For buyers seeking a natural, self-sufficient lifestyle or a peaceful country retreat, this energy-efficient straw bale home on 19.7 acres delivers comfort, character and room to grow your own.

Step inside this eco-friendly home and you're instantly enveloped in a sense of peace and calm. The love and care poured into every detail is clear throughout this magnificent straw bale home, built with dedication from natural, sustainable materials by the one and only owners.

Thick straw bale walls create deep doorways and wide window ledges and provide outstanding insulation, keeping the home naturally cool all summer – no air conditioning required. Recycled Oregon windows, doors and verandah, a steel frame and rendered brick internal walls make for a solid, low-impact build, finished with earthy textures, straw ceiling panels, imported Spanish tiles and Italian hardware.

The home
• Solid steel frame fabricated in Campbells Creek.
• Straw bales for the 550mm thick walls made from straw grown and baled by the owners.
• 50mm thick sand and lime render, applied in three coats, inside and out.
• Three bedrooms – the main with walk-in robe, two with built-in robes – plus a study nook with its own external access.
• Kitchen with black composite stone benchtop, stainless steel appliances, square porcelain double farmhouse sink and a generous walk-in pantry.
• All doors and windows and fly screens made with recycled Oregon timber, hand crafted by Lyle Skinner, renowned Castlemaine carpenter.
• Large bathroom with spa bath, bidet and double vanity.
• Spacious laundry.
• Vine-covered alfresco on slate and crazy paving, overlooking the lawn and fruit trees.

Grow, create, unwind
• Established fruit trees – fig, apple, peach, pear, quince, plum and olive – plus blackcurrant bushes and fruiting grapevines – for a bountiful harvest.
• Raised vegetable beds and a landscaped path to the fire pit, where you can enjoy tranquil sunsets from your personal oasis.
• Garden edging featuring Hawthorn bricks and bluestone reclaimed from Brunswick laneways.
• Separate straw bale studio, ideal as a creative space, yoga studio, gym, hobby room or kids' retreat.
• Scope to upgrade the studio for independent living or Airbnb (STCA).
• Shipping container for extra storage.

The land
• 19.7 acres, mostly cleared, with granitic sandy soil and tree-lined boundaries.
• 400 eucalyptus and wattle trees planted by the owners, plus magnificent ancient grey box eucalypts and colourful cootamundras.
• Large dam with excellent catchment, equipped with pump and plumbing to irrigate the garden.
• Suited to horticulture, grazing or horses.
• 2 x 22,000L poly tanks for domestic water.
• Home set well back from the road for privacy
• 10 minutes to a major shopping centre and the V/Line train to Melbourne; 20 minutes to Bendigo, Castlemaine and Maldon.
Live lightly, live well. Come and feel the charm of this character-filled home at the next open, or contact Wayne Heard on 0409 248 477 to arrange a private inspection.