Our Harthouse Cabin Arrives...

Earlier this year, mid winter 2017, Gary mentioned that his family might be coming out to visit in 2018, and a quick conversation about sleeping arrangements, the size of our house, we came to the conclusion that putting family in a tent on the lawn wouldn't do. So we needed to do something about guest accommodation for family, friends and visitors.

We started researching about adding an extension onto the house, and to add another bedroom, ensuite, around 30sqm, we were getting quotes of around $100,000. Which was crazy for an extension which is much more straightforward than a new build! We built our entire house, 90sqm for less than $200,000.  I think part of the NZ housing/building crisis is how expensive materials and labour has become with the housing boom.

So we had to rethink our plan.  

Back in January 2017, while at the Mangawhai Domain Summer Gala Day, a local market day with stall holders selling their wares, we came across the Harthouse Cabins display.  So I got in touch with Cliff, the creator of the Harthouse Cabins. You can find him on facebook: Harthouse Cabins  

Cliff has been excellent to deal with, and is quite the craftsman.

When building a dwelling/sleepout/cabin to avoid building consents etc, the interior floor space must be less than 10sqm. Now what I love about the Harthouse is that the interior floor space is maximised to the 10sqm, and as the walls curve outwards, and the widest part being about eye level, this design feature creates an amazingly spacious feeling in such a small space. The Harthouse does not feel like a small tiny box at all, but it did tick all our boxes ☺.

Front View

Rear View

Geoff & I Installing Foundation Posts

Cliff Delivering Cabin

Interior View From Front Door

With our cabin, in time, we are planning to connect services for an ensuite, so we have a small room at the back of the cabin for the ensuite, which will require consents etc. However for now its a storage space, but we're still within our 10sqm internal floorplan. Amazing!

Interior View Curve Of Wall

Max Inspecting Workmanship... It Passed!

View Inside-Out

So we still have a few things to do:

> Install steps up to the cabin,

> We plan to decorate the exterior white walls with mural style paintings,

> Furnish the cabin,

> Connect solar power,

> A lot of planting around the cabin,

> Then finally work on the ensuite... down the track.

So still a work in progress, but we're in no rush, as Gary's family decided they will now not be coming in 2018.

Tonight It's A Full Moon

Living in a rural environment on a cloudless night we're very fortunate to enjoy stunning views of the night sky. On occasions I enjoy sitting out on the deck at night just looking up at the stars. On one occasion, earlier this year, I had woken up at 4am to watch shooting stars. However tonight it's a full moon. I'm not very good with the camera, but this is how the moon rises Down Wattle Lane:

You Cant Lead A Horse To Water...

... well ain't I glad that I don't have horses, however I just need to lead my sheep to water and to do that, you just need to rattle a bucket of sheep nuts and they will follow you anywhere.

I've setup another water trough in the lower paddock, although the water trough is located at the top of the paddock. Kind of a reward when the sheep get to the top of the hill, there is a watering hole waiting to quench their thirst whilst enjoying the view.

I don't have any accessible piped water to this part of the paddock, so the water trough is small as I need to cart the water down from the house. It's not to far, and a nice walk.