Georgina and Chris Leahy bought their Footscray home in 2016 with plans to live in it for about a year before making any changes.

But within 24 hours of moving in, they changed their mind, deciding to strip the original 1910s worker’s cottage back for a quick DIY renovation: ‘Coming from an apartment, the home felt like living in a tent,’ Georgina says of the home’s comfort.

‘Even though we added a heap of insulation, we resolved to bring in the professionals next time. We spent the next four years collating and researching ideas.’

While the couple was eager to create a more enduring, energy-efficient home and minimise their environmental footprint, Chris had questioned whether the result would justify the extra investment over a typical build.

‘At the end of the day, it comes down to dollars and cents. I did my own financial modelling, and the dollars speak for themselves,’ Georgina says.

‘Our household’s total capital and operational costs are significantly cheaper than if I had not specified a high-performance home. This cemented my resolve to specify the highest quality of design and construction that I could afford.’

Having spent two decades working across the building and infrastructure industry across her career, Georgina also knew the importance of finding the right team to execute their vision for a renovation and extension that was airtight, moisture-resistant, and all-electric.

The Leahys engaged experienced Certified Passive House builder Matt Carland, alongside Geometrica Sustainable Design and Hehe Design.

About three years later, the reimagined cottage was complete, and the result is nothing short of inspiring. Powered by 19kW of solar panels, with three 10kWhr batteries, the house typically generates twice as much energy as the family consumes.

‘This doesn’t always play out on very cloudy or wet days, but most of the time, it means that we don’t have to think about the timing of when we switch appliances on and off,’ Georgina says.

‘Since we’ve moved in, we’ve not had a single sleepless night due to the house being too hot or too cold. It is a constant 20-22 degrees 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round’, she adds.

Investing in a home battery has also had a profound effect on their finances. With an electric vehicle — and an electric cargo bike that Georgina rides to school drop-off — the family is using the energy they generate and store to power every aspect of their daily routine.

‘We modelled our designs and expected to save around $1000 in energy bills each year. In practice, this has resulted in closer to negative $3000 in energy bills, because we earn bill credits when we export power. When we include savings from switching to an electric vehicle which we charge at home, this comes in at around $6000 a year — effectively a free family holiday every year,’ she explains.

Their meticulous approach to the renovation has left Georgina and Chris with an overwhelming sense of confidence about how their home will fare in the years to come.

‘Find professionals that you trust, educate yourself beyond the TV shows and Pinterest boards,’ Georgina advises. ‘[Your home] is your largest ever investment; it pays to get it right.’

Learn how to electrify your home with AGL’s Electrify Now™ tool. Estimate your potential savings on energy bills or running costs and find out about available rebates, payback period and connect with their trusted installer network.

Disclosure: AGL did not supply the products or services featured in this article. The energy savings and outcomes described reflect this household’s specific renovation, system size tariff and usage, and individual results will vary.