Irene & John’s house
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Irene & John’s house
We were renting in Dandenong and wanted to make a move to the country and live closer to Irene’s son and his family. Irene was originally from a farm on French Island and was keen to establish a substantial vegetable garden and orchard. John grew up in the country and enjoyed the lifestyle.
This 1950’s house in Seymour came up for sale in 2012. It was affordable and met most of our needs. It is a brick two bedroom house, on a south facing street with a large undercover area and shed. One of the big attractions for us was that we could move in straight away and make improvements incrementally.
We replaced the roof and insulation, adding a 3kw solar system. The drainage issue was addressed and the house restumped before the sagging ceiling was repaired. The deck to the north was extended and is now shaded by grape vines. The undercover area was enclosed and the shed has been insulated. We currently rent this space out to a small business and could potentially convert it into a small unit.
Inside we have moved from gas heating and cooking to all electric, adding a reverse cycle air conditioner which compliments ceiling fans. We replaced the north facing colonial windows with double glazing in the main living area to make the most of the winter sun. Heavy curtains with pelmets have been added.
The front grassed area has been completely transformed to a native garden with a pond to attract wildlife. The rear garden is focused on food production and a play space for visiting children. An outdoor bath area has been created. A large corrugated iron water tank collects water from both the house and shed.