A completely off-grid home is nearing completion in the Kiewa Valley.
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The Staghorn Flat family home, set on the Kiewa River just off the Murray Valley Highway is the dream home for young family Luke and Abby Deimel.
And for local builders B&H Homes, the build is a standout for rural sustainable living.
The build has been almost two years in the making, and director Joshua Baker said the home is the "quintessential country dream".
"The position of their new home was an evolutionary process," he said.
"Initially it was positioned central on their block for beautiful mountain views and within viable reach of the mains for electricity, gas and water.
"But as the design process and conversation evolved so too did Luke and Abby's desire for sustainable living and river life.
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"The new sustainable design meant complete self-sufficiency with no mains services or utility bills."
The single-storey home features an off-grid photovoltaic electricity system with back up diesel generator, portable water supply and a wood heater in the main family room which also supplies hydronic in-floor heating to the entire home.
"This meant re-designing and repositioning their home," Mr Baker said.
"As well as implementing a more energy efficient and passive house design elements. And so the B&H Homes team together with Luke and Abby designed a second house in the space of six months and set about amending all permits."
Mr Baker said B&H Homes defines sustainability a little differently to most.
"Not just by passive design elements and low energy use appliances, but by the longevity of the building life," he said.
"We live in such a disposable society.
"We build homes to keep.
"To last generations and pass down the family. Hence their term generational homes.
"But a truly sustainable home is timeless to last the ages."
Other features of the home include bulk insulation, double glazed windows throughout, north facing and low energy use appliances including an induction cook top, split system and evaporative cooler.
The hot water system also connects to the off-grid power and piggy-backs off the wood heater.