The permaculture guide to house hunting
Samantha Haworth and Vincent Parisi from Merrymakers Permaculture share what they’re looking for in their current house hunt. They show it’s easy to begin making choices that reduce your environmental footprint – and look beautiful at the same time.
Photography by Morgan Smith
22 June 2022
Written by Samantha Haworth and Vincent Parisi from Merrymakers Permaculture
We are currently on the rollercoaster journey of trying to break into the property market in Toowoomba. Recently recognised as the most liveable regional city in Queensland by RMIT, there are many fantastic reasons to buy here. From its notoriously fertile red soil to its favourable warm temperate climate and great community connections, we think Toowoomba has great foundations for permaculture living.
Permaculture encompasses three major ethics: care for the earth, care for people, and fair share. It’s used for the conscious design of productive and stable ecosystems – and anyone can do it, green thumb or not. It may sound technical, but it’s actually about making space more productive, while also enhancing the quality of our soil. Permaculture design can also be applied to our living spaces and used to minimise our household ecological footprint. For those looking to improve their household sustainability, permaculture design can be an empowering tool for starting the journey towards lower impact living.
Being able to discern the potential of a property is hugely empowering when stepping into the property market, be it to buy or rent. David Holmgren’s Retrosuburbia has an incredibly detailed real estate checklist for assessing properties, and we highly recommend it – but to be honest, it can be overwhelming!
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Here are our big five considerations when we look at properties:
NORTH-FACING BACKYARD
This is a biggie as it really determines how much you can grow, especially in winter. Many veggies need 8-10 hours of sun a day to yield well, as do popular fruit trees such as citrus. Having a north-facing backyard allows flexibility to include these high-yielding plants.
AXIS OF HOUSE
As beautiful and iconic as the Toowoomba-style Queenslanders are, many can have less than ideal solar aspects. Where possible, having the long side of the house facing north is very desirable – it can suffuse otherwise dark Queenslanders with light, improve airflow and reduce the need for artificial heating or cooling. It also means you have more surface area for solar power panels, if you choose to install them.
HISTORY OF LAND USE
A few years ago when we were renting, we heard about a free soil testing program through Macquarie University. We jumped at the chance, expecting, at worst, lead contamination. It turns out our soil had very high chromium – a heavy metal that can be highly toxic depending on its form. After some research, we found out that the area along Gowrie Creek had tanneries that were using chrome tanning in the 1950s. We were able to get around this by using raised garden beds. Long story short, looking into the history of an area and getting your soil checked is so important. Luckily Toowoomba has a fantastic local history section of the Library where you can go to look into the history of different suburbs.
WIDE VERGE
A very undervalued market asset in our opinion! Verge gardens can be great if your yard is small or shady, but the true value of a verge garden lies in its ability to foster neighbourhood connections. Possibilities are endless – street composting, produce swaps, even little libraries! It’s amazing how a simple garden can become something of a community hub.
SHELTERED BACKYARD
Having some shelter on the east and west sides of a property can help novice and experienced gardeners alike. In Toowoomba, we get a lot of winds coming from the east for much of the year, except for our winter months when the well-known ‘Toowoomba westerlies’ come alive. Shelter on your east and west boundaries in the form of buildings or trees can really make a garden thrive by reducing wind and evaporation in your garden. Along with providing shelter, this can also improve your privacy which can be great for the occasional cheeky outdoor bath!
Bear in mind no property will be perfect. Mount Lofty is known for its minimal frosts, high humidity, and great soil, however, its verges and backyards tend to be smaller and shaded. Harristown on the other hand can have great sun exposure and verges but tends to be more exposed to winds and evaporation. Knowing how to balance what you’re looking for, the specific land you’re on and the lifestyle you are looking to live can help in making decisions.
Permaculture is about enhancing your lifestyle as well as the environment around you – everything counts!
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Inspired but in a rental?
No problem – we are too! Check out our list of things you can do to adapt in situ:
Grow salad greens and herbs – commercially grown, these have a high environmental impact, but are so easy to grow yourself! Choose 'cut and come again' varieties, so you can harvest as much as you need.
Join Permaculture Toowoomba’s monthly learning opportunities to build a community of likeminded friends who can help you as you learn.
Start with raised container wicking beds, which are one of the most efficient ways to grow food and are low impact at rentals because you can move them.
Start a street compost system to divert food waste from landfill and feed back into your veggie beds.
If your home has a grey water system, use it (or create it!). Connect a hose to the end of your washing machine and divert it to the lawn or trees. Use a natural, biodegradable detergent.
Be on good terms with your real estate agent! We've been able to start a number of garden beds and add tanks at rentals by just asking. An occasional bunch of 'thank you' tomatoes doesn't go astray either!
Do it for the future. Even if you won't enjoy lemons from the tree, someone will!
A version of this article first appeared in the Spring 2021 edition of our free street newspaper. We thought it was so great, we’ve shared it again.
