Sunday, November 29, 2009

My Place and Yours: Thats nice, thats different, thats unusual.


This meme is right up my alley. You see, we unknowingly bought a house without a toilet. I know that does make us sound like half wits but please allow me to explain.

When we came to look at this house we had made a list of all the things our dream house would have: between 5-10 acres, within 10 minutes to town, tank water and a 3 bedroom brick house ( termite proof) with a huge deck , lots of forest and a long driveway so the house is away from other houses and the road. So we come and look at this house the first and only house we looked at and sure enough it fits the bill perfectly. It needed a lot of work- but we loved it instantly and knew that it had waitied for us- it had been for sale for a year because the driveway was so bad and the internal colour scheme simply horrendous- yellow and peach eeeeeeeeewwwwwwww, plus a wall that needed to be knocked down, a dodgy driveway etc. But chef and I had the same vision and saw the land and the forest and it was perfect. So we have a look around and outside is a little wooden shed with a kind of camp toilet looking thing - you know the metal tim with the toilet lid on top? one of those... so we assume its a long drop- naturally we didn't open it to see if it was.

We buy the house, move in as tennants for 6 weeks before the sale goes through and I go out to use the toilet I open the door and there is nothing there- arather - ther is no toilet - just a shed, with a floor where we thought there was a long drop/ pit ... naturally I do what most women would do in this situation and I LOOSE it!!!

And so begins the journey of our life without a proper toilet. There were many incarnations and variations of pits and holes and the look on peoples faces when we told them we didn't really have a toilet.....hehehehe... but it actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

We had always wanted a composting toilet so this was the perfect opportunity to build the most amazing  water less composting toilet ever:






it works like this:
There are two chambers. See the blue plastic thing in the bottom picture- that is the toilet- you use it in the normal way but you don't flush as there is no water- you put sawdust shavings down to help it break down.  When one chamber is full ( it would never really fill up as it bereaks down so quickly)  you swap the blue toilet over to the other side of the structure- then cover the hole your aren't using. See how there are two wooden doors on the bottom on the outside they are the two chambers. You can empty it out by taking off a wooden door and scooping out what literally breaks down into a bucket full on dirt/ soil. We never have we just leave it then after ayear swap it back. So there is always one chamber breaking down.
So simple. AND not a drop of water.
And most importantly it doesn't smell. I can see people often think it will be gross but it truely isn't.
We often wonder WHY aren't they building them in developing countries?????
More nice , different and unusual over at Pips, this weeks theme by little suitcase
addition: the real estate were horrified when they found out and becasue the sale hadn't gone though we managed to get $2500 off the sale - which pretty much paid for the toilet.

22 comments:

  1. Gadzooks that's the most hysterical story ever ... Pooooo and it isn't ... you're not only a crafty genius but an ecological one too AND you ticked all the boxes ... yep you're a genius no doubt about that ;)

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  2. Ahh Cath. You've made my day. That is an amazing story and a fantastic toilet. And yes, why aren't they building more in the developing world?? Why aren't they building more here?

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  3. What a funny amazing story I love it. Truely unewesyewl something the real estate person might have told you. Go composting toilets though and it looks like you have a very nice place to sit and contemplate with a view perhaps?

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  4. Nice one Cath. We have a composting toilet too, and I am such a convert - I cannot see any reason for a water toilet. Ours is a 4-chamber rota-loo, but looks like a normal bog and not a fancy shed-structure like yours.. I have big plans to do up the bathroom in gilt and gold, and turn the toilet into an total kitsch throne.

    Go the composting dunny!

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  5. That is just fantastic, the story, the toilet, everything!

    I was dissappointed when I read the theme for this weeks "My Place & Yours" because I couldn't play along, but it's turned out to be increadibly interesting as an observer!

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  6. woot woot! for composting toilets!
    and what an amazing toilet it is, a shrine really! they have some at the meredith music festival, am looking forward to utilizing these amazing amenities in a couple of weeks. wish we could have one at home though!

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  7. Love the composting toilet, my auntie has one in her straw bale house (inside) and it truly doesn't smell bad at all. And not a drop of water. Extremely clever. And something that should NOT be so unusual.

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  8. your dedication is inspiring. what a fantastic story, and that dunny is no ordinary bog house is it? it looks like the bloody Taj Mahal of out houses. you go girl and have fun going

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  9. Mmmmm amazing that someone would have a house to sell and forget to mention the lack of amenities. You have built an amazing loo, well done!

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  10. Now that's a toilet! What a rollercoaster ride. But at least there's a very happy ending.

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  11. Are you serious?! The vendors thought they could get away with PRETENDING there was a toilet?! Great story!
    But I'm just left wondering here what the previous owners actually did to get by without a toilet???

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  12. Incredible! I love your story, and the very happy ending... It is amazing how we are bound by convention when it comes to hygene - even the simple fact that I was using washable nappies was just too wierd for lots of friends and family when our boys were babies. Never mind that it worked - it just seemed unhygenic compared to the norm.

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  13. Woah! That is a crazy/amazing story! What a perfect theme for you to share it with us.

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  14. I am seriously in love with your toilet, which just sounds all wrong - but you know what I mean.

    Somewhat alarmed at the 'coating' word verification though.

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  15. what a great story! i'm a little surprised that the real estate vendors did NOT know that there was NO working toilet what-so-ever - that makes me go hmmmm...!

    i love the ecological composting toilet though - i wonder how that could be adapted to suburban homes in the US? though i'm not sure many are ready for it yet, despite the growing ecological movement =-)

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  16. We once bought a house where the toilet was not attached to the floor.....and the hot water tap in the kitchen was glued to the wall but had no plumbing - it was just there for looks....

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  17. I think this is terridic. I would be too lazy to want to go out especially in the dark/cold/rain but I still think it is terrific. I also can see why you went to India to get your gorgeous rug. I would too. Cherrie

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  18. I lurrrrrve it... what an awesome design! I'd still have one indoors tho... ;) but the concept is fabulous.. read about the idea before and loved it then. The design is fabulous.

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  19. Gotta say your loo is much more creative than our 'tin shed', but it does have a great view!

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what a nice person you are- taking the time to comment in this busy hectic world...Thank you!!