109 Refractory Road, Clackline WA 6564

OFF-GRID COTTAGE

Surrounded by gardens and a field planted with shiraz vines, this classic post-war cottage with a central hall layout has been lovingly renewed. Its jarrah floors shine, original casement windows frame aspects of a garden bursting with life and off-grid power and scheme water take care of the basics. A decked verandah wraps the front corner of the home - portions of what was a wrap-around verandah have been built in to create a bathroom, laundry and a second WC.

• 3 bedrooms 1 bath 2 WC
• Renewed post-war cottage
• Jarrah floors, high ceilings
• Updated kitchen & bath
• 15.675 kW solar array
• 3 battery packs 25 kw hrs
• 10 KVA auto-on generator
• Corrugated iron shed
• 4.9-acre country getaway
• Fruit trees grape vines

The front door opens off the elevated verandah into a home where the original fabric has been left to do its job, and the updates are kept to what's needed. High ceilings lift every room, and the jarrah floors catch the light from the windows and hold it.

To the right of the central hall, the sitting room looks two ways: south over fruit trees and grape vines, and east across land belonging to the historic Clackline Refractory. On a cold evening, the slow-combustion fire in the original brick fireplace does the work. When you can't be bothered with kindling, there's a gas bayonet, and for summer a ceiling fan and reverse-cycle air conditioning.

Opposite is a generous bedroom with a wall of built-in storage and a trio of south-facing casement windows. It has its own reverse-cycle air conditioning and an overhead fan. Two more bedrooms follow, both with high ceilings, jarrah floors, air conditioning and fans. The smaller of the two has French doors onto a west-facing deck, a good spot for a morning coffee as you listen to the fountain.

Off a storage and workroom is the bathroom, with a corner shower and a double vanity, created by enclosing part of the original verandah. The laundry and a separate WC take up what was once the rear corner of the verandah.

The hall ends at the kitchen, where timber benchtops and crisp white cabinetry sit against a tall original fireplace painted a striking red, echoing the glossy glass splashback. The kitchen door opens to a small porch, a remnant of the wrap-around verandah, with a second WC alongside. It's a practical spot for muddy boots, wet jackets, and a cup of tea halfway through gardening, and it looks out over winding paths, arbours looped with roses, and a pergola at the top of the garden.

Fruit trees are scattered across the property - citrus, plums, pears and nectarines - so there's baking and preserving to be done when the season turns. Towards the top boundary, a cleared, level pad could take a workshop (STCA), and a corrugated iron shed has room for up to four cars.

The power setup is what makes the off-grid part of this place workable. A 15.675 kW solar array feeds three battery packs with 25 kWh of storage, and a 10 KVA generator starts automatically when other sources run low. Scheme water is connected, and there's plenty of room for rainwater tanks should you want them. Add space to grow food and keep chickens, plus those rows of shiraz, and you have a property built for a slower, more self-reliant rhythm.

Clackline sits on the Great Eastern Highway, about 80 km east of Perth. Lions Park, on the site of the old Clackline school, is a stopping point on the Kep Track. Northam, with the Avon River running through it, is the closest major town and has supermarkets and a main street of cafes, craft shops and heritage buildings.

To arrange an inspection of this property, call Brent Falkingham on 0407 564 677.