Going backwards

The retrofit on this surburban house has been years in the making but the payoff is priceless

For many years now I’ve been working hard at making my house more sustainable.

From an average suburban brick house, which included luxuries like ducted air-conditioning and a spa, and had no garden except for a large expanse of lush green lawn, I now have an energy and water efficient home that is also starting to produce a large amount of fruit and vegetables.

 The life I live in my sustainable home gives me great satisfaction and joy. The hard work has paid off, although the work does not end, but at least when the end result is fresh organic vegetables, or a house that uses much less power, or fresh rainwater from the tanks, it all feels worthwhile.

It is for this reason that this year I decided to open up my house to the public for Sustainable House Day. This is a day when houses across Australia are opened up to showcase sustainable features and allow owners to pass on their knowledge and experience to others who are interested in doing similar.

The advice received from home owners is extra valuable as it is independent and based on home owners research, including how that feature is now working in ‘real life’. For anyone considering making changes to their house or lifestyle to try and be more sustainable I highly recommend visiting the houses that are open at the next Sustainable House Day, and making use of the owners and their various experiences in many areas.

Rebecca Tyndall