Quick info:
Super affordable! 1 room available ($635pcm) Prefer 12-month+ stay. Social/Eco justice values. Non-smoking house. Vaccinated household. Gardeners/dumpster divers/vego/bicycle enthusiast/handy/homely folx adored. We have 5 chickens and one indoor-only cat.
We are a 4 bedroom, 6 person household. Accepting folx who are vegetarian, freegan or vegan.
The vibe:
Overall, our vision is to have a welcoming, supportive home where we spend time together. Of course, we have the personal space we need. While there are (kind of) a lot of us, we're all quite similar so it doesn't feel like a crowded house. There is lots of space, indoors and out, for us all to thrive.
While there is almost always someone home, the house energy is typically chill. We love cooking for each other, pot-lucks, game/movie nights, singalongs around the fire, and pickling afternoons. Most of us skate, so we love an impromptu skate around the neighbourhood.
In the garden, we're always planning and experimenting and Stevie and Charlie have previously led these projects. Ongoing projects at the house involve gardening, food processing and food production i.e. seedling raising, setting up/maintaining garden beds, composts and soil-making, assembling a recently acquired greenhouse, plus being inspired by dumpster goodies, preserving, and making friends with the chickens.
For a variety of important reasons, we are all triple vaccinated against Covid. We all actively work to keep our home safe, happy and healthy.
House and garden:
Our house is sun-filled and naturally cool in summer. It has 4 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms (no ensuite!), 3 living spaces and a shared office/hobby space. The house also has a large laundry / workshop area. The kitchen is beautiful, it was updated 6 years ago and has a brand new dishwasher. The 2 bathrooms were just renovated. It has 1kw of solar panels, outdoor dining, and a chicken coop that is home to five beautiful hens. We also have a covered, purpose-built bike shed.
There are 7 established fruit trees, several active veggie beds and a large ornamental grape vine covering the back patio. We have excellent landlords (no real estate), and friendly neighbours who make it a great place to live.
The room:
Room 3: 635pcm (single), available now (flexible).
This is a south-facing room measuring 3.2x3.5m (11.2m2) located at the back of the house. It has a large window, is newly carpeted, and has a built-in robe.
All bedrooms share walls with bathrooms and common areas. We are all respectful around noise, sleep, general comfort and work schedules.
Bond is $600, lodged with the RTBA.
Location:
The house is located a short stroll from Darebin Parklands, close to Fairfield and Ivanhoe shops, plus lots of cafes. We are on the Darebin Creek Trail and other cycle-ways which make for an excellent commute. Plus, we're on the 508 bus line, a 9 minute to walk to the 250/350 bus lines and 9 mins walk to Alphington train station.
Cashy monies:
In all money matters that affect the house, we value transparency. Rent is calculated in a specific way that aims to be fair, based on true room size.
Bills are separate to the rent, and household items like toilet paper and detergent are bought in bulk or a turn-based way (or gleaned from dumpsters).
Bills are additional and also affordable. They total approximately $45 per person, per calendar month (or $10 per week). We do our best to keep costs low, run appliances during solar feed in times, and use heating/cooling consciously.
About us:
We are Stevie and Charlie (a couple), Brooke, Chloé and Dave (a couple). We have a great permaculture-inspired sharehome in Alphington, Victoria. This is a long-term home. So, whether you’re in it for a year or more, we’d love to hear from folks with a similar enthusiasm, set of values and commitment to making a home together.
Stevie (she/they, vegetarian) is a gardener, a trad dancer, and a final year PhD student. Ste enjoys porridge for breakfast, ceilis, growing and preserving, acro, playing concertina, and yoga and works at La Trobe University. Vegetarian and mostly freegan.
Charlie (he/him, vegetarian) is a stilt-walking performer, and a linguist. He is also vegetarian and mostly freegan. Charlie's interests include: partner acrobatics, singing, languages, foraging, trad dance, and travel.
Brooke (she/her, vegetarian) a bubbly Outdoor Educator / hiking guide who spends most of her time up a mountain, down a river or in a tent as a part of her work. While she enjoys going on her own adventures, at home it's all about getting regrounded via reading, walking, mini art / video projects, hot pilates, rock climbing & cooking delish veggo meals with the house fam ✨
Chloé (she/her, vegetarian) is a waste auditor by day, hospo warrior by night. She enjoys baking French deserts, walking in beautiful Darebin parklands, attempting to produce music, as well as trying to do yoga while playing with her furry friend Amaya.
David (he/him, vegan) is a musician, philosophy student and concreter (that rare blend exists). When he’s not practicing his singing scales or reading/thinking/writing about obscure books & questions, you’ll find him playing with the family fluffy kiddo or happily having deep conversations with anyone about anything.
Amaya (female fluff delight) is a part-time entertainer part-time sleeping fluff. She LOVES to play so this is your ticket to become her best friend. In the yard, you'll find our feathery friends Poppy, Bone, Flora, Bear and Red.
Other groovy house features:
- purpose built bike shed
- 1kw solar panels
- passive solar (esque) design
- deep litter chicken coop home to 5 chickens
- bathtub worm farm
- fire pit
- grape vine for shade in summer
- picnic tables in the back and front yards
- established composting systems
- productive garden with 7 fruit trees, and vegetable beds that yeild many, many kgs of food each year
Systems we're working towards: drip irrigation, rain and grey water harvesting, bees, solar dehydrating, assembling the glasshouse, for all your propagation needs (or just to hang out in a weirdly warm outside room).
Please get in touch to express your interest if this sounds like the place for you, or if you'd like to know more. You can also send us your bio and why you might be a good match!
