Couple converts old railway carriage into a gorgeous off-the-grid home
Old railway carriages tell so many stories.
Who would have thought that these old railway carriages that were left behind would be transformed into an elegant off-grid home?
That’s correct. Old railway carriages transformed into a stunning and cozy home by a couple eight years ago. It all started when Daman and Mandy Groshinki decided that they wanted to live close to Haast.
They canvassed the perfect location for their dream home. When they went to the Central Otago region, which was located on the South Island of New Zealand, they found the perfect location, but they also found something else.
They found old railway carriages rotting on the property that they wanted to purchase.
Most of us would think of a way to dispose of these railway carriages, but not Mandy. In fact, upon seeing the old rotting carriages, she thought that maybe, she could turn these carriages into off-grid houses.
“The trains found us, not the other way around,” Mandy said to Bryce of Living Big in a Tiny House.
Seeing the condition of the carriages, Mandy and her husband knew that it would take a lot of hard work, patience, and love to convert these carriages into a home. The carriages were left there for how many years. The exterior and even the interior of the carriages were worn out.
Still, they loved the idea and the challenge of converting the carriages into their dream off-grid home. After two weeks, Mandy and her husband asked their builder friend to assess the location and the properties.
They wanted to know if it was a good buy or not.
True enough, their friend said that they should go for it because of the location’s stunning view. If you have been living in a busy city, you’d love to move here and just enjoy the fresh air and the view is beyond amazing.
“From over the fence, we overheard the neighbour says ‘those carriages aren’t even worth a stick of dynamite,’” Mandy told in her interview. “I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Most of our friends thought we were mad and I admit I did question it myself at times.”
Many people thought that Mandy and her husband were just wasting valuable resources, money, and their time, but they knew better. After years of tough work and patience – their carriage home is now complete and very much livable.
The carriages turned home still had the history in them. They wanted to make sure that their home would still be able to tell a story and they were able to achieve that.
Seeing the interior, you’d think that a professional designed the whole house.
Even though Mandy is an occupational therapist by profession, she was still able to showcase her talent in interior design. It was also amazing seeing that she already had a collection of vintage suitcases – perfect for her old carriage homes.
“We wanted to do justice to the trains but we had to do it on a shoestring so it meant thinking outside the square,” Mandy said.
The house is just so cozy, warm, and full of love.
The first carriage is complete with a bathroom, kitchen, and a cozy living area. She also showed the second carriage that has a mini library, bed, lots of storage, and even a deck where you can enjoy the view.
Are you excited to see how an old railway carriage transformed into a cozy home? You can watch Mandy’s railway houses featured here. Don’t forget to share this with your friends and family.
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