Who could have imagined that old railway carriages could be transformed into a stunning and elegant off-grid home?
This vision may seem fanciful, but it has been realized by a couple eight years after discovering old trains in the Central Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand.
The South Island couple, Mandy and Daman Groshinki, were in search of a new home near Haast, seemingly close to the sea.
It was at that moment that they discovered the old railway carriages on the property they wanted to purchase.
Driven by instinct, Mandy considered the possibility of renovating the carriages and turning them into an off-grid home.
„The trains found us, not the other way around,“ says Mandy.
While traveling through Maniototo on that foggy day, they discovered something that would break anyone’s heart.
The carriages were abandoned; the roofs were torn, and the windows were broken.
The carriages had become a home for rodents and birds, but this didn’t stop them from exploring the entire area.
The fog was thick, and they could barely see the ends of the carriages.
Despite all they saw, they still decided to buy the old railway carriages and give it a try.
Two weeks later, they asked a friend, a builder, to assess the damage to the property, and he suggested buying it because of the breathtaking view.
„While we were on the other side of the fence, we heard the neighbor say, ‚These carriages aren’t even worth a box of dynamite,'“ says Mandy.
„I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Most of our friends thought we were crazy, and I have to admit that I sometimes had doubts.“
Despite all the skepticism and doubts about the transformation, they continued, and after eight years of hard work and patience, they could finally say they had found a „paradise.“
Even though Mandy was an occupational therapist and had no training in design, she had an excellent talent for interior decoration, which helped them achieve their goals for their new home.
According to Mandy, they wanted to respect the trains but had to do it on a limited budget, so they had to „think outside the box.“
Mandy also recalls their early visits and the obstacles they had to overcome.
„We focused on the main carriage and a place to sleep.
It was mainly the back of the carriage, originally the old kitchen with the most repugnant purple and yellow sink, an enormous amount of bird droppings, dead birds everywhere, and mold,“ says Mandy.
The couple faced many challenges, but they worked hard together on this wonderful and exceptional project.
„We were the masters of lists. Daman would do the main jobs, and I would come in to sand, clean, and paint.
I don’t even want to think about how much sealant I used,“ says Mandy.
Daman, on the other hand, was surprised that after a hard day’s work, they had the chance to relax and have fun.
„Building the deck changed everything.
We had a place to sit with friends, drink homemade beer, and watch the sunset,“ says Daman.
Today, the couple enjoys the fruits of their labor: a beautifully restored off-grid home with a kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, dining room, and living rooms.
As the property is in a remote area, they have no access to electricity and urban water supply and rely only on a small solar system and rainwater, making the transformed railway carriages a fully self-sufficient home.
Watch this video for a complete tour of this small but beautiful home.