Off-grid family home offers ‘food forest’, granny flat and room for goats

North Island dairy farmer Mel Oliver had a lot to weigh up when she went looking for her dream home in the country. She wanted to get back to the land and to live a more self-sufficient lifestyle, but with a teenager at home, she knew it wouldn’t be fair to move out to the country permanently.

"I wanted the best of both worlds," Oliver says. "My son, who thinks I'm a bit woo-woo and weird, wanted to be close to his friends. So when I found this property, it was perfect. It was in town, but it was like living on a little farm."

Tucked away at the end of Cole St, in the Manawatū town of Dannevirke, about 45 minutes from Palmerston North, the property gave Oliver everything the little family wanted, "including goats, sheep and a cow".

The home itself was a lot more minimalist when they arrived than it is today. She wasn't able to move in for the first year because she was still working in Palmy, and the home needed so much work, including replacing the solar system.

"When I moved in, the fridge and the lights would only run for half an hour once the sun went down. So all my renovation money went on a new solar system, solar hot water, wetback, a new battery and a backup generator."

Inside, the home is rustic and cosy, with bright pops of colour and pattern everywhere to brighten the natural timber accents. Some parts of the home still need a little TLC, but rooms such as the bathroom are packed with rustic charm.

Oliver also did a lot of work in the garden, caring for 30 established fruit trees and creating a “food forest” to feed the family all year round.

"I've grown enough food to feed a marae. It's an abundance of clean living," Oliver says.

Town is so close, she’d even thought of building a little buggy for her goats to pull into town.

The lifestyle hasn't come without its trials, however. Oliver built a polytunnel to grow tomatoes and other tender veges, to "beat the birds". It worked fine for a time, until the sheep broke in one day and "annihilated" it.

When the sheep stay in their paddock, however, the property provides enough produce to pickle and preserve, and fill the chest freezer year round.

"I like to keep fit as well. That goes hand in hand with living a good life, eating lots of fresh produce," she says.

"I enjoy food foraging. So it's not just lettuces and tomatoes. One year I picked huge amounts of red clover to make flour. It doesn't just stop at what you can buy at a supermarket. There's a whole lot of natural health that you gain from having the ability to grow things."

"It's just a change in my priorities to family," she says. "What I've learned from this place, I can now recreate on a smaller scale, because it's just my son. I don't need to feed the whole marae."

Oliver thinks the home would suit a young family looking to escape the rat race and main centre mortgages, who want a country life for their kids. The property might also suit multi-generational living for a country family.

According to Opes Partners, the average house value in Dannevirke is about $417,650.

With a CV of $530,000, Oliver is seeking enquiries over $595,000 for the 0.77 hectare property. The listing is with Tuma Mullins for Arizto. 16 Cole Street Dannevirke