‘The antidote to city life’: Australia’s longest house listed for sale with $8 million price tag

An award-winning home resembling a giant shed has hit the market for the first time ever.

Stretching 110 metres from end to end, Daylesford Longhouse was constructed as an enormous greenhouse incorporating a working farm, cooking school and function venue under one very long translucent roof.

Set on a 20 acre landholding overlooking Hepburn Springs and Mount Franklin, the property has a stack of awards to its name, including Australian House of the Year in 2019, as well as the coveted Robin Boyd Award.

Conceived by owners Ronnen Goren and Trace Streeter, the project realised their vision to build a place to live, farm and host under the one roof.

“We had a vision and desire to live a bit closer to our food source,” Mr Goren told realestate.com.au. “It combined our passions which were animals, nature, design, hospitality, entertaining and cooking.”

“Our philosophy was rooted in sustainability, hospitality and creativity.”

“We host a variety of participatory events, including cooking classes, farm tours, and workshops.”

Designed for self-sufficiency, the home’s clever structure acts as a greenhouse, creating a microclimate that allows lush internal gardens to thrive even amid extreme temperature variations, while also harvesting rainwater into a 340,000 litre tank.

The flourishing gardens connect the key components of the property and blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living. 

At one end of the building is a two-bedroom home known as The Lodge, which includes a private kitchen, bathhouse and a sauna.

At the heart of the home is the expansive kitchen with multiple wood fire ovens, as well as guest lofts.

At the other end is a self-contained studio, a combined garage and function space, and animal enclosures and shelters.

The enormous vegetable garden and fruit trees produce food year-round, and the property supports small herds of cattle, goats and pigs. Power is supplied by a 25-kilowatt solar array and battery system.

Mr Goren described the property as “the antidote to city life.”

“It’s a very grounding context, but at the same time even 10 years on, brings an incredible amount of joy and pleasure,” he said.

“The house itself has so many different aspects, nooks and crannies that you continue to rediscover, and new parts of the house that you fall in love with.”

With plans for more travel and other projects in the pipeline, Mr Goren said the time had come for someone else to put their mark on the property.

“We are now at a stage where the time is right to pass on the legacy of what we have created,” he said. 

Mr Goren said the property could be be developed further by its next owner.

“It’s designed with future capability for another dwelling under the roof,” he said.

“It’s got a lot of potential depending on who the next custodian is, and the vision they bring to the project.”

Daylesford real agent Kim McQueen is handling the sale of the home, which has a price guide of $7.5-8.2 million.

“It is unlike any other home in Australia, or probably the world,” she said.

Ms McQueen said the internal setup was reminiscent of “a series of cubby houses” connected by hidden timber staircases.

“When you’re in it, it’s surreal,” she said. “You don’t know if you’re inside or outside.”

The property has a range of potential buyers, Ms McQueen said, including families and business operators.

“It would be wonderful for an extended family to own the property and have plenty of room for everyone to spread out and enjoy,” she said.

“Equally it could be someone who wants to run it as a commercial enterprise.”

The post ‘The antidote to city life’: Australia’s longest house listed for sale with $8 million price tag appeared first on realestate.com.au.