497 Tara Road, Mangawhai, Kaipara

Live off the land

Introducing a very unique and special property on Tara Road. The two bedroom home plus flat, has been made with love and materials mostly from mother nature herself. Architecturally designed by Florian Primbs of Earth Worth earth builders in conjunction with Henry Franks of Kaiwaka. This 15 year old home, built using ancient methods, was constructed using raw materials such as clay, pumice and wood chips for the walls and a pumice insulation for the floors downstairs. The outside of the home is plastered with lime plaster.

Natural untreated timbers have been used internally throughout the home with double glazed recycled Totara timber joinery, and all the paints used are silica based eco paints.

Due to the breathable walls, the house is super dry throughout the year. The natural insulation provided by the raw materials means the house is cool in Summer and warm in Winter, to help with the warmth in winter the kitchen houses a Homewood Heritage wood burner stove with double oven and wetback which provides all hot water, there is also an immersion heater in the hot water cylinder.

The property also has a fully self-contained flat for guests or as extra income, it is currently being rented out at $300 per week.

The appeal is not only the 'earth made' house with rural views over tree tops and open fields, but the abundance of mature fruit trees, nut trees and vegetable gardens on this fully fenced 14.67 hectare property with three fenced paddocks, which could also be used for grazing.

Earth homes were popular around the world as the resources we use now were not invented and/or some countries didn't have access to them. There now seems to be a growing trend to bring them back as our world gets more environmentally friendly.