The House

Built in 2007, this house was designed and built for energy efficiency while leveraging the cozy feel of natural materials.

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) jacketed by reclaimed logs give the walls incredible insulation and a rustic look.

The positioning and roof overhangs allow for passive solar gain in the winter and shade in the summer.

Heat comes from two wood stoves and in-floor heat run by a propane boiler. Wired for baseboard should you want to bring in the grid.

Upstairs there are 4 large bedrooms. The master overlooks the garden to the north and has an ensuite full bathroom. There is a second full bathroom upstairs and also a sitting room that overlooks the workshop to the south.

Downstairs there is a bathroom/utility room, an office, custom kitchen, and open-concept living and dining room, and den.

Floors throughout are surfaced with wide white pine and tile, and ceilings are faced with tongue and grove pine.

The brick-encased chimney in the center of the house serves as a radiant "heat sink" when the main soapstone stove is going, and the closet behind it in the utility/bathroom serves as an excellent warm place to proof bread dough and make ferments.

A heated porch on the north end is perfect for drying wet clothes and the root cellar beneath it offers ample storage.

The porch door walks onto a timber frame porch that overlooks the garden and farmland to the north. Off the kitchen is a huge deck to the east.

Stone walls built from local river rocks border the shop and the north side of the house.

The tin roof has many years left in it and the stone chimneys are in great shape. The wide pine interior flooring and tile are pristine.

The custom kitchen offers lots of storage space, a high quality Peerless propane stove, electric fridge, and dishwasher (included).

The following appliances can be included with the sale:

• Whirlpool Propane washer and dryer
• Peerless propane stove/oven
• LE fridge
• Dishwasher
• Hearthstone soapstone woodstove
• Vermont Castings woodstove
• Wood furnace (in the workshop)
• All light fixtures. All lights are LEDs made for longevity and power efficiency.

The Land

We fell in love with this lot from day one. The acreage is quiet, protected, and at the end of the municipal road,  bordered by farmland.

Lots to explore! The mixed forest is perfect for people who love to ski, snowshoe, and get outside. Out back we've been nurturing a white pine plantation planted by our neighbor in the 1970s in an effort to re-establish these magnificent trees. There are also maples, birch and red pine, a small creek, and a healthy animal ecosystem.

This land is well protected from development, is quiet and secluded while also being within minutes of Hwy 50.

The land is zoned  "white" meaning it is open for agriculture or residential use. The road is maintained by the municipality so the homestead benefits from schoolbus, snow removal, and garbage/recycling services.

We brought in good soil for a productive garden and there is ample room to expand it.

The land is amazingly quiet and rustic yet is within striking distance to major centers.

The Workshop 

The strawbale construction and passive solar windows give this 1500sq' workshop incredible heat retention and inspiring energy.

The floor is polished cement for easy cleaning and is piped ready for in-floor heating though a boiler has yet to be installed. For now, the main source of heat is a wood furnace.

The water from the well runs into the workshop and then runs underground to the house. The pump is housed in the workshop bathroom so it can't be heard in the home.

The workshop has running water, a bathroom and its own septic. There is a loft for storage and a separate heated room for finishing or storage.

Stone slab steps and a flagstone walkway frame out the entrance and terraced stone retaining walls contain beautiful perennial gardens.

The Systems

This homestead runs completely off grid using a combination of propane, solar power, and diesel.

The grid can be brought in if desired.

Since the solar system was sized to run a woodworking workshop it provides ample power for power tools.

The existing system includes:

• 8 deep cycle batteries
• 15 solar panels, 2400 watts of solar
• 2 Outback invertors
• 6 kw diesel back up generator
• 220 power capacity

There are 2 propane tanks that service the house for the in-floor heating system, hot water, dryer and kitchen. There is another for the workshop to support the in-floor heating system.

There is a backup Deisel generator that is wired to feed the battery bank if weather is overcast for more than about three days.

The well is 475 feet deep and a Grundfos submersible pump supplies ample water at low energy cost.

More Specifics

• Municipal Taxes: $2,054 (2022)
• School Taxes:
• Propane and Diesel costs: this depends on your lifestyle. We found the solar storage system was sufficient for about 3 days of overcast weather after which we would run the generator. Propane runs the dryer, the stove, the in-floor heating, and the hot water so your cost will depend on how much you use those.
• Wood costs: we planned for about 9 cords of wood when we lived there, to heat the workshop and the home. If you're using the infloor heating you would require less. 
• The well is 475 feet deep and has always tested well, though we used a whole house filter when we lived there (needs replacing)
• Distances:
  • 5 minutes from the town of Montebello;
  • 15 minutes to St André Avelin;
  • 25 minutes to Hawkesbury;
  • 84km to Ottawa;
  • Approx 75km to Gatineau and to Mont Tremblant;
  • 132km to Montreal
• Schools: there are elementary schools in Montebello, Namur, and St André and high schools in Papineauville and Fassett
• There is opportunity to subdivide the property
• The lot is situated on a Cul-De-Sac so there is no through traffic.