Shipping Containers Transformed Into Rustic Off-Grid Paradise

A huge part of living off the grid is about making the decision to be resourceful, to take charge of your life and live an intentional life of your choosing and on your terms. And what this next man has built in this stunning off-grid shipping container home, that is exactly what it's about. G'day Grant, it's good to see you mate. Yeah man, all good mate, yeah. It's a nice place to come. This is one heck of a place you've got here mate. This is pretty crazy what you've built here. It's just different you know. It really is. So you're sort of living outside but you've got everything growing around you and somewhere to cook, it's cool. Yeah, and this home is made out of how many shipping containers? The house is two containers and it sheds two containers. So it's not perfect but it's close you know. Brilliant, and 40 footers? Yep, there's heaps of room. About 30 square metres and 30 square metres. And can you tell me the story of how you came to be on this land and how all of this came to be? Okay, so a friend who sold my last house, she actually partially grew up next door, what used to be all one property. And it just kept getting divided up and divided up and I was the first person to buy this piece of dirt. So this was a builder's rubbish dump and I was lucky enough to acquire all the stuff with the property so it wasn't cleaned up, that's what kept the price down. And in there was a lot of treasures and five bins of rubbish to the tip, but a lot of treasures and these days it's worth a lot of money. As we can see with these big beams you know, they were just lying in the ground with some grass over them. So then by having the grass over them, they're all seasoned you know, that they're not going to move and twist on you and going to stay stable. So it's a pretty good score I think. Yeah I'll say, just having those kind of resources on the land is huge because that would save you so much money in the construction. I'd hate to think what they're worth now eh? Oh yeah. Because they're 6.4 long isn't it? Yeah, yeah I'll say, I'll say. So yeah. And the way that you've designed this place is just so nice, how you've got two 40 foot containers, you've separated them and created this really nice outdoor sort of, almost like courtyard space in the middle. Well yeah, so because the houses are only 2.4 inside, but with having this opening up, so it brings the kitchen out and so the person whoever's in there is not left out of the picture. Yeah. And we can demonstrate it later with, I'll cook you some lunch. Nice. Just to get a vibe for how it all works you know, and so for socialising that's cool. And when you crank the music up the neighbours love it. Oh, I bet they do. Yeah, then they turn theirs up, that's alright. Yeah. And this really is such a nice area that you've created here, you've got a bit of an outdoor lounge, the dining table, the pizza oven and even a bathtub here, this is just so nice. Yeah it's cool you know, because through the summer it gets really, really hot up here. Yeah. And that's why we went through an opaque ceiling, so you can go from there in the sun into here and it's like four degrees cooler. So at the moment there is clears all around the gap but as it gets warmer we'll take the air down, leave the louvers open, you get good airflow through. Yeah. Control the temperature of the house. And how much land do you have here? It's 10 acres basically. Yeah. So what we see in grass out the front here is native bush down that way again, so there's heaps of it. We'll get down there and there's a natural spring and it's pretty cool. You've got some animals here too. Yeah, we've got a couple of girls up there and their boyfriend's turning up on Friday. Yeah and then we've got the little fellas out the back. Right. So they're my little kids I guess. They just help you get out of bed at 7 o'clock every morning and you can go feed them you know. And you've built some really nice gardens here as well, I see you've got the greenhouse and then you've got all the raised beds too. In my last house I had a bicycle system, so that just fed all my palm trees and everything else. Everything grows fantastic off it. Yeah. So I was trying to replicate the same without using power and I'm not 100% successful in that. But it does work and yeah, we'll see what happens. And then you're off the grid here as well? 95%. I've still got a gas bottle for the oven, but if I was building the place again I'd put a coal range in because where it is located there's always branches falling off or whatever. It's just always timber or fuel. Yeah and then I see out back you've got your rainwater tanks and you've got a bathtub back there too. That looks great. Yeah, well it's actually an old milk vat and a mate of mine gave it to me and I put some Italian timber around it, found an old chimney that was getting torn down, so I got some bricks. Yeah, once again it's just staying warm, you know? And so I put epsom salts in it and all sorts of junk, just to keep trying to help yourself, you know? Yeah. And at the end of the day, or if you get really sore, your back gets sore, I just go jump in my tub. And for the calves, they moan if their milk's not the right temperature. So they butt each other and get quite rough, aye? But when it's warm, they just latch on and off they go. They're happy. Now one thing that you've done here that I absolutely love, that I think has just radically changed the look of the containers, is all of the stonework. Yeah, well I love stones and I did spend a bit of time in France where everything is basically built out of stones. Yeah. It's a little bit labour intensive and it takes time, but it blends in, you know? So the minute you come down the driveway, everything just looks natural. Yeah. And I think that's pretty important these days, aye? Yeah. Because one of the big challenges, I think, to working with shipping containers is that they do just look so industrial. And by adding elements like the timber and the stone, it goes such a long way to really kind of making them look more just elemental and like they really belong here. Yeah, we tried to keep it looking as good as we could. It just blends in, aye? Yeah, for sure. Well, I just think what you've built here already looks so awesome. I love especially this kind of central area with all of the plants and the pizza oven and all that cool stuff. I'm excited to see what you've done inside the container. Can we have a look in there? Let's go and have a look. This is just such an interesting design. And one of the things that I love about the way that you've done all this is how the interior of this container still feels so connected to the outdoors. Well, the idea was with, yeah, with the pizza oven, it's just to be sociable and so no one was left out. And the design of this place is simple, but you have absolutely everything you need in here. You've got the lounge down the end there with the leather sofa and the telly. Yeah, well, it only just fitted. You can see there's only about 30 mil. If the couch was any bigger, it just would not fit. But see, the TV's 12 volts, there's a DVD player. It does the job, you know? Yeah. And the galley-style kitchen design's really good as well. You've got heaps of room to work in here. I bought it off Trade Me and it was like a $400 or $500 reserve. But because we measured it all out and just decided it was the right thing to do and the prices kept going up and up and up, but I'd like the colour and it was going to work perfectly. I just had to have it. So, yeah, it got quite expensive in the end. But never mind. What did it get to? Oh, just 2.2, I think. Oh, that's still not bad for a kitchen though, is it? Well, it's in good condition. It works well. Yeah, absolutely. And there is something really interesting going on under the toe kick here. What's this? So my dad's a refrigeration engineer and he had these tubes under his bench for like 30-odd years. So he said use them somehow. So what we're doing is we're circulating the water from the hot tub through here. And then it's 2.4 metres long. It's just free energy again. And as long as everyone stays warm in the winter, it's all about for me. Yeah, what a clever idea. Because heating and cooling, especially being off the grid, those are two really energy intensive things. So if you can have passive systems doing that for you, it makes so much sense. Yeah, well, you've got to think about it. And coming from a marine background, it makes you think in a slightly different way. We've got wind generation, we've got solar generation, we've got diesel generation. We've got every base covered, really. Yeah. And another thing I noticed in here is the flooring. This is some serious timber you've got down. We had a few people come and look at it. And one lady, a friend of mine, she says, why don't you just clean up what's there? So I got a big pad, sanded it out. And I sanded it, put a light stain on it, just to even it up. A few coats of clear on it. And it looks the part, you know? Oh, so this is the original container floor? Really? Yeah. It looks so good. Yeah. It's just about using your nut a little bit, you know? And just trying to be conservative a little bit. And a little bit of elbow grease as well. Yeah. And then you've got the really nice sliding barn door there. And beyond that is a spare bedroom, isn't it? That's not your bedroom. That's a spare room. Yeah, well, because this is a kitchen, for basic safety, you've got to have two ways in and out. Right. For counsel. And just logical, you know? Yeah. If something does go wrong, you've got to be able to get out. So, yeah, two doors. And that leads out and around the back onto the hot tub. And a spare bedroom. So it's good. Works. It sure does. And your bedroom and bathroom are actually in the other container. Can we take a look at that? Let's go and have a look. All right. Again, this is a really cool design. Immediately walking in here, the very first thing I see is the fireplace there. That is really neat. Yeah, well, as you can see, there is a little bit of wine beside it. And that's how I like to finish my day. It's nice atmosphere. Keeps the house warm. So after an hour in the middle of winter, we're up to 26 degrees in here. Wow. Because of the insulation. That's how you sleep all night. So it's just, yeah, it's just a nice way to end your day. It sure is. There is nothing cozier, I think, than lying in bed with the gentle glow of a fire, eh? Yeah, but it's just a home. It doesn't matter how small it is or whatever. It's just a nice way to end your day or smooth your brain out or something. I get you. And you've got the desk here as well? Yeah, well, sometimes you have to do a little bit of stuff like that. I hate paperwork. But then you've got a nice view, you know, and you can hear the river. And it's just a pleasant way to be. It sure is. A view definitely makes the paperwork a little bit easier to get through, doesn't it? And then you've got a huge sort of changing area wardrobe there as well. Talk to me about that design. Well, there was somebody here when I first started the project. And so his and her wardrobe is quite important. Saves a lot less arguments. So who gets what? But you could change it to another bedroom if you wanted to. Yeah. But a decent wardrobe, you know, ladies like that. They sure do. And some modern men too. And down the very end there, we've got a bathroom. Can we take a look at that? Yeah, it's rather large as well, so we can all fit. So let's go and look. Let's do it. Cool. We have a very spacious bathroom here and beautiful stone and tile work. Yeah, just trying to carry on the same rustic sort of vibe. Yeah, keep it simple. We can be nice and simple. Yeah. I do like the way that you have kept everything here really rustic. I mean, it definitely, I think, works with your personality too. You have worn your gumboots throughout this entire tour. Yeah, it's just keeping it real. I worked in the super yacht industry where everything had to be perfect and people were who they were involved in super yachts. Well, it's fine. That's what I used to do. But it's not a home. It's not real. If you get a scratch on something, it doesn't matter. It's a nice way to live. Less stress. Stress will kill you. You are absolutely right about that. One thing that I really like that you've done in the shower is the addition of that window. Being able to shower and look out onto the view must be really nice. Oh, it's just that you're living in the country and the views are like a photo on the wall, isn't it? Yeah. And it changes with the day. Or you can look outside, it's going to rain, I better hurry up. So the shower is a little bit different. You've only got one tap. It's an industrial looking thing as well. But the temperature gauge is over there on the wall. So you've got to look at the number. I like it about 43, 44 degrees. Yep. And yeah, it's not perfect, but it's idiot proof or whatever. It's rustic. You just turn it on, the water comes out and it's warm. Simple is good. I completely agree with you. And to that end, you've got the flushing toilet here. So you've obviously got a septic system on site. Yeah. So when I bought the property, the council said I'd have two things. One was a correct septic tank system with a TP58. And the other one was 40,000 metres of fire water on the site. So it doesn't matter if it's your place or your neighbours, you know, the water's got to be there and quick access. So don't even think about it. Yeah. You just do it, eh? Yep, absolutely. Makes a lot of sense. Yeah, it's logical. It is. So from here, I can see that behind your pizza oven, you've got these three tubes that are coming out. What do they do? OK, so inside, the oven's double brick. And once it gets going, it can get up to 700 degrees. And that's a big thing of energy, what we've stored. So I put some holes in the floor and a circulating pump, what's out of a car, basically. And so we suck air from in here and we pump it through the oven. It's got a big manifold in there. And then it comes back out. It comes back out at 45 degrees out of the floor. So you're heating your house with your pizza oven? Correct. So it's just energy that you have. Makes a lot of sense. Living off grid, for me, is in my DNA, I guess. So my last big yacht I had was a Fast 53. I sailed from here up to Asia, did the race circuit, and back again. You make your own power. So for me, it's a state of mind. So I'm not an expert in everything. But having the house 12 volt was simple. And I've got 900 amp hours of batteries. And they're carbon batteries. They're not lithium. So they're two volt batteries. They're safe as roses, 25 year lifespan. They're not cheap to buy. They're dearer than lithium. But they're safe. They will not break down. And it's just independence. Some days, if there's no sun for like three or four days, you might get a shorter power. So I'll just go to bed. Go sit in front of the fire and read a book or light a candle, whatever. You know, you can get by. Everything just doesn't have to be perfect all the time. Yeah, you've just got to look after yourself. Can't just put your hand out and ask for everything. To be able to make your own power, have your own water, throw nothing away, it's a mindset. Just look after things. Look after the world. So how long have you been here, Grant? Well, Christmas time will be four years. Right. And you did a lot of the construction work here yourself. Can you talk to me about what building this place was like? Restricted sometimes because of the health thing, again. But the heavy, heavy stuff like the ceiling above us I had to get a builder in to help me. And the shed roof, had to get a builder in to help me. Some of these hunks of wood are pretty heavy. So this is a home that was built on a budget and being resourceful here was a really important aspect of this project for you, wasn't it? Well, my dad said, don't start anything you can't finish. I only had X amount of money. So you just do a calculation and I was close. I had to borrow a little bit at the end and I've just had to sell my motor home to fix up some other stuff. But it's a nice place, I think, for the dollars I spent. I absolutely think so too. And what was that final dollar amount? 600k. I had to finish it with that. Yeah, and that includes the purchase of the land as well? Yes, and animals. But like fencing, everything costs money these days. Just a basic trough in the middle of the paddock. You know, there's a thousand bucks. Yeah, of course, yeah. Everything's quite expensive. It sure has. So if we took the cost of the land out of the equation what would you estimate the cost of the shipping container home to be? It still cost about $200,000 I guess. But for $200,000 you've got a lot of home for that especially that includes all of your off-grid stuff and the sheds as well. I actually think that's a phenomenal result for that money. You've just got to put your head back on your shoulders and that's what Kiwis used to be very good at doing. Yeah. I was walking down the back streets of Kuala Lumpur. We're going to some market somewhere, I can't remember exactly where. And this little old man, Chinese man, just stepped out and says, He says, Where do you come from? I says, Oh, I come from Zealand. He goes, Oh, you come from heaven. And I thought about it. I've never forgotten it. It's true, we do. This is a beautiful, beautiful place. Yeah, it is. It's quiet and peaceful. It's just a beautiful way to live. It really is. So what does the future hold for you now, Grant? What's next? I want to go fishing. Good answer. I like that. Okay, so I spent all my life working on super yachts and I've had six of my own yachts. I want to sell the place. And I want to live where it's warm all the time. About five or six degrees each side of the equator is just fine. And then, yeah, once again, stay in a rustic sort of boat. So I'm looking at some big crayfish boats out of Australia, basically. What a cool idea. And then my last big boat I took up there was a boat called Zimbabwe. Well, it was a 553, what was really nice. And New Zealand's a beautiful place. So you get used to thinking that everything's just good everywhere, you know. But once you go into Asia, the pollution's horrendous. And I am a hardcore Kiwi. And I ended up racing my boat under the banner of plastic oceans. And we got three articles on saline anarchy and a few other bits and pieces. It's about awareness of the pollution and where it's coming from. And yeah, so this time I've been following another guy on YouTube that's doing all of Indonesia. And what seems to be the biggest problem is water. So a big, not big, but 65-foot fishing boat has got a big water maker on it. So if I could turn up somewhere and start a generator and the people come out with their bottles and I fill the water bottles up. I love that idea. So in a few years' time, we might be able to revisit you on a beautiful subtropical ocean somewhere on your rustic boat. I really hope that happens, mate. Well, it is a dream, you know. And not everyone has water, you know. And these guys are just trying to catch fish and live simply. And yeah, I want to, yeah, go to some pretty cool places. And yeah, let's just go try something. Absolutely. Well, I just think this is such a special place you've created here. This is rustic design and Kiwi ingenuity at its absolute best. Thank you so much for sharing your home with me. Yeah, it's cool to share. It's an idea. Open up some ideas for other people. I hope so. Yeah. I'm sure it will. Grant says that living off the grid is in his DNA. And here, I can absolutely see that's true. This is a place that's all about resilience, resourcefulness, and ingenuity. He has brought so much of his vision to life in this home. And, well, he just fits here.