Why more Australians are ditching the bills for an off grid lifestyle
Going completely off grid is better than you think
Going completely off grid is better than you think
B ek Morris knows she doesn’t fit the image people have of an off-grid dweller. In fact, it was less than two years ago that she was glamming up in her trademark 1950s style and filling her schedule with get-togethers at cafes, bars and events.
But she traded the heels and hair rollers for jeans and boots and swapped restaurant meals for food she grows and raises herself on her south western Queensland property.
Morris, 39 moved to her property from Brisbane in February 2021 following a relationship breakup. The city rental squeeze provided little option for a home that would fit several vintage cars, her online vintage clothing business with huge inventory, a few dogs and her 12-year-old daughter. So, she looked further afield.
She found a cottage 150kms west of Toowoomba and she put down a deposit sight unseen despite the fact that it had no running water or electricity. It changed her life.
“When you live off grid, everything is a challenge – you have to change your whole mindset and how you do nearly everything,” Morris says. “I spent the first few weeks collecting pieces to set up a small solar system for power, which I added to over the past 18 months as I could afford it, and I have an inverter generator to run on rainy days when there’s no sun.”
She says off grid living is not for the faint hearted.
“It’s not a trendy thing to do and it can be extremely stressful, expensive, and physically demanding,” she says. “In the past 18 months I have raised sheep and birthed lambs, raised chickens, processed and eaten them, grown and preserved my own vegetables…built an office and a big shed for the cars, fenced acres and acres, planted gardens, chopped up tonnes of firewood and continued to raise my 12-year-old daughter on my own.”
Living off grid essentially means you are not hooked up to any established utility systems like power, water or sewage and instead you get these services from solar panels, wind turbines, rainwater tanks and composting waste systems. Many who live off grid also choose to grow and raise their own food sources.
There are no figures on how many Australians live off grid, but experts estimate it’s around two percent, a figure that has grown since the pandemic forced people to re-evaluate their lives and what’s important to them.
And while you could soon see the end to rising utility bills, Canstar estimated it would cost the average family around $20,000 to $25,000 just to set up a decent solar system and backup generator. So it should be seen as a long term investment.
“It used to be viewed as something that only greenies or hippies did but in the past 15 years it has really grown legs,” says Dr Rachel Goldlust, a research fellow in environmental history at Victoria’s LaTrobe University who wrote a PhD titled Going Off Grid: A History of Power, Protest and the Environment.
“The movement is not new but this last wave came out of the 2008 financial crisis when the idea of housing that was not a huge mortgage strain became increasingly attractive. The debt issue has put it back on the agenda.”
Whatever the motivation, the consensus seems to be that living off grid is not for the unprepared, nor should it be undertaken lightly.
Peter Georgiev, director of design consultancy Archicentre Australia, says building an off grid property is about more than finding a block of land with a great view. He says a thorough site analysis is critical in the initial stages.
“I have seen people go at it like a bull at a gate; emotion takes over, they find what they think is an ideal site with a beautiful view only to discover their block is close to a wetland, for example,” he says.
“You have to start by asking what fundamentals you’re looking for and then have a conversation with an environmental planner or land surveyor and even a geotechnical engineer to understand things like the soil profile and the hydrology of the site.”
You should also check with the local council in case you need permits to approve any off-grid construction, for example. These can vary from council to council.
Sydney architect Simon Anderson built an off grid home in the Blue Mountains (pictured) because he and wife Kim Bell wanted to be as self-sufficient as possible. Top line features include solar panels on his roof and a 27.6kwh battery; a 30,000L rainwater tank (with further storage under the deck) and a worm farm sewage system.
“There have been times in winter when we’ve woken up in the morning and we’ve had to make coffee over a camp fire outside or had to cook outside because we couldn’t power the oven,” Anderson of Anderson Architecture in Surry Hills says. “We have to watch what we use sometimes but we want to live within our means and that takes little sacrifices sometimes.
“It’s definitely not for everyone.”
Photography: Nick Bowers
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A heritage-listed Federation estate with tennis court, pool and studio, Marika offers timeless elegance and modern family living in the heart of Hunters Hill.
A grand old dame who has stood the test of time, Marika is a slice of Hunters Hill heritage transformed for modern-day living.
Meticulously renovated between 1981 and 1983, with several updates since, Marika made it onto the heritage register in 1999 just in time to signal a new millennium. Today, the modernised mansion is on the market with an auction price guide of $7.5 million, marketed through BresicWhitney’s Nicholas McEvoy.
“The home is a fantastic opportunity for a discerning buyer to get a grand family estate-style property, with a pool, tennis court and grounds, for a price that’s much more affordable than expected,” McEvoy says.
Sitting pretty on the corner of Augustine St and Ryde Rd, the stately Federation residence occupies a sprawling 2472sq m block, which was once part of a 30-acre land grant handed to Frederick Augustus Hayne in 1835. In 1902, he sold it to Dr Leopold Augustus Carter, a local dentist. Two years later, Marika, then known as “Ryde”, appeared in the famed Sands Directory – the social media of its era – a symbol of its architectural significance.
Surrounded by manicured gardens with sculpted hedges, a pool and full tennis court, Marika is a prime example of Federation style with contemporary elements.
Inside, the single-level five-bedroom home showcases intricate craftsmanship, from its decorative gables, period archways and bay windows to the coloured glass panels on multiple doors and windows. Elegant formal rooms have high ornate ceilings that are a preserved nod to Marika’s past, while the more modern spaces are relaxed family-friendly zones.
Thanks to a pavilion-style addition, the L-shaped layout measures 450sq m internally and wraps around a central courtyard that plays host to the alfresco dining terrace and pool, while a wide veranda frames the original front rooms of the house.
Primary living spaces, including the dining area with integrated bar, open to the great outdoors via stacker doors and the 21st century kitchen has a large island bench and a butler’s pantry with hidden access to the triple lock up garage. There is also a dedicated media room, a library or home office, plus a separate family room with a beautiful bay window.
All bedrooms feature built-ins while the main retreat, and a second bedroom, have shower ensuites. The shared bathroom houses convenient twin vanities and a freestanding bathtub.
Beyond the interiors, Marika delivers resort amenities with a full-sized, floodlit tennis court, the pool, barbecue terrace and a self-contained studio apartment with the added bonus of Harbour Bridge glimpses.
Added extras include a converted loft storage space, a large laundry with side yard access, ducted air conditioning, multiple fireplaces, solar panels with a battery backup and modern insulation.
Accessed via Augustine St, Marika is close to St Joseph’s College, Boronia Park shops, local ovals and city transport.
Marika at 59 Augustine St, Hunters Hill is set to go under the hammer on April 26, on site at 9am with a price guide of $7.5 million. The listing is with Nicholas McEvoy and Narelle Scott of BresicWhitney Hunters Hill.
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