Life off the grid

Hayborough 140 an off-the-grid lifestyle

A couple who were after an off-the-grid lifestyle realised their dream when they found Sarah Homes Hayborough 3 design

When you think of building an "off-the -grid" and "energy efficient" home, the word "affordable" probably does not spring to mind. Yet that's what Hills couple Sarah and Jamie Adams set out to achieve: an affordable build and an ongoing sustainable lifestyle in a rural setting. And now after building their own home they are living off grid - and loving it.

"We were looking for a property with small acreage near a Hills town and within an hour's drive to work," Sarah says. After a walk through Sarah Homes ' Hayborough 3 display, the couple knew they had found the right builder for their needs, having been pleased by the level of finishes they saw and Sarah Homes' aesthetics.

"We wanted something that would suit the landscape and sitting on the hill as it does it is very visible, but we did not want anything too obtrusive ," Sarah says. "We chose Sarah Homes as we preferred the finish and the service we received on inquiry."

The couple based their home on the single-storey Hayborough 3 design, a three-bedroom, one -bathroom home. The design - which starts in price from $89,000 - has one main living zone combining the kitchen, dining and lounge. They chose to modify it slightly to suit  their lifestyle living on a rural property and the landscape.

'We loved the open -plan living area and unobstructed views, so we included a deck extension, we added an extra toilet , changed the orientation of the roof for solar power collection and removed the two-way bathroom ," Jamie says. Despite the rocky nature of their allotment, Sarah Homes were able to work with their block of land, raising the home to meet their build requirements and to reduce the impact on the land.

"Our consultant listened to all our input regarding orientation and positioning on our block ," Sarah says. "As well as adding extra energy -efficient elements, we also found we needed extra bracing in the roof structure to accommodate the solar system, which proved no problem for the builder." Sarah and Jamie say the design's 16.3m width appealed to them as didn't take away from the raw beauty of their property.

Inside, the aesthetic also works in harmony with the surrounding landscape. "The colours are slates for the rock, creams for the grasses in summer and browns for the wood," Sarah says. "The flooring was completed by Jamie and we chose a colour to match the merbau of the deck so that it flowed nicely."

The building process took less than 20 weeks to complete and the couple say the communication level with Sarah Homes was fantastic. Their affordable home marries modern living with environmental sustainability, and the couple are now enjoying the benefits of reduced costs of living.

"We love that this home is completely off the grid - we have solar with battery storage, bottled gas and rainwater ," Sarah says. "It's a dream come true to be living with my horse and have so many options for hiking, mountain biking and horse riding so close at hand - we're living the lifestyle we always wanted."

 

08-Apr-2018 - The Sunday Mail Home Magazine

For more information about the house in this story please look at the Hayborough 140.

 

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