We printed off a list of open houses in Geelong (we love Geelong!) and planned to check them out over the course of an afternoon.
In the end, we only managed to see two. I had thought I would be in and out in 15 minutes, but the first house - a 90-year-old weatherboard cottage near an industrial area - took much longer than expected.
The girls wanted to stay in the car, so hubby stayed with them and I went in alone.
Which I didn't like at all. I dithered a little bit at the front door when I heard voices within - oh no, people! - but a friendly lady's voice urged me to come in.
So I did.
She turned out to be the owner.
At the entrance, a table had been set up for visitors to sign in, and I was asked to supply my details. There were also numerous info sheets and brochures about sustainable gardening in Geelong that visitors were welcome to pick up.
The lady's husband showed me through the house and explained all the things they have done to make it draught-proof and to improve the insulation.
Secondary glazing (cheaper alternative to double glazing; involves attaching piece of film to windows from inside the house using magnetic strips).
Good quality seals on gaps where air enters the house.
Pelmets over curtain rails.
Foil in the ceiling and under the floors. (With houses built on stumps, there is a small space underneath that allows you to insert stuff, like what this owner did, or crawl in and check for termites, as a friend hired a pest inspector to do when she bought an established house. You can't do this with a house on a concrete slab.)
We went out to see his backyard, and there was this beautiful lemon tree laden with the loveliest lemons - not lumpy or discoloured like the ones you sometimes get from people's gardens - and raised veggie beds where he has planted huge clumps of silverbeet and cabbages and what looked like Asian greens.
What was even more enjoyable was meeting the Acting President of the Geelong Sustainability Group, who was there to help out for the day. She patiently answered my questions when the owner turned his attention to the visitors who came through after me, and we chatted about where we've lived, our kids, being a SAHM, how we occupy ourselves apart from family and kids...She says one of the benefits of volunteering for a half day on SHD (which I can sign up for next year if I want) is that you get to place your biz flyers out there for people to pick up.
The next house was completely different.
First - the View.
The house is in Rippleside, facing parkland out front and Corio Bay on one side. Simply stunning, although I don't know how it feels in winter with all the sea breezes coming through. You could have the tiniest backyard and not feel deprived. For those with kids, there's a timber maze playground that reminds me of the one at Presidents Park. It gave our girls endless hours of fun - they didn't want to leave.
The double-storey house is new, has a unique contemporary design with timber cladding on the outside and looks so refreshingly unlike the mass building projects you see in new estates. It is architect designed by a company called Third Ecology and incorporates heaps of green features.
14,000-litre rainwater tank.
Solar panels that enable the owners to sell back to the grid if they have excess (going rate is 66 cents per kw).
Louvred windows that allow cross-ventilation (hubby commented that we already have these in older houses in SG!).
Low VOC paints.
Kitchen made from recycled timber. Staircase railings made from South American timber that is green-credentialled and turned out to be cheaper than local equivalent.
Polished concrete floor because of its thermal mass.
The info sheet on the house contained a list of its eco-friendly features along with the names of suppliers. Very helpful for anyone who wants to retrofit an existing house or build a new one.
I feel blessed to live in a country where people take an active interest in their environment and think planting and eating their own veggies is cool.
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