    • Designer
    • Unknown

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