Self-sustaining ‘earthship’ home in Manitoba up for grabs on Kijiji
An out-of-this-world, rural Manitoba home is up for grabs, offering buyers a chance to live in a self-sustaining, off-grid oasis.
Kim Chase has listed her 1,800 square-foot earthship home on Kijiji for $445,000.
The three-bedroom, two-bathroom structure is situated on 66 acres of land and was designed by Michael Reynolds, an architect known for developing ‘earthship’ style homes, engineered to be off the grid, with little reliance on utilities and fossil fuels.
Chase purchased the earthship two years ago. The chance to live a greener life is what drew her to the home about 30 minutes north of Winnipeg, she said.
“It was not so much the off grid lifestyle, but just a smaller footprint, and not using the finite resources that we do have,” she said.
Owner Kim Chase said the home's atrium-style design creates some picturesque days inside its glass-paned walls.(Image Source: Kim Chase/Kijiji)
Over two years, Chase added about $15,000 worth of upgrades, from installing a new water heating system to replacing batteries.
The first year in particular brought its challenges.
“It was at the height of lockdown. I had no hot water and trouble with the plumbing, and I couldn't even go to a friend's place to have a shower or do laundry,” she recalled.
“So it was it was kind of an interesting first year, for sure.”
Plumbing issues behind it now, the home gets its heat and electricity primarily from the sun with help from a woodstove. The house is cooled with a cross-ventilation system in the summer. Water is provided by rainwater catchment. A grey water system waters the plants in a picturesque greenhouse before being recycled for toilets.
The setup keeps utility bills very affordable, Chase said, and the atrium-style design creates some picturesque days inside its glass-lined walls.
“Especially when it's 40 below outside and I’m in a T-shirt in my atrium. It's pretty nice. As long as the sun is shining, it's warm in there,” she said.
The 1,800 square-foot earthship home is located about 30 minutes north of Winnipeg on 66 acres of sprawling land. (Image Source: Kim Chase/Kijiji)
Chase is parting with the home to be closer to family in Alberta.
Since listing the home over the weekend, Chase has had several showings with more on the books this week.
“You're always going to get lots of ‘I really want to see this house’ type people who aren't necessarily serious about buying one. But it's pretty beautiful. Once you get inside too, it's really quite amazing,” she said.
She believes eco-conscious homes, like earthships, will start to have a wider appeal as the years go on, owing to supply chain issues and ballooning inflation rates.
“We're looking at shortages of products. Growing your own food never looked so good,” she said.
“The country lifestyle and maybe having a few chickens and some goats - it makes a lot of sense. It's clean and it's fun. It just requires a little bit more thinking.”
Over two years, owner Kim Chase has put about $15,000 worth of upgrades into the home, including new eavestrough and a water heating system. (Image Source: Kim Chase/Kijiji)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
BREAKING Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
'Unacceptable': Trudeau reacts after AFN chief says headdress taken from plane cabin
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The World Health Organization said on Friday that the current overall public health risk posed by H5N1 bird flu virus is low, but for those with exposure to infected birds or animals the risk of infection is considered low-to-moderate.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.